NBA Perfect Ten (Week of April 3rd)

NBA Perfect Ten (Week of April 3rd)

Most teams are down to their final five games and the jockeying is in full swing for playoff positioning. Let’s take a look at the latest Top Ten.

Perfect Ten (Week of April 3rd)

#10. Los Angeles Clippers (+850/+2000) - Are we putting the wrong team from LA in the 10th spot? Strengths: When fully healthy, this roster matches up with anyone. Weaknesses: Are we asking too much to think the Clippers can get through the playoffs with a full squad? Last Week’s Rank: 10

#9. Golden State Warriors (+550/+1300) -Are the Warriors better off finishing in the sixth spot and taking on the Kings rather than earning the fifth spot and facing Phoenix in round one? Strengths: Scoring and ability to finish games. Weaknesses: Will the Warriors be at full strength come playoff time? Last Week’s Rank: 8

#8. Cleveland Cavaliers (+1500/+4500) - The Cavs are primed and ready for their first post-LeBron playoff appearance. Strengths: Isolation offense with Mitchell and Garland. Weaknesses: Can the other Cavs players deliver when teams double Mitchell? Last Week’s Rank: 9



#7. Sacramento Kings (+2000/+6000) - The Kings are back in the playoffs finally but will they be favored in any round? Strengths: The Kings can score with anyone and have the second-best road record in the NBA. Weaknesses: Can the Kings’ defense hold up enough to win against the top teams in the west? Last Week’s Rank: 5

#6. Memphis Grizzlies (+600/+1500) - The Grizzlies have gotten stronger down the stretch and are secure in the #2 spot in the Western Conference. Strengths: Toughness and an unending swagger. Weaknesses: Will the Grizzlies get Stephen Adams back healthy enough to help bolster the interior? Last Week’s Rank: 9

#5. Philadelphia 76ers (+475/+1000) - The Sixers look resigned to finish third in the conference after falling to Milwaukee on Sunday. Strengths: Embiid and Harden have been rested at times down the stretch. They should be fresh for the playoffs. Weaknesses: Can the Sixers match up with either Boston or Milwaukee in a seven-game series? Last Week’s Rank: 4

#4. Phoenix Suns (+210/+450) - Durant has returned and the Suns' odds have improved as well. Strengths: The Suns are still undefeated with Durant in the lineup. Weaknesses: Durant will have only played 10 games with the Suns as the playoffs begin. Is that enough time? Last Week’s Rank: 6



#3. Denver Nuggets (+330/+800) - The Nuggets roll into the final week of the season nearly assured of the #1 seed in the west. Strengths: Floor spacing and the best passing big man in the game. Weaknesses: The Nuggets will have to ramp up the intensity again come playoff time after coasting down the stretch. Last Week’s Rank: 3

#2. Boston Celtics (+150/+320) - The Celtics crushed the Bucks on the road and once again look like the team that had the NBA’s best record for much of the season. Strengths: Boston is the one team that looks capable of matching up with the likes of Antetokounmpo. Weaknesses: Can the Celtics count on Robert Williams III throughout the playoffs? Last Week’s Rank: 2

#1. Milwaukee Bucks (+145/+310) - Milwaukee bounced back from a 40-point home loss to Boston with a comfortable win over the Sixers on Sunday. Strengths: The Bucks have experience and have been the best road team in the NBA. Weaknesses: Can the Bucks handle teams with superior perimeter play, like Boston? Last Week’s Rank: 1



Top-Five MVP Candidates:

There isn’t any need to make this a five-player race anymore, it is clearly a two-man field. Jokic has been the front-runner for several weeks but has Embiid done enough to surpass him?



  1. Joel Embiid (-250) - Another week and Embiid’s odds rose up a bit more. He has been dominant but will he get enough support if the Sixers don’t close strong? A decisive loss to Boston on Tuesday could hurt his case but a win might clinch the MVP. Last Week’s Rank: 1

  1. Nikola Jokic (+140) - Jokic’s odds dropped a little lower this week. The Nuggets will get the #1 seed in the Western Conference. His MVP candidacy will likely be determined by how Embiid and the Sixers finish, more than anything he does himself. Last Week’s Rank: 2

  • In parenthesis, conference odds and finals odds. Player MVP props are also in parenthesis. All odds Courtesy of Draftkings.com.

By Mark Ruelle

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Mark Ruelle

Mark has been a sports fanatic since childhood. He is also an avid follower of sports analytics and has used it in his own betting analysis for over two decades. Now we have Mark on our team here at RakeTech U.S. He holds degrees in marketing, broadcasting, and English and uses this vast array of assets to dissect and analyze game matchups. Mark will provide you with a wide variety of statistics to consider and a strong opinion in each matchup that he covers. Please follow him daily for an up-to-the-minute analysis of all the important games.