The race for the postseason is on in the NBA as there have been more than enough games now to determine who is going to be in contention for the playoffs.
Two divisions which are going to be difficult to call this season are the Atlantic and Pacific. Given the shift in power we saw in the NBA prior to the current campaign, the winner of the NBA Finals could even come from one of those divisions.
Here is a look at them in more detail and a prediction on who is likely to come out on top.
Atlantic
Three of the top five sides in the Eastern Conference come from the Atlantic Division, making it arguably the strongest division in the league right now.
Last season’s NBA Finals winners Toronto Raptors were always going to find it tough to prevail in the Atlantic Division for the third straight year. The loss of Kawhi Leonard has massively weakened the champions. The Canadian side have fared much better than many expected though and remain in the hunt.
Philadelphia 76ers are bidding for their first championship since 1983. Joel Embiid has been the standout star for Brett Brown’s team but they may have to do without him for more than just one game. The Center suffered a finger injury which is going to hurt their chances.
With just 10 defeats at the time of writing, the Boston Celtics currently have the best record in the division. Kemba Walker, Jaysom Tatum and Jaylen Brown are all averaging over 20 points per game.
The Celtics appear to be the most balanced team and are likely to feature in the playoffs as the Atlantic Division winners. They are a team worth following in the NBA match betting, with sites such as Betzcenter offering expert picks and team data throughout the season.
Pacific
The two Los Angeles teams in the NBA sit right at the top of the championship betting and both have strong claims to win the NBA Finals.
There is no doubt the Pacific Division is going to be a two-horse race between the Clippers and Lakers. Both franchises have made positive starts to the season, with the latter currently having the best record in the Western Conference.
Clippers fans will be hoping Leonard can guide them to their first-ever NBA championship just like he did for the Raptors in 2019. With Paul George supporting him, they are a strong team who have to be respected.
There have been one or two frustrating losses over the last few weeks for the Clippers, most notably when they went down 140-114 to the Memphis Grizzlies. They did, however, beat the Lakers in their Christmas Day showdown.
Since that defeat to the Clippers, the Lakers have won their last six games and seem to be on a roll, which has seen them strengthen their position at the top of the standings.
LeBron James converted the Los Angeles team into championship contenders when he signed in the offseason. The four-time MVP, however, is being outshone by Anthony Davis at the moment as the power forward leads the team in average points per game.
The Lakers look a great bet to win the Pacific Division and then go on to be crowned the NBA Finals winners in June.
The 2019/20 regular season concludes on April 15, with the playoffs then beginning just three days later.
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