NBA Predictions April 5: Boston versus Indiana preview of playoff match up

The NBA season is down to the final few games as playoff positioning is just about set. The featured game for April 5 is the Celtics versus the Pacers in a likely first round match up. Three other games are on tap. Note that all information is through games played April 1.

Boston Celtics versus Indiana Pacers

The teams enter play deadlocked in the standings. The winner likely will earn home court advantage against the other in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Boston is 18-20 on the road and the Pacers are 29-10 at home. Neither team is trending well lately, “ice cold down” for Boston and “ice cold up” for Indiana. The Celtics have a +20 to +12 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator and have won two of the three meetings between the teams this season. If looking at the “over/under”, the Totals Predictor indicates Boston is trending over and Indiana is trending under, so best not to  play the “over/under” in this one. As for the game itself, the Pacers are very tough at home and with everything to play for, likely come out on top to even the season series.

Portland Trailblazers versus Denver Nuggets

Denver enters with a 51-25 record, second in the Western Conference. Portland is right on their tail, 49-28.  Denver has one of the top home records in the league at 31-7 and Portland is a game over .500 on the road. The Trailblazers have a +28 to +23 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator and “burning hot” versus “average down” on the Team Strength Oscillator. The Totals Predictor favors betting the “under” in this one. As for the outcome of the game, the Nuggets have taken both meetings between the teams this season. Fighting for any shot to catch the Nuggets with a few games left, I go with Portland in an upset win.

Los Angeles Lakers versus Los Angeles Clippers

In a game featuring the two Los Angeles teams, the Clippers have a playoff berth wrapped up with a 47-32 record, while the Lakers are out of it at 35-42.  The Clippers have won three of the four meetings between the teams this season and have a +21 to +9 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator. They are also the more stable team according to the Team Volatility Oscillator. Despite the poor overall record, the Lakers have won their last two and are “burning hot” on the Team Strength Oscillator, same as the Clippers. Avoid betting the “over/under” in this one as the teams are opposite on the Totals Predictor Oscillator. The Clippers are the much better team right now and should win this one rather easily.

San Antonio Spurs versus Washington Wizards

On paper, this looks like an easy prediction in favor of the Spurs. They are 44-33 versus 32-42 for the Wizards. However, the Spurs are just 14-24 on the road compared to 22-16 at home for the Wizards. Both teams are trending poorly, at “ice cold down” versus “ice cold up”. The Spurs have a large +19 to +5 advantage on the Power Ranking Indicator and won the first meeting between the teams. With playoff positioning already settled, don’t be surprised to see the Wizards win this one at home in a tight game.

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