Wasn’t it that the Utah Jazz was left for dead just a few weeks ago but now the tides have turned, being the hottest team in the NBA and are streaking up the Western Conference standings. Their success can be attributed to their new found ability to be victorious on the road, something that had plagued them earlier.

The Boston Celtics are trying to make their way up the Eastern Conference ladder, sitting in seventh place but just a half-game behind No. 4 spot.

Utah Jazz at Boston Celtics
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

The NBA Playoffs Odds has the Celtics opened as 3.5-point favorites as seen on several online sports book sites. Line shoppers should check out Sportsbook.com and other sites for the best possible lines available.

Utah Jazz (27-23)
Utah was two games under .500 after their loss to Phoenix on March 14 but has since won eight of nine to climb into seventh place in the West. The Jazz are only one-half game ahead of the ninth-place Houston Rockets but are also only 1 ½ games behind the fourth-place Clippers. The struggle for Utah was on the road, where the team is 8-17. Three of those eight wins have come in their last four chances, including a 105-84 win at New Jersey last Monday.
Utah’s only loss in its last four road games came in quadruple overtime on Sunday in Atlanta.

Boston Celtics (27-22)
Boston has squandered a pair of head-to-head chances to leap past the Philadelphia 76ers in the Atlantic Division. The difference between the first and second in the division is the No. 4 and 7 spots in the East, meaning home court advantage and the chance to avoid the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls in the first round. The Celtics have won four of their last five to stay within one-half game of the 76ers. Rajon Rondo managed to get a record double-digit assists in 10 straight games and is spreading the ball around to several different scorers. Paul Pierce took his turn to lead the team on Monday, collecting 36 points and 10 rebounds in a 102-95 win at Charlotte.
Boston has taken two straight and three of four in the series.
Ray Allen, G, missed three straight games due to an ankle injury but could return on Wednesday.

NBA Playoffs Odds Predictions: Celtics 102, Jazz 97

The New York Knicks are plagued with injuries as they welcome the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Forward Amar e Stoudemire will definitely be absent due to a back injury while forward Carmelo Anthony has injured his groin and guard Jeremey Lin is still questionable to return because of a knee injury.

Ever since Mike Woodson took over as coach, New York is 7-1. After routing the Toronto Raptors on Monday, Orlando Magic has been victorious in their three consecutive games. The Magic have won 14 of the last 17 meetings with the Knicks.

Orlando Magic at New York Knicks
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

The Magic have opened as 1.5 favorite on several online sports book sites. Check out the NBA playoffs odds at Sportsbook.com if you want the latest and updated odds. Don’t forget to line shop if order to get the best deals.

Orlando Magic (32-18)
Forward Ryan Anderson continued his season-long shooting success by hitting 8-of-13 3-point attempts and scoring 28 points against Toronto. He leads the NBA with 143 3-point baskets after making 134 all last season. Anderson’s outstanding eight 3-pointers are the second-most by an Orlando player this season – Jason Richardson made nine in a contest against Milwaukee. Anderson has made 18 3-pointers over the last three games. Against Toronto, Orlando managed to hit 14 3-pointers, two short of its season-high accomplished twice, including in January’s win over New York. Anderson had 30 points and seven 3-pointers in that contest.

New York Knicks (25-25)
Anthony had 28 points and 12 rebounds in Monday’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks but unfortunately injured his groin late in the game. That is the very same ailment that caused him to be absent on seven consecutive games back in January. With Stoudemire out indefinitely, the Knicks will need more scoring from Anthony, who haven’t topped 20 points since March 12 before the big outing against the Bucks.
If Anthony won’t be able to play against the Milwaukee, New York would have to hope better on players like J.R Smith and Steve Novak in their games.
Smith was just 1-of-10 from 3-point range against the Bucks. Baron Davis started for Lin against Milwaukee and had 13 points but also committed nine turnovers.

NBA Playoffs Odds Predictions: Magic 90, Knicks 84

The Indiana Pacers will be traveling to New Jersey for their fourth and final meeting with the Nets on Wednesday. The Pacers are seeking their 11th consecutive victory over the Nets. They are the lead in the season series 3-0.

The Pacers have won four out of five overall, including a 105-90 victory over the Southeast Division-leading Miami Heat last Monday. The Nets on the other hand have lost six of their last seven and are dead last in the Atlantic division. The NBA playoffs betting are just heating up with games like this.

Indiana Pacers at New Jersey Nets
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey

The Pacers are the favorites, opening at 6-points on several online sports book sites.

Indiana Pacers (29-19)
The Pacers are off to their best start since going 35-13 in the first 48 contests of 2003-04. Having Leandro Barbosa boosted the Pacer’s offense off the bench. Barbosa poured in 14 points in just over 14 minutes against the Heat on Monday. The Pacers are 14-12 away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse so far. Indiana is just three road wins short of ensuring itself a winning record away from home for the first time in eight years, and just the fourth time in its NBA history.
The Indiana Pacers have taken 13 of the last 14 meetings with the Nets and 10 in a row by an average of 13.4 points.

New Jersey Nets (16-35)
“Unprofessional” was what Coach Avery Johnson called out the players who were on the court at the end of Monday’s 15-84 loss to the Utah Jazz in the way they finished the game. Johnson wasn’t happy with the lack of effort, energy, and competitive spirit from his team. "I talked to some of our veteran players about it privately, and they agreed with my summary of last night and our young players, they’re watching and looking and I don’t want them to get into any of these bad habits,” Johnson said Tuesday. After Wednesday’s contest with the Pacers, New Jersey hits the road for a four-game west coast trip.
The Nets are 3-30 when outrebounded by opponents and are 3-11 vs Central foes. Guard, Anthony Morrow has a questionable shoulder injury.

Make use of these NBA Playoffs betting predictions if you wish to win the bet: Pacers 89, Nets 84

The Minnesota Timberwolves are working hard in order to stay in the race in the Western Conference. The Charlotte Bobcats have been out of is since the first week. Despite doing all he can for his team, Kevin Love is not getting sufficient help from his Timberwolves teammates.
Unfortunate injuries aren’t any help either. The Bobcats are playing out the string, evaluating players on the current roster and preparing for a lottery trip.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Charlotte Bobcats
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina

The Timberwolves have opened as 5.5 point favorites on several online sports book sites. If you wish to bet on NBA playoffs betting on this game then don’t forget to always look for the best lines by checking sports book sites like Sportsbook.com.

Minnesota Timberwolves (24-27)
Kevin Love has an average of 36.3 points over the last three games but Minnesota has only one win in that span. The Timberwolves had edged into the final playoff spot in the West before rookie point guard Ricky Rubio went down but have now dropped eight of their last 11 to fall 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Denver. On Tueday, Love managed to get 28 and 11 rebounds but Minnesota put only two other players in double figures in a 93-86 loss at Memphis. Injured players on the team are Nikola Pekovic with his ankle and guard J.J. Barea (thigh), both players have been out. The Timberwolves defeated the Bobcats with a 102-90 score at home on February 15 behind 30 and 18 from Love. Love has averaged 18.7 points and 10.4 rebounds in seven games against Charlotte.

Charlotte Bobcats (7-40)
Charlotte’s latest losing streak reached four games on Monday with a 102-95 loss to the Celtics at home. They are the NBA’s lowest-scoring team at 87.6 points, the Bobcats have not been giving themselves a chance with their play on the defensive end. During their latest slide, they have managed to average 105.3 points. Each of Charlotte’s last seven opponents has reached the century mark. The Bobcats are not only experimenting on the court but also on the sidelines, with coach Paul Silas allowing his son and top assistant Stephen handle some of the in-game responsibilities. The Bobcats had taken four straight in the series before falling last month.

NBA Playoffs Betting Predictions: Timberwolves 96, Bobcats 92

The Detroit Pistons snapped their five-game losing streak on Rodney Stuckey’s buzzer beater Monday night in his first game after coming back from an injury. It seems that his return has given the Pistons the ray of hope once again to victory and they have avoided a humiliating six-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers have dropped four straight and seven of eight following Tuesday’s 18-point loss at Philadelphia. Coach Byron Scott said his players are simply lacking confidence again, just the same when they struggled with a six-game skid that spanned the All-Star break.
Their fate is quite the opposite as compared to the Pistons, but the question lies, whose future shines better? The Cavaliers must muster sufficient team confidence if they wish to beat the Pistons in this game on Wednesday.

Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

For the NBA playoffs betting odds, the Pistons have opened as 1-point favorite on several online spots book sites. Check out Sportsbook.com for the latest odds.

Detroit Pistons (17-32)
Detroit lost all three games which Stuckey missed due to a sore big toe, but he returned to score 24 points and hit Monday’s game-winner to beat the Wizards. Stuckey is averaging 16.3 points and the Pistons struggled miserably without him, failing to break 80 points in consecutive blowout losses to the Heat and Knicks. Stuckey often serves as the primary ball handler and his presence takes immense pressure off both Ben Gordon and Rookie Brandon Knight. Stuckey has an average score of 23.2 points, 4.9 assists in his last 10 games.

Cleveland Cavaliers (17-30)
This team had the best benches in the league for the first part of the season, but Scott has moved Alonzo Gee into his starting lineup and Sessions has been traded away. A torn tendon in Daniel Gibson’s foot was revealed after an MRI, which probably means that his season is over. That leaves the second unit’s backcourt consisting of Donald Sloan and Manny Harris, both of whom have spent plenty of time this season in the Development League. Cleveland has failed to reach 85 points for three consecutive games for the first time this season. The Cavaliers have beaten the Pistons twice this season and have won the last four meetings overall.

NBA Playoffs Betting Predictions: Pistons 89, Cavaliers 85

The Phonix Suns is looking for their straight victory over the Los Angeles Clippers when the teams square off for the third time this month. Phoenix defeated the Clippers at home on March 2 and rallied from a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win in Los Angeles on March 15.

On Monday, the Clippers defeated the Hornets and they are now on their 2-0 on a five-game homestand. Phoenix on the other hand lost at home to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

Phoenix Suns At Los Angeles Clippers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

The Clippers opened an NBA basketball betting odds of 6.5 point favorites on several online sports book sites. When line shopping, don’t forget to check out the NBA basketball betting odds at Sportsbook.com for the best lines.

Phoenix Suns (25-25)
Placing in at 10th place in the Western Conference, the Suns is only two games behind the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets, who are tied for the seventh and eighth playoff spots. Phoenix is entering a pivotal stretch where eight out of 10 games are on the road. Phoenix is just 10-14 away from the home so the team’s playoff hopes definitely hang in the balance. Shannon Brown managed to score a career-best 32 points against the Spurs. Brown’s previous season-best of 21 points was against the Clippers on March 15. Gran Hill, Forward, sat out against San Antonio due to a knee injury but may return against Los Angeles.
The Suns have won the last 13 games out of 14 meetings.

Los Angeles Clippers (28-21)
Chris Paul, PG, averages 13 points against Phoenix this season and tallied just 10 points in the last outing when the Suns rested Steve Nash for the middle contest of a back-to-back-to-back. Paul was on his game against his former club Monday with 25 points, 10 assists and four steals. Paul’s ability to score will be a major component over the next few weeks with lethal reserve Mo Williams out with a left big toe injury and Randy Foye plagued by consistency issues. Foye’s point over all in the past four games is 23, three (on 1-of-14 shooting), 18 and then five points against the Hornets. Clippers forward Blake Griffin is 14 of 19 from the field over the last two games.

NBA Basketball Betting Odds Predictions: Suns 107, Clippers 104 (OT)

The New Orleans Hornets are on their second game of their five-game trip and they are looking forward to improve on a not-so-good March record. New Orleans is only 4-10 for the month after losing 97-85 on Monday to the Los Angeles Clippers and former New Orleans guard Chris Paul.

Since trading Monta Ellis to Milwaukee, the Golden State Warriors haven’t been up to shape, losing 7 of 9 but they can’t feel too bad after their loss with the Lakers 104-101 on Tuesday considering three injured starters sat out.

New Orleans Hornets At Golden State Warriors
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday March 28, 2012
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

The Golden State Warriors on the NBA basketball betting odds have opened as 2.5-point favorites on several online sports book sites. Check out the NBA basketball betting odds on Sportsbook.com and don’t forget to shop for lines.

New Orleans Hornets (12-37)
The Hornets have managed to commit an NBA season-high 29 turnovers which led to 35 points by the Clippers, also an opponent season-high. The two teams shot 50 percent from the floor, but the Hornets were just 2 out of 11 when it comes to 3-pointers. In a 101-92 loss to the Golden State Warriors last March 21, New Orleans has allowed 13 3-pointers and rookie Klay Thompson was able to score 27 points. Missing his last two games, day to day, is Chris Kaman due to an illness. This team has started with 18 different lineups. Hornets guard Jarrett Jack had his first career triple-double against the Warriors last week with 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Golden State Warriors (20-28)
The Warriors seem to be out of options but to play with a young lineup for the rest of the season. PG Stephen Curry had a sprained right ankle and has missed his ninth game and it is unlikely that he would play again this season. Andrew Bogut has fractured his left ankle and has the same fate as Curry, unlikely to play as well. Starting center Andris Biedris unfortunately has a strained right groin and has been a non-factor for weeks and guard Nate Robinson has a strained right hamstring sat out against the Lakers. The rookies K. Thompson, Charles Jenkins and Jeremy Tyler all started.

NBA Basketball betting odds predictions: Warriors 98, Hornets 93

The San Antonio Spurs seem to be comfortable with their no. 2 spot in the Western Conference. They are one of the few teams in the conference who are not fielding direct competition. The Spurs are proving themselves capable of winning with offense and defense. The Sacramento Kings don’t have to worry much about the playoffs as they struggle for victory but they give a good fight at home. The question now is which will you bet on NBA playoffs? Spurs or Kings?

San Antonio Spurs at Sacramento Kings
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where: Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, California

The Spurs opened as 3.5 favorites on several online sports book sites. Make sure you shop for lines when you bet on NBA playoffs in order to get the best deals.

San Antonio Spurs (34-14)
San Antonio has a total of four home losses and the Kings has only four road wins, nonetheless the Kings managed to leave the Spurs with a few points at the AT&T Center on January 20. San Antonio shot 37.8 percent in the 88-86 setback. The Spurs have had less trouble lately, winning five straight. That streak has kept them within three games of the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder while pulling them far ahead of the third-place Los Angeles Lakers. After holding its previous three opponents to 83.0 points, San Antonio won a shootout, 207-100, at Phoenix last Tuesday. This team had taken 12 straight in the series before the January loss.

Sacramento Kings (17-32)
The reason why the Kings have a poor record is because of their sub-par play on the road, where they are the West-worst 4-22 mark. The Kings are a much more respectable 13-10 at Power Balance Pavilion. Sacramento has dropped three straight in tough fashion, losing by a combined four points to Utah and Golden State before taking the Houston Rockets to overtime in a 113-106 setback on Monday.
DeMarcus Cousins is playing as if their team is not out of the race, averaging 29.3 points and 16.7 rebounds over the last three games. Cousins’ 38 points on Monday marked a career high. The second-year forward put up 17 and 13 in the January meeting. Against the Spurs, DeMarcus Cousins averaged 12.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in four career games.

Here are the predictions if you are itching to bet on NBA playoffs:
Spurs 105, Kings 97

The playoffs are burning with excitements, the Chicago Bulls are upset and would attempt to rebound from their worst loss of the season when they pay the Atlanta Hawks a visit. They suffered a 17-point home loss to the Denver Nuggets last Monday but they are still in the NBA’s top record nonetheless. The Bulls are expected to play the game without the services of point guard Derrick Rose due to a groin injury and Rose won’t be playing for the eighth consecutive game. Atlanta had a four-game winning streak that broke last Tuesday when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

The Bulls have opened as 4-point favorites on several sportsbook sites. Check out Sportsbook.com for the odds if you wish to bet on NBA playoffs.

Chicago Bulls (40 -11)
It’s not just Rose’s absence that can be attributed to the Bulls loss to Denver. The team was dominated in the interior with the Nuggets holding a 45-32 rebounding edge and outscoring the Bulls 54-24 in the paint. The team knows that they didn’t play their best and played sub-par. The Bulls committed 16 turnovers and are 12-5 when Rose sits out. Chicago was 13 for 20 from 3-point range with John Lucas making five and Kyle Korver sinking four.
Chicago is 2-1 against the Hawks this season but lost 109-94 in its previous visit to Atlanta on Jan. 7. Noah had 16 rebounds in Chicago’s 90-79 victory over the Hawks on Feb. 20.

Atlanta Hawks (30-21)
Atlanta usually does a good job taking care of the basketball but committed 22 turnovers in the loss to Milwaukee. It was Jeff Teague, Guard, who was the biggest culprit with seven miscues. The Hawks were averaging 14 turnovers entering the contest “We had way, way too many turnovers,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “You can’t expect to win if you turn the ball over like that, particularly on the road.” Excellent play from Josh Smith who managed to get 30 points and 18 rebounds but Joe Johnson struggled and only managed to get 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting. Johnson left the game shortly in the first half to get stitches to close a gash in his lip after colliding with teammate Zaza Pachulia.

Bet on NBA playoffs with these odds:
Hawks 92, Bulls 85

The National Basketball Association is known as home of the best basketball athletes in the world and this one of the few reasons what makes the game exciting to watch. With NBA you can see players with their extreme basketball moves, you can’t imagine they can do. And now that April month has come, it’s also the time for the NBA playoff! If you love betting on basketball, you will surely enjoy betting on NBA playoffs. As a matter of fact, the number of people watching and loving the game is almost same with the number of people who enjoys betting on it. During the regular season, whether the casual bettors or the professional one, many bettors are getting attracted on placing bet on it, and when its playoffs, the number of bettors get even enormous.

Many people who are betting on NBA playoffs find success and can able to double their money bank balance. However, there are also some who make stupid mistakes over and over again that are causing them to lose bets and money.

As of today, the 2011- 2012 Conference Regular Season Standings for the Eastern Conference are the following

1. Chicago Bulls
2. Miami Heat
3. Orlando Magic
4. Philadelphia 76ers
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Boston Celtics
8. New York Knicks

And for the Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. San Antonio Spur
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Utah Jazz
8. Houston Rockets

These are just the possible team that can qualify for the playoff tournament, but of course, it’s not final yet. The NBA regular season will end on April 26, 2012, the roster set for the 2012 NBA playoffs will be held April 27, 2012 at 3pm ET, and the most awaited NBA Playoff will start on April, 28 2012.

The most common mistake that people do when betting on NBA playoffs is that they choose to bet only to their favorite team, and they fail to bet objectively. You have to carefully study each player’s performance, each team and of course the game itself. For example on the above mentioned team, it is not because Bulls is on the top of the list and is your favorite team, then you’ll place your bet on them, you still have to look with the other aspects of the game. One best way to test your being objective is by betting against your favorite team every time you think that they might lose a game. This way you will bet not with your heart but with your brain, and you can be assured that you can win your bets consistently and can really make some serious money.