NBA Playoffs Who’s Hot and Who’s Not – May 8

By Dave Schwab

Heading into the second week of May, the first half of this year’s NBA Eastern Conference Finals has already been filled by one of the hottest teams in the league right now. There is also a very good chance that after Monday night’s playoff action we will know the first half of the matchup in the Western Conference Finals given the play of the other hot NBA team right now.

It was no big surprise that Cleveland made short work of Indiana in the opening round of the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the East with a straight-up four-game sweep. The Cavaliers did go a shaky 1-2-1 against the spread in that series with the total going OVER in three of the four games. In their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against No. 3 seed Toronto, the Cavs served notice that they are ready to successfully defend last year’s NBA title with another SU four-game sweep while going 3-0-1 ATS. The total went OVER in three of the four games in that series as well.

Cleveland will now enjoy another extended break while Washington and Boston continue to battle it out in the other semifinal series in the East. Heading into Wednesday’s Game 5 in Boston, that series is tied at two games apiece with each team successfully defending its home court both SU and ATS.

With Sunday’s 121-102 victory at home in Game 4 as five-point favorites, the Wizards are now an even 5-5 ATS in 10 previous postseason games with the total going OVER of ending as a PUSH in seven of those contests. Boston is 6-4 ATS in 10 playoff games and the total has been evenly split at 5-5 on BetAnySports’ closing line.

Over in the Western Conference, No. 1 Golden State is one win away from its second four-game sweep in this year’s playoffs heading into Monday night’s Game 4 against Utah as an 8.5-point road favorite. The Warriors have rolled through their first seven games SU, but they fall to 4-3 ATS. The total has gone OVER in four of those seven games.

In the other semifinal showdown in the West, Houston and San Antonio have battled their way to a 2-2 series tie heading into Tuesday’s Game 5. BetAnySports has opened the Spurs as six-point home favorites for Game 5 with the total set at 215. The series is also tied 2-2 ATS and the total has gone OVER in three of the first four games.