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2015 Free NBA Picks & Playoffs Predictions – Bulls @ Cavaliers and Clippers @ Rockets Game 1 Odds & Picks: The early NBA betting odds for Monday night’s Game 1 NBA Playoffs Matchups between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers plus Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets have been posted online for betting at GT Bets Sportsbook. The odds makers at GT Bets have opened the Cleveland Cavaliers as -5 point favorites over the Bulls with the game total at over/under 194 points while the Houston Rockets have opened as -6 point favorites over the LA Clippers with the total set at over/under 212 points. Let’s take a closer look at both Game 1 matchups and try and decide where to put our cash down Monday night to try and make some money betting on these two fantastic NBA Playoff games.

2015 Free NBA Picks & Expert NBA Playoffs Predictions – Bulls vs Cavaliers and Clippers vs Rockets Game 1 Betting Odds and Free Picks

Game 1: Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview

The #3 seeded Chicago Bulls take their act on the road in Game 1 to the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland to take on Lebron James and the Cavaliers at 7:05 PM EST. The Bulls advanced to the 2015 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs Semifinals in big time style after they absolutely destroyed the #6 seeded Milwaukee Bucks in a 120-66 rout in Game 6 in Milwaukee. That win helped the Bulls avoid an embarrassing 7th game in that series after opening up the series with a 3-0 lead.

The #2 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers open up at home against the Bulls Monday night but will be without the services of their start forward Kevin Love who is out after injuring his shoulder against the #7 seeded Boston Celtics in round one. The Cavs swept the Celtics 4-0 in the first round series but the loss of Love is absolutely a big time blow to the Cavs’ chances not only in this round but further along should they be fortunate enough to advance past a talented Bulls squad.

The Cavaliers took three out of the four regular season meetings between these two teams in the regular season but that was then and this is now. The Playoffs are a different animal and Cleveland is about to find out why after coasting past the Celtics but now going up against a much better Chicago team and without the services of Love. We will take the points and go with the Bulls in Game 1 at +5 as we simply feel Chicago is the better team now that Love is out for this series.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks on Bulls @ Cavaliers Game 1: Take Chicago Bulls +5 on the spread

Game 1: LA Clippers @ Houston Rockets Betting Preview

The #3 seeded Los Angeles Clippers are feeling about as confident as a team can feel at this point after ousting the defending NBA Champion and #6 seeded San Antonio Spurs in round one. The Clippers got a winning basket from all star point guard Chris Paul with just one second left to seal a 111-109 win over Tim Duncan and the Spurs in Game 7 on Saturday night. The win was arguably the biggest win in LA Clippers franchise history and it’s going to take a helluva effort from any team to oust the Clippers from here on out after the mighty Spurs couldn’t even close them out after going up 3-2 in their round one series.

The #2 seeded Houston Rockets also have to be feeling very good about themselves and confident going forward after dominating an overmatched #7 seeded Dallas Mavericks team in round one. The Rockets won their first round series against their Lone Star state rivals 4-1 and now look to take advantage of home court advantage in this 2015 NBA Western Conference Playoffs Semifinals matchup.

The Clippers and Rockets played four times in the regular season with each team taking two wins. The Clippers won the first two matchups in the regular season while the Rockets bounced back to take the last two. This series should be great to watch and very competitive but our money is going down on the LA Clippers. It’s hard to bet against a team that found a way to win a Game 6 in San Antonio and then win again in Game 7 to end the repeat hopes of the Spurs. We will take the Clips +6 in Game 1 as we feel they are simply the better team and are playing with great confidence.

Free NBA Playoffs Picks on Clippers @ Rockets Game 1: Take LA Clippers +6 on the spread

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2015 Free NBA Picks: OKC Thunder @ Phoenix Suns Odds and Expert Predictions 3/29/15: The betting odds on tonight’s Oklahoma City Thunder @ Phoenix Suns NBA game have the Suns listed currently as a -1.5 point favorite with the game total currently listed at over/under 213.5 points at GT Bets Sportsbook. This game is pivotal for both teams tonight as Oklahoma City looks to keep some breathing distance between themselves and other teams like New Orleans and Phoenix in the race for the #8 playoff seed in the Western Conference, while Phoenix looks to stay alive and get one game closer to the #8 seed with only 8 games left on their regular season schedule after tonight. Tonight’s game is scheduled for a 9PM EST tip off from the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

2015 Free NBA Picks: OKC Thunder @ Phoenix Suns Betting Odds and Expert Predictions

Head coach Scott Brooks leads his Oklahoma City Thunder team into tonight’s matchup with an overall record of 41-32 and trying to bounce back from a 97-89 loss last night in Utah. The Thunder blew a 16 point lead against the Jazz in their first game since learning that their superstar forward Kevin Durant wouldn’t be returning to play this season. OKC has a losing 17-19 record playing without Durant this season but are 12-7 in their last 19 games without him thanks to the MVP caliber season from their superstar point guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has been playing out of his mind all season and leads the Thunder with a 27.5 points per game average to go along with 8.7 assists and an impressive 7.2 rebounds per contest.

The Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek has his team entering tonight’s pivotal game with an overall record of 38-35 and trailing the Thunder by 3 games with just 9 games left in the regular season. The Suns are treating this game as a must win because, frankly, it is. The Suns are coming off of two disappointing home losses to Sacramento 108-99 this past Wednesday and 87-81 to Portland this past Friday. The Suns are now just 21-17 at home this season and hanging on by a thread in the race for the #8 seed in the Western Conference. The Suns are led in scoring by guard Eric Bledsoe who averages 17.3 points per game, 6 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals.

These two teams have played three games this season so far with OKC taking the first two by scores of 112-88 on December 14th in Oklahoma City and 137-134 in overtime on December 31st in Oklahoma City. Phoenix took the last meeting with a 117-113 win in overtime at home in Phoenix on February 26th. The Thunder have now lost their last three games at Phoenix and also come into tonight’s games as losers in their last four road games this season.

This matchup should be close once again as the last two games have gone into overtime and both teams are extra hungry to get back in the win column. Phoenix could have the services of point guard Brandon Knight back for this game as he was close to coming back the last two games but was scratched after warm ups. Phoenix is 5-1 against the spread in it’s last six games against OKC and have won three of the last five overall dating back to last year. However, we are going to put our money down on OKC tonight getting the +1.5 points as the Suns have been struggling of late and OKC has the best player on the court and possibly the entire NBA this season in Westbrook as he looks to continue to make his strong case for the NBA MVP award. Westbrook should be too much for the Suns to handle and OKC should bounce back nicely from last night’s 16 point gag job against the Jazz.

2015 Free NBA Picks: Bet on OKC +1.5 over Phoenix Tonight

2015 NBA Picks & Predictions – NBA MVP Power Rankings thru Week 18: The NBA MVP debate is heating up with several big names surging at the same time. If I had a vote, LeBron James would be at the top of my list for the simple fact that he turns teams that would be lottery-bound otherwise into teams that can compete for a championship. However, these power rankings attempt to predict who I think will win ultimately win the award, and history shows that the award doesn’t always go to the best player in the game. After all, Michael Jordan didn’t win MVP honors every season, but there is little debate that he was the best player in the NBA for more than just five seasons. With that in mind, here is how I see the MVP vote stacking up 18 weeks in the 2014-15 NBA season.

1. James Harden, Shooting Guard, Houston Rockets

He is fresh off his third triple-double of the year, and Harden is doing the two things that voters look for in an MVP candidate: putting up big numbers and helping his team win. He is averaging 27.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.9 steals, and the Rockets are currently tied for third in the loaded Western Conference. By the way, Houston has basically been within Dwight Howard for half the year so Harden’s all-around production has been even more pivotal. If only Harden played decent defense, his hold on the top spot would be even stronger.

2. Stephen Curry, Point Guard, Golden State Warriors

The Warriors continue to lead the brutal Western Conference by a comfortable margin, and Curry currently sits fifth in the NBA in scoring, sixth in assists and first in steals. He is also shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, and both percentages are ridiculous for a player that shoot a large percentage of jump shots and is constantly being guarded by the opposition’s best defender. The only knock on Curry at this point is that the Warriors have become so strong as a team that he doesn’t have to carry the load every single night. That being said, the best player on the best team will always be a serious threat to win MVP honors.

3. LeBron James, Small Ford, Cleveland Cavaliers

James was building some serious momentum after shredding the Golden State Warriors for 42 points in a win, but he has followed with his free throw meltdown in a loss to the Houston Rockets and his nine-turnover mess in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Still, James sits third in the NBA in scoring, and his 49.0 percent shooting is by far the best of any the players ranked in the top three in scoring. Perhaps more importantly, the Cavaliers are 1-9 when James doesn’t play. If he closes the year on a tear, he could still make a run at the MVP. However, he may opt to defer to his teammates a bit as he tries to prepare the Cavaliers for a deep playoff run.

4. Russell Westbrook, Point Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder

In terms of numbers and memorable plays, Westbrook would probably be the frontrunner for the MVP Award. After all, he is leading the NBA in scoring, he ranks fifth in assists, and he just became the first player since Michael Jordan to reel off four straight triple-doubles. On the flip side, the Thunder lost two of the four games that logged a triple-double, and they are 1-3 during a stretch when he has scored at least 39 points in four straight games. In other words, Oklahoma City has only looked like a legit title contender when Westbrook and Kevin Durant have been playing, and unless that changes, Westbrook probably won’t overtake the other contenders.

5. Anthony Davis, Power Forward, New Orleans Pelicans

“The Brow” has missed some time with a shoulder issue, but when healthy, he has been a monster. He ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring, 10th in rebounds and leads the NBA in blocks per game. He has also helped the Pelicans work their way into playoff contention in the tough Western Conference. Davis seems like a safe bet to win an MVP Award at some point in his career, but at the end of the day, both he and the Pelicans are at least a year away from toppling the other big names.

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2015 NBA Picks and Predictions: Midseason NBA Award Favorites: The All-Star starters have been named, and the halfway point of the 2014-15 NBA season is already upon us. With the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors currently sitting atop their respective conferences, it goes without saying that there have been a few surprises. The same holds true when it comes to discussing early frontrunners for the top individual honors, and a changing of the guard from the usual suspects appears to be occurring. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the players making a case to take home some hardware at the midway point of the season.

MVP: Stephen Curry, Point Guard, Golden State Warriors

A strong argument can be made for James Harden, but with the Warriors boasting the best record in the NBA while playing in the loaded Western Conference, Curry has the edge. He is also the more complete player between the two frontrunners, and while Harden and Curry are both triple-double threats, Curry is leading the NBA in steals and is a better defender overall. Curry can torch opponents with his shooting ability and with his passing, and while the Rockets aren’t playoff team with Harden, the Warriors aren’t the NBA’s best team without Curry.

Defensive Player of the Year: Draymond Green, Forward, Golden State Warriors

This award will likely come down to the wire with Anthony Davis, Tim Duncan and DeAndre Jordan all making strong cases. However, Green has established himself as arguably the most versatile defender in the game. He is able to guard any player on the court, switching between guards and forwards with regularity while helping the Warriors lead the NBA in opponent field goal-percentage defense. Green is also averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game, and he ranks third in defensive plus-minus.

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Wiggins, Forward Minnesota Timberwolves

Wiggins is running away with this award somewhat by default thanks to season-ending injuries to Julius Randle and Jabari Parker. He is currently averaging 15.1 points per game, and no other rookie is averaging double figures. His supporting stats aren’t great, but Wiggins is averaging 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting 37.0 percent from beyond the arc. Rookie of the Year honors are his to lose.

Sixth Man of the Year: Isaiah Thomas, Guard, Phoenix Suns

He has been instant offense off the bench for the up-tempo Suns. He is currently averaging 15.1 points on 44.0 percent shooting to go along with 3.8 assists. Thomas is also the total package on the offensive end, and in addition to shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point range, he is attempting 4.5 free throws per game at an 86.7 percent clip. His combination of production and efficiency while filling a crucial role for his team makes Thomas the frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year at the midway point.

Most Improved Player: Jimmy Butler, Shooting Guard, Chicago Bulls

Butler’s scoring average his jumped from 13.1 last year to 20.5 this year. More importantly, Butler’s added offense has come with increased efficiency as his shooting percentage has jumped from 39.7 to 46.2. He is also getting to the foul line a career-best 7.5 times per game, and his 4.1 assists and 6.0 boards are career-highs, as well. Plain and simple, Butler has morphed from a defensive-minded wing to one of the best two-way players in the NBA, and he might just be the best offensive player on a Chicago team that also features Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol. Butler is the driver’s seat for this award.

Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have come out of nowhere this season, and they are currently running away with the Eastern Conference while leading the league in scoring defense. Yes, Atlanta did welcome back Al Horford from injury, but this is a team that snuck into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed last year and currently holds a seven-game lead in the East. Perhaps more impressively, the Hawks are 11-2 against the Western Conference. Budenholzer has his team playing total team basketball, and the Hawks have emerged as a legit title factor.