NBA Playoffs Odds Preview & Betting Trends

The Cleveland Cavaliers' run for an NBA championship repeat begins this weekend as they tip off the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.

Cleveland is the +333 second-favorite to repeat at the Bovada Sportsbook, while the Golden State Warriors are the favorite at -160. The only other team getting triple digit odds are the San Antonio Spurs at +600.

The Cavaliers slumped down the stretch and as a result begin as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. They'll be heavily favored against Indiana, but they may not be a good option for bettors. Cleveland was 3-1 straight up against Indiana this season, but 2-2 against the spread, and they're 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games against them.

Staying in the East, the top seed, the Boston Celtics, get the Chicago Bulls in the opening round. They split the season series 2-2 SU and ATS with the home team winning every game. At home versus Chicago the Celtics have won four straight SU and ATS, and in the postseason Boston has never lost a series to the Bulls in four attempts.

The rest of the Eastern Conference matchups see the Toronto Raptors versus the Milwaukee Bucks and the Washington Wizards versus the Atlanta Hawks.

Toronto was 3-1 SU and ATS versus Milwaukee this season and in their last 15 they're a dominant 13-2 SU and 10-4-1 ATS. Washington was 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS against Atlanta this season and topped them 4-2 in the playoffs in 2015.

In the Western Conference the Warriors have a first-round date with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Warriors have won six straight versus Portland at 3-3 ATS. At home the Warriors are on a nine-game winning streak versus Portland, at 7-2 ATS.

The top first-round series in the West looks to be the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Houston Rockets. Houston has owned the series in recent years with an 8-1-1 ATS record in their last 10 and a six-game SU winning steak at home.

Also in the West the Memphis Grizzlies clash with the Spurs and the Utah Jazz get the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Spurs have swept the Grizzlies out of the playoffs the last two seasons. They split the regular season series 2-2, but Memphis was 4-0 ATS.

The Clippers were 3-1 SU and ATS versus the Jazz this season and have a strong history against them. In their last 20 versus the Jazz, Los Angeles is 18-2 SU and 10-8-2 ATS.