The Celtics and Bulls both have depth, but the Celtics’ championship experience, bonafide star power and seasoned court leaders, the Bulls don’t have a chance in this one. I’d expect the Celtics to sweep, and Boston will carry a double-digit line at home, and six or seven points on the road for Game 3. I don’t see the line changing even if they’re up 3-0 by the time Game 4 rolls around. In a surprise prediction, I think the Celtics will have a better chance of covering on the road than they will at home. The Bulls aren’t a bad team by any stretch, they deserve to be in the playoffs, so they can definitely keep things close.

My other favorite nba betting first-round match up is out in the Western Conference where the Nuggets face the Hornets. Talk about up-tempo basketball, this one could see an over of 220 points every game. In a head-to-head “on paper” comparison, the Nuggets hold about every statistical advantage outside of free throw percentage – but the differential isn’t that great. These teams also split 2-2 during the regular season.

Remember back in 1994 when the Nuggets stunned the Sonics in Round 1, becoming the first eight-seeded team to upset a No. 1? Yeah, that was the last time the team actually won a playoff round. Will that change this year? Honestly, I don’t think it will. I like the Hornets’ chances and am calling a major upset in the first round, 4-2 Hornets. At home, the Hornets will be 3 or 4-point favorites, on the road they’ll be 6 or 7-point underdogs. I wouldn’t bet the farm on this one, but I think the Hornets have more reliable scorers and team players, and in the playoffs that’ll make a bigger difference than it did spread over 82 games of the regular season.