The Current NBA Standings and Playoff Predictions
With the NBA playoffs due to start on April 16, there is an aura of excitement among fans who are hoping to see their favourite team win. There is a huge amount of hype surrounding the upcoming NBA playoffs, and when you factor in just how well all of the teams have been playing, this comes as no surprise.
It goes without saying that there are a ton of teams that stand a shot of taking the crown this year, and as you would expect, fans have been making their predictions in droves.
Let’s take a look at the current NBA standings as well as a few of the top teams that stand the best chances of winning.
The Story Far
The season so far has been unbelievably exciting, and after the Miami Heat narrowly beat the Atlanta Hawks, it seems like basketball fans are losing their minds trying to figure out which team is going to come out on top.
All of the games up to this point have been extremely promising – it seems like every team has brought their A-game this year.
However, there are a few outliers that have been shining brighter than the others.
In the Eastern conference, the Miami Heat seem to be dominating at the moment, and they are definitely a team you need to keep an eye on. Their dominance is all the more impressive when you factor in the number of incredible players from the Atlanta Hawks, with many people saying this victory will give them the confidence to go all the way.
However, this is no sure thing, and if Miami Heat were to win, they would have to get past some tough teams.
In the Western conference, the Phoenix Suns have been dominant. They secured their playoff spot way back in early March, and finished the regular season with a whopping 64 wins. They are looking like very solid contenders to take the title.
Just because the two teams we mentioned have secured the top seeding doesn’t mean they are guaranteed victory. In a knockout format, any team has the potential to come out on top.
Current Standings
To give you a better idea of where all of the teams stand, we will list the current standings. These standings are, among other factors, used by the best sport betting apps to deliver the most accurate and competitive odds. Whenever betting is involved, you can be sure that the information given in these apps will be up to date.
Here are the current standings:
Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat: 53-28
2. Milwaukee Bucks: 51-30
3. Boston Celtics: 50-31
4. Philadelphia 76ers: 49-31
5. Toronto Raptors: 48-33
6. Chicago Bulls: 45-36
7. Brooklyn Nets: 43-38
8. Cleveland Cavaliers: 43-38
9. Atlanta Hawks: 42-39
10. Charlotte Hornets: 42-39
11. New York Knicks: 36-45
12. Washington Wizards: 35-46
13. Indiana Pacers: 25-55
14. Detroit Pistons: 23-58
15. Orlando Magic: 21-60
Western Conference
1. Phoenix Suns: 64-17
2. Memphis Grizzlies: 55-25
3. Golden State Warriors: 51-29
4. Dallas Mavericks: 51-30
5. Utah Jazz: 48-33
6. Denver Nuggets: 48-33
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 46-35
8. Los Angeles Clippers: 40-40
9. New Orleans Pelicans: 36-44
10. San Antonio Spurs: 34-46
11. Los Angeles Lakers: 32-49
12. Sacramento Kings: 29-51
13. Portland Trail Blazers: 27-54
14. Oklahoma City Thunder: 24-57
15. Houston Rockets: 20-61
Playoff Predictions
With the Eastern Conference, there are four teams separated by one game: the Nets, Cavaliers, Hawks and Hornets.
All of these teams are predicted to put up a tough fight, but as you would expect, Brooklyn is leading in terms of odds – something which comes as no surprise when stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are back in play.
When it comes to the Western Conference, the two teams that are expected to breeze through the rest of the competition are the Clippers and Timberwolves. This is due to the fact that the West are already locked in for the most part, and the two aforementioned teams have incredibly favourable match-ups against all of their opponents.
Final Thoughts
So, what do you think is going to go down in the 2022 NBA playoffs? There are so many teams that have the potential to win, and it is looking like it is going to be one of the most competitive years to date.
Nobody knows for sure which team is going to come out on top. However, one thing we do know for sure is that, as always, it is going to be a spectacle to watch.
Have fun.