The NBA playoffs get underway on Saturday and one of the most exciting games on the schedule features the Grizzlies and the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The Thunder are the two-seed in the West, finishing the regular-season just three games behind the Spurs for the top spot. Memphis is the seven-seed in an ultra-competitive conference. This is the third time in four years that these two teams will meet for a playoff series. We like the Thunder in game one and to advance.
After falling in the NBA Finals a couple of years ago, the Thunder are prepared to make another deep playoff run and in an effort to get back to the ultimate series of them all. They will need to get past the Grizzlies in the first round to begin this run, which could be an issue if they overlook their opponent. Kevin Durant is averaging 28.6 points-per-game during the playoffs in his career heading into this series.
It is not easy for a seven-seed to take down a two-seed in the playoffs, but it still can be done. Memphis will need to steal one of the two road games to start the series if they want to be a seven-seed advancing to the second-round of this year’s playoffs. Memphis likes to slow down the pace of the game, which might not happen if they let Oklahoma City run the floor much like the Thunder did all season long against its opponents.
Oklahoma City is the favorite to win game one over at SportsBook.ag by 7.5 points. We are going to bet 15 percent of our bankroll on the Thunder as we lay the line on Saturday night. We are not betting for Oklahoma City because they are favored, but because they are wildly better than Memphis.
