Truth be told, neither side offers tremendous equity in this contest. On the one hand, Toronto is prone to being overvalued because they have been a beast on their home court all season long, as well as the top seed. Contrarily, Cleveland is also in a spot where they can have their value inflated, as well. The Cavaliers are the still the top dog of this conference even if they are the lowest surviving seed remaining in the playoffs. This is because they have been the team on top for the last three seasons. Fortunately, we have seen a significant lean on the Under in this contest despite the fact it has all the rudiments to be an explosive offensive-oriented affair. LeBron James alone can catalyze Cleveland's offense, and Toronto's offense has been firing on all cylinders throughout their campaign. Therefore, book the Over.

The 76ers come into this series healthy and well-rested, but it is still going to be tested right out of the gate as slight road favorites. This is still a very young team playing veteran ball club that knows how to defend its home turf. Boston could be a bit worn down given the length of its first series, but I am going to take the 2.5 points and take the Celtics to cover on Monday night to set the tone in this series opener as the higher seed.

LeBron James is one of the most clutch players in NBA history. In fact, no player has hit more game-winning shots than the King himself. With his presence on the court, the Cavaliers have the acumen and know-how to win this pivotal contest. When you couple this with the fact the public is smothering Indiana by virtue of Game Six’s result, the overreaction is setting up a rare value play on a true heavyweight.

Given the fact the Raptors are the top dog of the Eastern Conference it is very easy to jump on them here at a price that looks too good be to true. However, home court advantage has been of the essence in this series, and given the fact Washington will be playing with a sense of desperation here, they offer excellent value spotting just a bucket. The Wizards won both their playoff wins at home by margins of eight and twenty-one, so there is plenty of upside taking them here.

The Timberwolves caused quite a stir with their upset in Game 3, but the balance of power has been restored in this No. 8 vs. No. 1 tilt with Monday’s return to dominance by Houston. The total went OVER in Game 4 with an uptick in scoring by the Rockets that had been missing in the first three matchups. This combination sets the stage for another high-scoring affair that propels Houston to the next round with a victory in Game 5 both SU and ATS.

The expectation here is that Cleveland will make the most of this virtual three-game series now that the cobwebs have been removed. The lofty standards that this franchise is held to inflict plenty of premiums on takers who wish to back them. This is why the Cleveland against the spread record is among the worst in the league especially in comparison to how well they have played all year long. We’ll grab the inflated points.

They called Game Three a swing game because the fact Milwaukee had two games at home afforded the Bucks the opportunity to sway the momentum in this series back in their favor. The Bucks have done just that and in doing so have established a blueprint for success against the vaunted Boston defense. The Bucks are riding a hot hand, and there is an excellent chance here that this team can pull off the upset outright and move into the Conference Semifinals. Milwaukee has not done well on the road this year, but the market has still offered up a number identical to what we saw in Game Two. There is a great chance of an outright win here so we'll trade the bucket for the better odds.

The top team in the NBA got punched in the mouth on Saturday night in that unexpected loss. I fully expect Harden and Co. to bounce back in a big way on Monday night with a performance more in line with the way the Rockets played over the second half of the season to achieve their lofty 65-17 record. Not to take anything away from Minnesota and the deep talent on this team, my ‘best bet’ pick for Game 4 is Houston SU and ATS.

If anything can be deduced from Game Three, it could be inferred that the Bucks are a different animal in Milwaukee. Their Game Three victory ignited what Milwaukee needed to get back into this series. Too many takers, Boston is still the better team and alas the win may have been merely a fluke to many. However, the momentum Milwaukee will carry into Game Four will once again allow this team to equal the series by yet another decisive margin. Swallow the points.

We are going to target a clear-cut overreaction here based on the Game Three result. However, Miami has the playoff experience and knows the importance of this game. Falling behind 3-1 with two of the three remaining games going to Philly will put any hopes of Miami winning this series in serious jeopardy. Expect Miami to offer a spirited effort here. Given the initial low point spread in this market, another upset may be in the works here. Therefore we will trade the points away and take the Heat outright on the Money Line.

The number presented here is no illusion. The Bucks without question play at a higher level when they are at home, and the market is adept at this despite the fact Milwaukee was pummeled in Game Two. However, the points look too appetizing to the naked eye, and as a result, we will see the public get all over the dog in this contest. Generally speaking, these kinds of propositions often wreak havoc on the masses. Milwaukee will respond to Game Two with a convincing win of their own here in Game Three.

Minnesota is going to need a significant effort from all its top players to keep things close again on Wednesday night since I cannot see the Rockets have another poor night shooting three-point shots. I am tempted to take the 10.5 points on the spread with the Timberwolves covering again, but my ‘best bet' pick for Game 2 is the OVER on the 214.5-point total line.

We usually would urge takers to stay clear of Cleveland given the premiums they are bound to inflict upon punters especially at home. However, given the fact that Indiana orchestrated a statement victory in Game One an overreaction is bound to occur here on the Pacers. Thus, we will fade the public here and swallow the points.

Targeting overreactions is a practice that we preach. When such substantial action rolls in on an underdog, this is a good sign that such an event is taking place. The bottom line is that Milwaukee's performance in Game One makes them seem like a delectable play here in their follow-up in Game Two with points involved. However, a hard-fought loss such as the one Milwaukee endured only sets them up for a more significant let-down here in Game Two. Boston's defense clamped down when it had to in Game One to secure the victory. They will do so here in Game Two and win this one decisively. Swallow the points.

The Spurs have been a horrible road team the entire season, and that was rather evident in their Game 1 loss. Turning things around in just two days is going to be a tall task for a team on pace for an early exit from the postseason. That said, with the spread for this game a bit wider than Saturday's opener, I am banking on a much better effort from San Antonio as a seasoned playoff team to cover with the 10 points.

In the early stages, we have seen what appears to steam on Boston. This is reflected in a 1.5-point line movement that positions the Celtics at their current station. On the contrary, 85% of the public money is currently in on Milwaukee. In the Over/Under, we have seen the market diminish by four points to reflect the massive action on the Under. 89% of the public money is currently in on the Under to confirm this. On the Money Line, the Bucks are a +158 road underdog while Boston is a -180 favorite.

The No. 1 versus No. 8 match-ups is one that features an inflated point spread on the top seed by the prominence they will hold in the playoff bracket. This is especially true in Toronto's case given the fact they have been unstoppable at home. As a result of a likely overlay, we will step in and grab the points on the Wizards in Game One.

Nothing could provide a better morale victory for a disappointing season than a win over a bitter rival. For Chicago, the stage is set for the Bulls to do just that. The Pistons have not fared well on the road at all this season, and Chicago has cultivated some impressive wins in the United Center in their own right. Chicago more than Detroit has had nothing to lose. The Pistons were expected to be in the post-season after their acquisitions, but the Bulls were anticipated to be in a transitional year. Nevertheless, the Bulls will look to close out their campaign with a statement to carry over to next year and thus they are in the position here to orchestrate an upset before their home supporters.

There could be some value in going with the Spurs as a veteran squad in a tight matchup, but their struggles on the road this entire season is still an essential factor in betting this game. My lean is towards riding the hotter hand with a play on New Orleans both SU and ATS, but I see things remaining tight until the final buzzer. My ‘best bet' pick in this one is the UNDER on the total line.

If Utah loses on Sunday, there will be nothing on the line for Portland on Monday night as far as its playoff position in the West. Given the logjam for the rest of the teams fighting for their postseason life in this conference, Denver needs to win out and hope for some help along the way. That is enough motivation for me to take the Nuggets both SU and ATS in this one.