Top 10 Things to Know Before Betting on the NBA Western Conference Playoffs

The NBA Playoffs officially starts Saturday, but before that, the play-in games are going Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday involving the No. 7 and 8 seeds.

The Phoenix Suns are the top seed in the West and the top overall seed. They finished with a 64-18 straight-up record and were 44-28 against the spread, including an even 41-41 Over-Under record this season.

Before you make any of your NBA betting plays, here are 10 things you need to know about the Western Conference playoffs.

1. Over the past 20 seasons, the No.1 seed in the Western Conference has earned an overall 216-113 straight-up record for 56.7% wins. They were 163-161-5 against the spread, good for 50.3% winning bets, including a 146-170-13 Over-Under mark for 46.2% Over winning bets. In last year’s playoff season, the No.1 seed team, the Utah Jazz, saw the Over produce a near-perfect 9-1-1 record, good for 90% winning bets.

2. Over the past five seasons, the No. 1 seed in the West has produced a 24-6 straight up record, good for 80% winners and a 19-11 against the spread record, good for 63% winning bets, including a 16-12-2 Over-Under record.

3. Top seeds priced as double-digit favourites in the West since the 2002 season have been a highly-profitable 23-3 straight up, for 89% winners, but an even 13-13 against the spread, for 50% winning bets, including a 12-14 Over-Under record spanning the last 20 playoff seasons. However, when these top seeds have been priced as 5.5 to 9.5 point favourites, they have produced an exceptional 14-3 straight-up record and 12-5 against the spread mark for 71% winning bets, including an 11-6 Over-Under record.

4. No. 2 seeds over the past 20 NBA playoff seasons in the first round are 180-125 straight-up, for 59% and 163-139-3 against the spread, including a 153-143-9 Over-Under record. Plus, over the past 10 seasons, they have gone 91-61 straight-up and 84-68–1 against the spread, including a 75-73-5 Over-Under record.

5. No. 3 seeds have produced a 133-115 straight-up record and 131-115-2 against the spread mark, good for 53.3% winning bets in the first round of the past 20 playoff seasons. They have a 21-28 straight-up record and 24-24-1 against the spread in the past five seasons, for 50% winning bets. When the road 3-seed team has been in a game lined between 210 and 220 points, the Over has produced a profitable 10-5 record, good for 67% winning bets.

Check out: The 10 things you need to know before betting on the Eastern Conference.

6. No. 3 seeds that are favourd by 3.5 to 9.5 points in the first round of the past 10 playoff seasons have played in many close games with a 13-5 straight-up record and 7-11 against the spread record, for 39% winning bets, including an 11-7 Over-Under record for 61% winning bets.

7. For the past 20 seasons, the 4-seed is 98-105 straight-up and 103-96-4 against the spread for 52% winning bets, including a 94-103-6 Over-Under mark. The 5-seed is a highly-profitable 26-9, for 74% wins and 17-18 against the spread, for 49% winning bets, including a 14-21 Over-Under record for 60% winning Under bets when installed as a 3.5 or greater-point favourite.

8. No. 1 seeds that lost their previous playoff game and are now installed as a double-digit favourite are 9-0 straight-up and 8-1 against the spread, including 3-6 Over-Under mark spanning the past 20 playoff seasons.

9. No. 2 seeds that lost their previous playoff game and are now priced as a 3.5 to 9.5-point favourite have earned a 76-21 straight-up record and 59-37-1 against the spread record, good for 61.5% winning bets, including a 50-45-2 Over-Under mark spanning the last 20 playoff seasons.

10. No. 2 seeds that have lost the previous two playoff games and are now priced as a 3.5 to 9.5-point favourite are 9-3 straight-up and 9-3 against the spread, for 75% winning bets, including a 3-9 Over-Under record, for 75% winning Under bets since the 2002 playoff season.