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The first round of the playoffs can be somewhat of a formality, regardless of the sport. The NBA Playoffs, however, have provided a little spice early on in recent postseasons.
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We’ve recently watched lower-seeded squads burn their opening round opponents and make a deep run, like Miami in 2023, Dallas in 2024, and Minnesota last year.
The 2026 NBA Playoff bracket is top-heavy, with the Top 2 seeds in the East and West boasting a significant gap between them and the rest of the field. But that doesn’t mean everything will go according to plan, as my NBA Playoff upset predictions and underdog rankings explain.
With the Play-In Tournament tipping off tonight, my NBA picks size up the teams seeded No. 5 through No. 10 in each conference and their “spice” level based on a potential first-round upset possibility.
No. 5 Seeds
Toronto Raptors: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
The Toronto Raptors (+425 series price) draw the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round. Toronto did beat Cleveland in all three matchups, but those came before the calendar flipped to 2026.
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The Raptors have a solid defense, but may not have the scoring punch to keep pace with the Cavs’ superstars and size.
The health of PG Immanuel Quickley is a biggest question. Without him, it makes Scottie Barnes a ball-handler and dulls his scoring punch.
Toronto needs all the points it can produce if this series turns into a shootout.
Houston Rockets (via L.A. Lakers): 🌶️
Tough to call the No. 5 Houston Rockets a “spicy” upset pick when they’re -750 series favorites against the fourth-seeded L.A. Lakers. Houston faces an injury-gutted Los Angeles squad and whatever is left of LeBron James.
Instead, I measure the Lakers’ chances of advancing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Maybe L.A. gets one game. Maybe. And that’s giving LeBron a lot of credit.
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No. 6 Seeds
Atlanta Hawks: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
If the NBA postseason was an episode of “Hot Ones,” the Atlanta Hawks would be Da Bomb Beyond Insanity…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nba-playoff-upset-alert-ranking-175000705.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-15 17:11:00
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