NBA Handicapping Articles

Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 5/5/2026

The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to become the first team since the 2018 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back NBA championships, but LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers stand in their way. It has been nearly a decade of parity in the NBA, as the last seven NBA champions have been seven different NBA franchises. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the soon-to-be two-time reigning MVP, and the Thunder are looking to snap that streak. They have incredible -150 odds to win the NBA championship with eight teams still remaining in the playoffs.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 5/5/2026

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons are both looking to take advantage of a wide-open Eastern Conference as they match up in a mouthwatering second-round playoff series. Both teams needed seven games to take down the Raptors and Magic, respectively, but they both closed things out at home with strong defensive showings.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs San Antonio Spurs Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 5/4/2026

The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves clash in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, with a spot in the conference finals on the line. Minnesota has reached the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons, and is coming off a big win over the Denver Nuggets in the first round. A perennially underrated squad, Minnesota is strong defensively and matches up nicely against the Spurs.

Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 5/4/2026

The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers renew one of the NBA's oldest rivalries in their second-round matchup in the Eastern Conference playoffs. This is the 11th time the two franchises have met in the postseason, with Philadelphia holding a 6-4 advantage. However, the Knicks have won each of the last two meetings between the two teams, as the last 76ers postseason series win over the Knicks came more than 50 years ago.

NBA Betting Trends Analysis and Expert Handicapping 5/4/2026
by Jeremy Block - 5/4/2026

Just like that, the first round of the NBA playoffs is behind us, and it's safe to say nobody expected this many Game 7s to happen, but here we are. With upsets happening left and right, NBA bettors have been left in the dark with no insight, easy picks, or trends to keep an eye on for the second round. At least until now.

NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 4/30/2026 vs. New York Knicks Game 6
by Spencer Toth - 4/30/2026

All season long, Doc’s Sports has been breaking down every Atlanta Hawks weekday game, providing best bets along the way. We have generated a profit of more than 80 units so far, and in what could be the season finale for Atlanta, I want to thank everyone who tailed this year. An 80-unit profit on 1-6 unit picks wasn’t easy, but we have been able to cash in big thanks to consistency and non-stop dedication.

NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 4/28/2026 vs. New York Knicks Game 5
by Spencer Toth - 4/28/2026

You have found the right place for all your NBA betting needs, as Doc’s Sports will be breaking down every Atlanta Hawks weekday game this postseason after churning more than 80 units of profit in the regular season. We won’t always favor the Hawks, but an in-depth look at this roster and how they continue to match up with the Knicks will give us the best chance at coming out on top.

NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 4/23/2026 vs. New York Knicks Game 3
by Spencer Toth - 4/22/2026

Tonight, the Hawks have a real chance to strike fear into the hearts of a passionate Knicks fanbase as they get their first home game of the playoffs. The betting odds are essentially 50/50 as these two heated rivals face off in Game 3.

NBA Betting Trends Analysis and Expert Handicapping 4/21/2026
by Jeremy Block - 4/21/2026

The NBA postseason is finally here, and it hasn't wasted any time making things interesting. Through the first week of play, we've already seen shocking results, blown leads, and more than a few bettors shaking their heads at their betting slips. If the regular season was a roller coaster for cashing in against the spread, on over/unders, and player props—which it absolutely was—the playoffs have already shown they're not going to be any different.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 4/16/2026

After losing Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles one year ago, the Boston Celtics were expected to rebuild this season and were underdogs to make the playoffs heading into the year. Flash forward to today, and they are Eastern Conference favorites heading into the postseason, with a stacked roster on both sides of the floor.

Which NBA Teams Have Been the Best in the Clutch Over the Last 20 Seasons?
by Docsports.com - 4/16/2026

Every NBA fan remembers the buzzer beaters, blown leads, and final-possession heroics, but over a 20-year window, which teams actually deliver in those moments? A new report by Doc’s Sports tracks two decades of “clutch” games to see which franchises have truly thrived, and which have repeatedly come up short, when the margin is tight. Using 20 seasons of regular-season and playoff data plus a complete 2025–26 snapshot, it uncovers the league’s best and worst clutch franchises and shows how often games still come down to the wire.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 4/15/2026

Can King James pull off a miracle? The Lakers and Rockets face off in the 4 vs. 5 matchup in the Western Conference, with Kevin Durant and LeBron James going head-to-head in the playoffs for what is likely to be the final chapter against one another in their historic careers. LeBron and the Lakers have had a very successful season, but injuries to Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic have made them big underdogs against the Rockets in this one.

Portland Trail Blazers vs San Antonio Spurs Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 4/15/2026

San Antonio has high expectations this season as they come out of their rebuild. They finished second in the NBA with 62 regular-season wins, 40 more than they had during Wembanyama’s rookie year. While Wembanyama is a big part of this team on both ends of the court, they have several other talented stars around him.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 4/15/2026

The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves face off in a massive first-round matchup in the Western Conference as both teams have legitimate aspirations to win the championship. These two teams met in the second round two years ago, with Minnesota knocking off the then-defending champions in seven games.

NBA Franchises That Did Everything Right and Still Lost Their Star
by Jeremy Block - 4/15/2026

The belief that winning games is the only way to keep a superstar is a dead-end strategy that front offices continue to never learn from. Teams are taught that if they draft correctly, spend into the luxury tax, and build a consistent winner, their franchise player will have no reason to look for the exit.

NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 4/18/2026 vs. New York Knicks Game 1
by Spencer Toth - 4/15/2026

The playoffs are here. After five years of running this column, we put together our best regular season record yet with a 108-71 record to net a profit of 89.4 units, including juice. We have broken down every Atlanta Hawks game this season, and it all comes down to this. While the playoffs are exciting, it isn’t the time to start bumping up your unit size, risking a season of profits in a few weeks. Consistent, positive results are how we got here, and that game plan doesn’t change as the stakes get raised.

Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 4/14/2026

The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks renew their rivalry from the 2021 playoffs, where the Hawks took down the Knicks in four games to one. These are two very different squads compared to that playoff matchup, with Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu are the only two Hawks still on the roster. The heated rivalry will get another chapter written, as both sides look to take advantage of a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets
by Spencer Toth - 4/14/2026

The Cleveland Cavaliers will once again look to turn their sustained regular-season success into a deep playoff run, something they have failed to do in the past. They have finished in the top four in the East for the fourth consecutive season, but they have only had one first-round and two second-round exits to show for it.

Hot and Cold NBA Playoff Betting Teams ATS and Over Under 4/13/2026
by Spencer Toth - 4/13/2026

The NBA regular season is now behind us as teams buckle up for the play-in tournament and playoffs. The pace of play tends to slow down in the postseason, while the defensive intensity increases, which makes betting on totals especially fascinating compared to the regular season. Most casual bettors will look at year-long against-the-spread and total trends for the playoff sides, but the more important numbers rest in the last few weeks.

NBA Teams That Were Built for the Regular Season and Fell Apart Every April
by Jeremy Block - 4/13/2026

Every April, the NBA has a way of exposing teams that spent the majority of the regular season looking like title contenders. The regular season rewards consistency and depth, but the playoffs reward something entirely different. Rotations shrink, gameplans get picked apart, and the weaknesses that were easy to hide in November become impossible to ignore when an opposing coach has spent two weeks doing nothing but finding them.