Now that the NBA playoffs have commenced, the inevitable swirl of gambling gets larger.
All of your sudden your best mate and “long time” Golden State Warriors fan has a second-to-none market that you absolutely must take advantage of.
But with all the excitement and intrigue the playoffs bring, are there any situations that are almost certain to eventuate? Are there any happenings that at first seem unlikely but are ultimately very plausible?
Here's what we would offer you on the following situations taking place.
The Toronto Raptors to win the East - $5.00
Believe it or not, the Toronto Raptors only finished 1 win behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, but did not attract almost half the attention due to their significant lack of LeBron James.
This then begs the question – despite two first round losses in a row, can Toronto overcome past playoffs failures to shock the world and win the East?
The season series is 2-1, with the Raptors getting up twice at home and losing once away. On paper it looks as if they would give Cleveland some trouble - but they have to make it as far fist.
The Cavaliers choke before the NBA Finals - $5.50
The Cavs have had as up and down a year as any; firing head coach David Blatt who took them to The Finals last year, and hiring his assistant Tryonn Lue.
That, combined with a propensity for losing matches to sub-par teams has earned Cleveland a reputation for the mental fragility not present in champion teams.
Is this fragility so bad that they may indeed fall before the NBA Finals, perhaps to the Toronto Raptors, who only finished one game behind them? Perhaps, but with LeBron James on their team, it's still the less likely conclusion.
The Boston Celtics make the Eastern Conference Finals - $9.50
The Boston Celtics exceeded everyone's expectations this year, going 48-34 to claim the fifth seed in the East.
With a play style headlined by ball movement and led by Coach of the Year contender Brad Stevens, Boston can beat anyone on their day, shown by their record-breaking win over Golden State not long ago.
Despite the potential the team has shown this year, not many outside the state of Massachusetts expect them to make a deep run this year. However, they've exceeded expectations all year – why can't they do so in the post-season?
The Detroit Pistons take the Cavaliers to seven - $10.00
For the first time since 2009, the Detroit Pistons are back in the playoffs as the eight seed, and for their efforts they get to play the Cavs in round one.
However, the season series between these two may not be what you expect – it's 3-1, with Detroit taking two of those wins at Cleveland and taking their one loss at home.
With all the size on this Pistons lineup, including good wing defenders Tobias Harris and Stanley Johnson, are the Pistons a chance to give LeBron and friends a run for their money? Yes, but not to the tune of a full series.
Golden State Warriors upset by…anyone - $12.00
Right now, the playoffs are looking no more than a race for second place to the Golden State Warriors.
Can any team stand up and upset this historically good Golden State side?
Right now, San Antonio and the Cavaliers are the only teams within cooee of pulling it off. But the playoffs are a long and arduous beast, and one injury can change everything.
However it still remains that the GSW have not been beaten twice by any team this year.
