Pelicans Are Grizzlies' Biggest Threat, Nets, Magic Are Huge Favorites To Make 2020 Playoffs

The NBA’s top 22 teams will each play eight regular-season games in Orlando, Florida before the start of the playoffs. Six teams in each conference have clinched a postseason berth, and the Dallas Mavericks are virtually guaranteed to earn a playoff spot.

That leaves nine teams still fighting to get into the NBA's 16-team tournament. Even the teams that aren’t exactly close to the playoff picture have something on the line because of the new rule that could potentially allow a No.9 seed to sneak into the postseason.

If the No.8 seed and No.9 seed in a conference are separated by fewer than four games at the end of the regular season, they’ll compete in a best-of-two series for the final playoff berth. In that scenario, the No.8 seed only needs one victory while the No.9 seed has to win twice.

In the East, the Brooklyn Nets can’t finish any higher than the No.7 seed, which they currently own. They are a half-game ahead of the Orlando Magic. Orlando is 5.5 games in front of the No.9 seed Washington Wizards.

The playoff picture is much more wide open out West. The No.8 seed Memphis Grizzlies are 3.5 games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings. The San Antonio Spurs are a half-game behind that trio of teams. The Phoenix Suns trail Memphis by six games and aren’t much of a threat to make the playoffs.

FanDuel Sportsbook suggests as much, giving the Suns +5500 odds to reach the postseason. Phoenix’s odds of missing the playoffs are -20000.

With the edge as the No.8 seed, Memphis is a -155 favorite to land the final West playoff berth. The Grizzlies have +125 odds to miss the postseason.

New Orleans is considered Memphis’ biggest threat with +360 playoff odds (-460 odds to miss the playoffs). The Pelicans have a 10-9 record when Zion Williamson plays. Williamson is averaging 23.8 points on just 15.4 shot attempts per game.

Portland has +460 playoff odds (-600 odds to miss the playoffs). Damian Lillard is fifth in the NBA with 28.9 points per game.

Sacramento (+1300) and San Antonio (+1100) are both long shots to make the playoffs.

Brooklyn is a heavy -1900 favorite to reach the postseason. Orlando has -2000 playoffs odds. The Wizards have +950 odds to catch either the Nets or Magic. Washington has -1900 odds to miss the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers are all but certain to secure the West’s No.1 seed and face the conference’s final playoff team in a first-round series. The same goes for the Milwaukee Bucks in the East.