The NBA playoffs are off and running, with loads of action every night of the week. While the East might be a two-horse race, the West is wide open and unpredictable. Every series, except for the horrendous, Minnesota T-Wolves and Nuggets matchup could go either way. Starting with the 4-5, the Clips and Suns have gone back and forth until Kawhi decided to load manage in Game 3 and had to sit out. The Suns jumped out to a 2-1 lead, and currently sit as the favorites to come out of the conference at 1.65/1. Game 4 in LA will be crucial and will likely be determined by whether or not the Claw can fight his way back to play. As each game goes by, Durant looks more and more comfortable on the floor with Booker and Paul, but a tremendous lack of depth is a scary thought and could hinder their chances to make a run. The top seeded Nuggets are next, as they will continue to breeze past Minnesota. There is no doubt they are coming out of this round, but Vegas likes Phoenix to take down the Joker in Round 2. If Murray can go toe to toe with Booker, the Nugs are poised to hold off what would be a disappointing round 2 exit.

Despite being down 2-1, the Dubs are 4.1/1 to come out of the conference, although they have yet to figure out how to win a game on the road. Which brings me to the Kings, who present some great value at 10/1. They have maintained home court advantage and shown no reason why they can’t take down the defending Champs in a 7-game series. I think you are getting some good value on Sabonis and Fox to advance and trim those odds in half after getting through Curry. Then there are the Lakers, who have come back from the dead to present a massive challenge to #2 seed Memphis, especially with Ja Morant down and out. If AD and Lebron can stay healthy, which is certainly a big if, the Lakers present some juicy value at 8.5/1.

In a wide-open race, it is wise to sprinkle on the longer shots, especially if you are confident they can advance out of the first round. I think the Lakers and the Kings check both of those boxes, and with those teams meeting up in Round 2, you are guaranteed to get one of them all the way to the conference finals, where a hedge would be in order if you so choose.