NBA Playoffs Odds: Western Conference Matchups Betting Analysis

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The Western Conference was tight from start to finish, and we had to have every regular season game played before finally seeing what the playoff matchups would be. Of course, there is still the business of the play-in games to attend to before we get to the first-round proper, all of which begins today. While there are some definite favorites over in the East, I’m not so sure we can say the same about the Western Conference. This could prove to be a real dog eat dog scenario in the postseason, and it is a brave bettor who goes all in on picking the winner in the West. All that being said, let’s take a look at how the playoffs might look.

NBA 2023 Western Conference Playoff Matchups

Play-In Games

If you are still somewhat new to the NBA playoffs, you might be a little confused about the play-in aspect of the postseason. There are 4 teams – LA Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, and Oklahoma City Thunder – taking part. The #7 and #8 seed meet, with the winner of that one moving into the first round to face the #2 seed. The loser of that one will go against the winner of the game between the #9 and #10 seeds.

Round 1 Matchups

#1 Denver Nuggets Vs Lakers/Timberwolves/Pelicans/Thunder

The top-seeded Nuggets are going to need to wait until the end of the play-in before they know who they will face in the first round. They split their regular season series versus the Lakers and had the same outcome against the Timberwolves. They also split the series with the Pelicans and took 3 of 4 from the Thunder. This suggests that the 7-game series in the first round might not be a total breeze.

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#2 Memphis Grizzlies Vs Lakers/Timberwolves

As explained in the play-in section of this article, there are only 2 possible opening round opponents for the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies dropped 2 of 3 to the Lakers, which includes a loss in their most recent meeting, which came last month. They played the Timberwolves 4 times in the regular season and split that series, which again shows how tight the West really is.

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#3 Sacramento Kings Vs #6 Golden State Warriors

The Kings were one of the pleasant surprises in the regular season, while the defending champion Warriors were one of the league’s most frustrating teams, largely because of how poorly they played on the road versus at home. The Warriors are going to need to find a way to get better away from home if they are to repeat, but they might just like their chances in this series, as they took 3 of 4 from the Kings in the regular season.

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#4 Phoenix Suns Vs #5 LA Clippers

This is arguably the best matchup of the opening round, which is often the case in the #4 versus the #5 matchup. The regular season series was split down the middle, although it should be noted that the Clippers won both of the most recent matchups, but does that give them an edge? The Suns might be the fresher of the two teams, given that they now have a full squad after suffering through some serious injury issues in the earlier part of the season. This matchup is truly intriguing.

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