NBA Playoffs 2017 Predictions: Expert Picks For Every First-Round Series

The cream usually rises to the top in the NBA playoffs, and the case should be the same in 2017. Basketball experts are almost exclusively picking the higher seeds to advance in the first round of the postseason.

Major upsets are extremely rare, and making such a prediction this year would make little sense. With four All-Stars and the best three-year stretch in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors should cruise to the second round. The San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics are all expected to have little trouble in their first round series, as well.

Even the No.4 vs. No.5 matchups have nearly unanimous picks. The Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz had identical records in the regular season, but everyone seems to be taking L.A. With six more wins than the Atlanta Hawks, the Washington Wizards are the clear choice in the Eastern conference matchup.

The Houston Rockets finished third in the NBA with 55 wins, but they are the favorite that experts are predicting to have the most trouble in the first round. Their series with the Oklahoma City Thunder is certainly the most-anticipated on the playoff schedule, as MVP candidates James Harden and Russell Westbrook do battle.

Only a handful of experts are taking the Milwaukee Bucks over the Toronto Raptors. Before reaching the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals, the Raptors had been eliminated in the first round in consecutive seasons.

Here are predictions for the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs by experts at ESPN, CBS Sports and USA Today:

J.A. Adande, ESPN: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Tom Haberstroh, ESPN: Celtics, Cavaliers, Bucks, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Zach Lowe, ESPN: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Marc Stein, ESPN: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Bill Reiter, CBS Sports: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Thunder, Clippers

Ethan Skolnick, CBS Sports: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Thunder, Clippers

Matt Moore, CBS Sports: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

James Herbert, CBS Sports: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Jack Maloney, CBS Sports: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Sam Amick, USA TODAY: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers

Michael Singer, USA TODAY: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Jazz

AJ Neuharth-Keusch, USA TODAY: Celtics, Cavaliers, Raptors, Wizards, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Clippers