NBA PLAYOFFS 2021 AND NBA BETTING PREDICTIONS – WESTERN CONFERENCE
Some more rounds of the NBA have been played since we wrote our article about the NBA Playoffs 2021 with NBA betting predictions for the Eastern Conference. The anticipations for the Western Conference may be lower, given there are no Canadian teams involved. But for the real NBA betting fans, that does not matter. The west conference is still packed with great teams, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James. In this article, we will look at the final standings and each teams’ playoff chances in the Western Conference.
Newbies in sports betting can read this article about sport betting to get a good understanding of how sports betting works and what to look out for when placing bets on NBA games.
We are about one month away from finishing the regular season. The last matches will be played on the 16th of May. Below we will take a look at what teams we think will clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference along with their odds of winning the Western Conference.
As NBA fans probably know, the playoff structure is different than usual due to the Covid-19. Ten teams will qualify for the NBA playoffs. The teams that finish 7th to 10th in the regular season have to go through a play-in tournament which takes place between the end of the regular season and the playoffs.
The 7th and 8th seeded teams will have two opportunities in this tournament to win one game to earn a playoff spot. The 9th and 10th seeded teams will each have to win two consecutive games to earn a playoff spot.
1. UTAH JAZZ
Utah Jazz has had a majestic regular-season run and is on the course to finish first in the Western Conference. This means that they will get a favorable matchup against the 8th seed in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But as we all know, no match-up in the west is easy. The average level of all teams is very high, so any match up against the 8th seed, whether it is Mavericks, Warriors or Grizzlies will be a challenging task.
We do think that the All-Star trio of Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, and Donovan Mitchell will take Utah Jazz deep into the playoffs following a regular-season win of the Western Conference.
As long as they keep their momentum going in the playoffs, any NBA betting on them will bear fruit. Currently, you can play the Utah Jazz to win the Western Conference to 5.0 at LeoVegas.
2. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
The Los Angeles Clippers are poised to clinch the number two seed in the Western Conference heading into the playoffs. The two superstar players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, have great chemistry together with a solid overall line-up.
The Clippers made some great off-season trades by getting Serge Ibaka and Nicolas Batum on the roster. They have a well-balanced team both offensively and defensively and are well-positioned for a good playoff run and even the championship title.
The Los Angeles Clippers are priced at 3.20 to win the Western Conference.
3. PHOENIX SUNS
The Phoenix Suns have surprised everyone this season, and with the recent decline of the Lakers in the standings, they are emerging as a likely contender for the third seed in the west. Chris Paul is distributing the ball the best way possible, getting the very best out of the team together with Monty Williams.
Devin Booker has had one hell of a season and has proved to be a perfect partner alongside CP3. Defensively, DeAndre Ayton has emerged as a potential All-Star player. With great role players supporting, the Phoenix Suns can pull major upsets in the Western Conference playoffs.
If you agree with our assessment of the Phoenix Suns, then there are some NBA betting options with value for you. The Suns to win the Western Conference are currently priced at 10.00 in NBA Betting odds at Leo Vegas.
4. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
With Anthony “The Brow” Davis on the sidelines, the Lakers are having a much tougher time in the NBA. They have dropped quite significantly in the standings. We hope that Davis will be back in time for when he is needed in the playoffs. LeBron James is having another one of his MVP-caliber seasons and should be able to hold his own along with the rest of the quite solid Lakers lineup. However, if Davis remains out for the rest of the season, the Lakers’ chances to win the Western Conference are much lower. Going back-to-back championships is tough. All teams will do their utmost to beat the reigning champs.
It remains to be seen if LeBron James can guide the Purple and Gold to another Western Conference title on the way to the NBA Finals. The odds of this happening is 2.25 at LeoVegas.
5. DENVER NUGGETS
As the regular season has progressed, the Nuggets duo consisting of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray has slowly molded. Experts had punters projected Nuggets to be one of the very top teams in the West. However, the lack of chemistry between the stars has delayed the team’s rise to the top. The good thing is that the Nuggets are becoming progressively better and may even snatch the fourth seed from the Lakers.
Before the All-Star break, the Denver Nuggets ranked 6th in the West. Currently, they are 4th, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Going into the playoffs, the defensive end may be what stops the Nuggets from a deep playoff run. Nikola Jokic was pure magic in the 2020 playoffs. If he can perform some of that same magic this time around, Nuggets could very well make it all the way to the finals. To do so, the offense has to make up for the weaknesses on their defensive end.
If you believe in Jokic, then you can bet Denver Nuggets to win the Western Conference at 18.00 in NBA betting odds at LeoVegas.
6. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Portland Trail Blazers has had a season full of ups and downs and a high-performing Damian Lillard. Somehow, despite many injuries through the season, the Trail Blazers have remained one of the better teams in the west and are on course to secure a playoff seed in the Western Conference.
CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic should be back in time for the postseason. If Lillard can stay healthy, any opposing team will have a really tough time containing him since he can seemingly score on cue from anywhere on the hardwood. Future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony could also cause some serious damage as well if he shows up in the playoffs.
The Portland Trail Blazers can possibly cause some upsets in the playoffs. If you believe they will, you can place a bet for them to win the Western Conference playoffs to 25.00 at LeoVegas.
7. DALLAS MAVERICKS
The expectations for the Dallas Mavericks this season were high. Unfortunately, they have not delivered. They have fallen in and out of the playoffs estimates with a streaky season. In a tight game series in the post-season, Rick Carlisle’s Dallas Mavericks cannot afford to lose consecutive games.
With both Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in the line-up, one would have them in the top four, but the inconsistency remains a worry going into the postseason. There are also concerns around injury risk in KP.
With everything factored in, the Dallas Mavericks will exit early from the playoffs this year. The Dallas Mavericks are priced at 17.00 to win the Western Conference.
8. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
With half of the Splash Brothers sidelined, no Klay Thompson on the court will hurt the Warriors’ chances this year. After a disastrous season last year and the fact that Thompson has been sidelined, the Warriors have managed quite well this season. This is also largely due to the fact that 3x NBA Champion Stephen Curry has performed really well this season.
We think that the Warriors will clinch the 8th seed this year. Their chances of winning the Western Conference are, of course, small. You can bet the Warriors to win at 76.00 at LeoVegas.
9. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Memphis Grizzlies are currently on track to finish within the top eight, something that has surprised everyone. We think it is likely that they will drop in the standings in favor of the Warriors before it is all over. Given that they will play through the play-ins before the playoffs, they are likely to face Mavericks, Warriors, and Pelicans. This will be tough, and we would expect the Grizzlies to miss the playoffs this year despite a great regular-season showing.
The odds for Memphis Grizzlies to win the Western Conference is 51.00 at LeoVegas.
10. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
The New Orleans Pelicans are a young team full of potential, and they still have a long way to go. With All-Star Zion Williams in the line-up, the Pelicans can upset in the play-ins, but we think it is more likely that they will miss the playoffs this time around.
Out of all the teams on our list, the NBA betting odds for Pelicans to win the Western Conference are the least likely. You can bet on them to win at odds of 76.00 at LeoVegas.
