NBA Playoff Odds - 19 May

There are now just 4 teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs, and they happen to be the top 4 seeds overall. Houston was able to make an amazing comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the second round to upset the Clippers, but now they must face the top-seeded Warriors without the benefit of home court advantage. Here are the updated odds of each remaining team advancing:

Odds of Making NBA Finals

1. Warriors - 94.0% (+39.9)
2. Cavaliers - 61.0% (+22.7)
3. Hawks - 39.0% (+3.8)
4. Rockets - 6.0% (+6.0)

A week ago I said Houston odds were basically at zero, but three straight wins gave them a small chance to advance to the next round.

Odds of Winning NBA Finals

1. Warriors - 81.0% (+34.3)
2. Cavaliers - 12.2% (+4.3)
3. Hawks - 4.9% (-1.0)
4. Rockets - 2.0% (+2.0)

No one was happier than Golden State to see the Clippers go down in Houston on Sunday, since the two teams have a well-known rivalry in recent years. Golden State should coast to the title, although bigger odds have been overcome in just the last week.

Playoff Picks

Conference Finals

Warriors over Rockets in 5
Cavaliers over Hawks in 7

NBA Finals

Warriors over Cavaliers in 6

I've only picked 2 series wrong so far, and both involved the Clippers, who I picked to lose in the first round, then picked to win in the second round. They have been replaced by Houston here in a shorter series for Golden State, with no other changes from before.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA Playoffs

Houston at Golden State - Warriors by 9

MLB

Seattle at Baltimore - Orioles by 3.5
NY Yankees at Washington - Nationals by 1.0
Minnesota at Pittsburgh - Pirates by 0.4
LA Angels at Toronto - Blue Jays by 0.4
Milwaukee at Detroit - Tigers by 1.4
Arizona at Miami - Marlins by 1.3
Texas at Boston - Rangers by 1.4
Tampa Bay at Atlanta - Rays by 1.6
Saint Louis at NY Mets - Cardinals by 1.2
Cleveland at Chi Sox - White Sox by 1.0
Cincinnati at Kansas City - Royals by 0.6
Oakland at Houston - Athletics by 1.6
Philadelphia at Colorado - Phillies by 0.1
Chi Cubs at San Diego - Cubs by 0.7
LA Dodgers at San Francisco - Dodgers by 2.2

Prediction Results

MLB: 3-4 (.429) 30-48 overall (.385)
Upsets: 2-2 (.500) 10-17 overall (.370)