NBA Western Conference Championship Betting Prediction

If you were being totally honest heading into this year’s NBA playoffs, you would probably have believed that there were only a handful of teams with a legitimate shot of winning it all. This is particularly true in the Western Conference, where the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder are the teams that look the most likely to be there at the end. All 3 of those teams are battling it out for a spot in the Western Conference Final, which means that one of them is going to be the odd man out. Right now, it looks like it’s the Spurs who have the biggest issue, as they are 3-2 down to the Thunder and on the brink of elimination. The Golden State Warriors look to be in control of their series, but with injuries a concern, things could change there. Let’s take a look at how the two series might play out, and then I will give my NBA Playoffs betting prediction for the Western Conference Final.

A Quick Preview of the NBA Western Conference Championship Betting Prediction

Who Wins the Warriors/Trail Blazers series?

There are sure to be some NBA fans out there who are surprised that this series is heading to a Game 5, as the general consensus was that the Warriors would sweep the Trail Blazers. That said, those predictions came before Stephen Curry went down with a knee injury, and it is perhaps that which has allowed Portland to hang around a little longer than expected. After all, this is the same Trail Blazers team that took advantage of a banged up LA Clippers team in the opening round to win the series in 6. Curry is now back in action, and with Game 5 set to be played in Oakland, you get the definite sense that the Warriors will want to close things out there to give their 2-time MVP a little time to rest up before the Western Conference Final. At this point, it’s tough to imagine the outcome of this series being anything other than the Warriors in 5.

Who Wins the Spurs/Thunder Series?

This is a series that has been very much as advertised, but which may have swung based on some poor officiating in Game 2. Had it not been for the errors made by the officials in the late stages of that game, the Spurs would have had a 2-0 series lead, but the eventual split gave the Thunder the confidence they needed to move on and eventually take a 3-2 series lead. Perhaps the biggest surprise of this series has been the fact that the Thunder have won 2 on the road. After all, the Spurs only dropped one game on home court during the regular season, and losing 2 when it matters the most is very uncharacteristic. The Thunder can close things out at home on Thursday night, but I think the Spurs still have a few tricks up their sleeve. Call me crazy, but I still think that the Spurs pull this series out.

Western Conference Final Betting Prediction

From the very beginning, I believed it would be a Warriors/Spurs final, and I have to stick with that prediction. Even if the Thunder do get in, I still believe that the outcome will be the same, which is that the Warriors move on to the NBA Finals.