At press time, Detroit and Boston were the only higher seeds remaining that didn't hold a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven series. To say that the first game of the first round went true-to-form would be an understatement! Now things will get a little bit tougher.

In the Eastern Conference, the seeds probably carry a little more weight than those in the Western Conference. The won/loss percentages of the teams in the East were as follows when the season ended: No. 1 Boston (.805), No. 2 Detroit (.720), No. 3 Orlando (.634), No. 4 Cleveland (.549), No. 5 Washington (.524), No. 6 Toronto (.500), No. 7 Philadelphia (.488) and No. 8 Atlanta (.451).

In comparison, the West was much more competitive and homecourt is probably more important than the actual seed of the teams participating. Take a look at how the West looked at the completion of the regular season: No. 1 LA Lakers (.695), No. 2 New Orleans (.683), No. 3 San Antonio (.683), No. 4 Utah (.659), No. 5 Houston (.671), No. 6 Phoenix (.671), No. 7 Dallas (.622) and No. 8 Denver (.610).

The technical information you see listed below can guide you through the next four games in the first round. None of the angles listed below have anything to do with the seeds of the participants or their won/loss percentages. Instead, they are situational based on what happened in the previous game or with regards to the total. Take a look at what my computer program discovered:

Round 1 Game 2
Play AGAINST - Any NBA Round 1 Game 2 team that enters off a straight up underdog win.
Record since 1990-91 - 23-7 ATS

Play AGAINST - Any NBA Round 1 Game 2 double-digit favorite.
Record since 1990-91 - 20-8-1 ATS

Play AGAINST - Any NBA Round 1 Game 2 team that beat the pointspread by 10 points or more in game one.
Record since 1990-91 - 34-15 ATS

Round 1 Game 3
Play AGAINST - Any NBA Round 1 Game 3 team that enters off a SU and ATS loss.
Record since 1990-91 - 65-43 ATS

Play AGAINST - Any NBA Round 1 Game 3 team that enters off a blowout win of 10 points or more.
Record since 1990-91 - 48-25 ATS

Round 1 Game 4
Play AGAINST - Any NBA Round 1 Game 4 home dog priced at +1.5 or more.
Record since 1990-91 - 31-20-1 ATS

Play UNDER THE TOTAL - Any NBA Round 1 Game 4 host provided the number is 187 or higher.
Record since 1990-91 - 44-21 ATS

Round 1 Game 5
Play AGAINST - Any NBA Round 1 Game 5 host that enters off a SU and ATS loss.
Record since 1990-91 - 20-12-1 ATS

Play AGAINST - Any NBA Round 1 Game 5 favorite priced at -6 or less.
Record since 1990-91 - 18-5 ATS

As stated, all of the above angles have been tracked dating back to the 1990-91 season. Rest assured, there will be plenty of plays over the next week that apply to these time-tested and proven situations. Before you go investing your hard earned dough on the NBA playoffs, be sure to check the situations above. They will either make you money or save you money! Best of luck over the next few days and be sure to check back next weekend for an inside look at Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs. Thank you, Tom Stryker.
 

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