It is the final day of the 2022 NBA regular season and all 30 teams are in action today. \u00a0As a bettor, this is my favourite day of the entire regular season as it often provides profitable betting opportunities due to the team’s motivations. \u00a0Let’s break down what you need to know as we head into the playoffs.<\/p>\n
The opinions provided in these NBA picks are my own and are not of LWOS. \u00a0As always, I do not offer financial advice, but rather simply share my opinions and NBA Picks on the games I am already betting on myself. \u00a0Gamble responsibly and enjoy the action.<\/p>\n
The eastern conference is interesting because seeds 2,3, and 4 are still left to be determined on the final day of play. \u00a0Milwaukee can claim the second seed with a win over the Cavs. \u00a0Boston can still finish 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. \u00a0Philadelphia will finish either 3rd or 4th. \u00a0Toronto is locked into the 5th spot and Chicago is 6th. \u00a0Brooklyn is likely to get 7th seed, but that is not certain until we see the results of the play-in tournament.<\/p>\n
A key point is that every team would prefer to play in the first round is Chicago. \u00a0The Bulls are easily the weakest of all the playoffs teams in the east. \u00a0This puts a premium on finishing 3rd in the standings. \u00a0Finishing 2nd is less desirable because you will likely face the dreaded Nets with Kevin Durant<\/strong><\/a> and Kyrie Irving<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Based on the seeding breakdowns, the Bucks should have very little interest in winning this game. \u00a0With a win, second place is theirs and they would likely face the Nets in the first round. \u00a0That is not what anyone on the team wants and they would much rather lose their final game and face Chicago.<\/p>\n The Bucks narrowly defeated the Nets in overtime of Game 7 last year en route to the NBA Championship. \u00a0They may not be so lucky this year. \u00a0At the very least, they would prefer not to have such a big test in round one. \u00a0The Bucks are expected to rest several key starters including Giannis Antetokounmpou<\/strong><\/a>, Khris Middleton<\/strong><\/a>, and both their big men Bobby Portis<\/strong><\/a> and Brook Lopez<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a0By tip-off that list may even grow. \u00a0If the game is close in the fourth quarter, you may see the waterboy enter the game for the Bucks.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, this is a critically important game for Cleveland who can still finish anywhere from 7th or down to 10th. \u00a0They will certainly be highly motivated to win this matchup and everyone on the team is listed as available with the notable exception of Jarret Allen<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a0This is the most important game for the Cavaliers in several seasons and it will be against an unmotivated team resting most of their starters.<\/p>\n This bet may be my highest-rated game of the entire season.<\/p>\n The Celtics also would love to face the Bulls in the first round. \u00a0To get the 3rd spot, they first need to win this game in Memphis. \u00a0But Boston also would need Milwaukee to win in Cleveland which I already dismissed as unlikely. \u00a0The Celtics won’t be excited about facing the Nets, but honestly, the Raptors won’t be much easier. \u00a0I expect Boston to come out hard attempting to get this win.<\/p>\n Memphis played all their bench players in their win over the Pelicans. Ja Morant<\/strong><\/a> was the only player to see more than 25 minutes last night with 27 as he was trying to get back into game condition after missing a couple of weeks of action. \u00a0The Grizzlies won’t actively try to lose this game, but winning will not be their concern either. \u00a0Their primary goal will be setting their lineups and resting their starters before the impending playoffs.<\/p>\n There is no line posted yet for this game as I write this, so I’ll just take the closing line on the Celtics.<\/p>\n This game has no impact on the standings as the Heat already clinched the top seed in the eastern conference. \u00a0This is still an interstate rivalry game the Magic will be highly motivated to win. \u00a0It was another difficult season for the Magic and this finish would be a nice consolation prize for them as they head into the off-season.<\/p>\n It is hard to say what Miami’s lineup will look like exactly for this matchup. \u00a0Jimmy Butler<\/strong><\/a> is already ruled out for this matchup and several others may get some rest as well. \u00a0Regardless, this is too big a line to offer on the road for what could be a tight game.<\/p>\n This is a great opportunity to make a conditional pick based on what happens earlier in the day. \u00a0This is an evening game and if the Celtics win in Memphis earlier that afternoon, the Sixers will already be locked into the 4th seed and a date with Toronto. \u00a0Philadelphia does not want any part of the Raptors who beat them badly in the regular season. \u00a0If the opportunity arises for them to take on Chicago instead, I expect they will beat the Pistons easily.<\/p>\n If however, the Celtics do beat Memphis, I am going to take the Pistons instead. \u00a0I bet on Detroit many times in the past several weeks as they turned into a competitive team in the last quarter of this season. \u00a0The Sixers may rest some of the starters if the opportunity arises.<\/p>\n The line for this game opened at (-12) for PHI but it may vary dramatically by tip-off. \u00a0I’ll take the closing line and bet according to the afternoon result from Memphis.<\/p>\n Sign up to my Newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to get all my Best Bets<\/strong> in the NBA, NCAAF & UFC delivered directly to your inbox by 1 pm EST daily for just $20 per month with new subscribers getting their first two weeks free. Unsubscribed readers can still enjoy my free picks released regularly during the season or the Best Bets released one hour before game time.<\/p>\n I also coach live poker players, helping them win more often. \u00a0Of course, you can follow more of my NBA writings right here at\u00a0Last Word on Sports<\/strong><\/a> or find me on Twitter<\/strong><\/a> to stay up to date on all my latest blogs and helpful tips to grow your bankroll.<\/p>\n Legend<\/strong> $ \u2013 \u2018one star\u2019 regular bet $$ \u2013 \u2018two star\u2019 best bet $$$ \u2013 \u2018three star\u2019 premium bet<\/p>\n NBA Odds<\/strong> provided by Odds Shark<\/strong><\/a>. Posted lines are of writing time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Main Photo:NBA: Cavaliers (-6) Vs Bucks $$$<\/h3>\n
Hornets (-11) Vs Wizards $<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Celtics (NL) @ Grizzlies $<\/h3>\n
Magic (+12) Vs Heat $<\/h3>\n
Sixers Vs Pistons $!<\/h3>\n
___________________________________________________________<\/h4>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>