Jimmy Boyd in 
The Playoffs is one of the most exciting times of the year. Unlike the regular season when clubs take nights off, every contest matters. The odds to win the Finals are tightening up with less teams, and some value might be found in breaking down the individual series.
In order to win it all, teams must eliminate the opposition in the best of seven series. Today I’m going to focus my attention on the rare instances a series goes the distance.
As most of you are aware, handicapping the NBA is no easy task. Any edge you can get is worth taking into account.
I researched the postseason going back to the 2002-03 season. Here’s a look at the results.
Performance of Home Teams in Game 7 of a NBA Playoffs Series
Overall Record
| Round | SU | ATS | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19-6 (76.0%) | 15-10 (60.0%) | 14-11 (56.0%) |
| 2 | 12-3 (80.0%) | 10-5 (66.7%) | 6-9 (40.0%) |
| 3 | 3-3 (50.0%) | 3-3 (50.0%) | 1-5 (16.7%) |
| 4 | 3-1 (75.0%) | 2-2 (50.0%) | 0-4 (0%) |
| Overall | 37-13 (74.0%) | 30-20 (60.0%) | 21-29 (42.0%) |
Straight Up
The home team is 37-13 (74%) on the money line. It is not overly shocking to see such a favorable advantage.
The playoffs consist of the eight best in each conference. One thing that most of these have in common is they won the majority of their matchups at home.
At the same time, the more elite the team, the less likely they are to lose at home. You also have to factor in the atmosphere. While every playoff contest is electric, these winner take all are on a whole different level.
The other big key here is the side that hosts Game 7 had the better overall record in the regular season. The stronger side should win more times than they lose on their home floor.
Against the Spread
The host team owns an impressive 30-20 (60.0%) ATS record. That’s enough to make some profit if you are betting the NBA.
Most would expect the spread in these matchups to be just a few points, but that’s not the case. In the data I looked at, the home teams were favored on average by 5.8-points.
The Total
A lot of times we can get so caught up in who will cover. We forget to even take into consideration the total. That would be a huge mistake.
The UNDER is a rock solid 29-21 (58.0%) in these games. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. The public loves to play the over, so oddsmakers inflate that side of the total. At the same time, these two teams have just played 6 games against each other. Both have a great understanding of what the other wants to do offensively.
Looking at the total by round is critical. As you can see in the table above, the over is actually 14-11 (56%) in round 1. If you only focus on the final 3 rounds, the UNDER is 18-7 (72%). That includes a perfect 4-0 record in The Finals.
Key Situation to Look For When Betting a Game 7 in the NBA Postseason
The last thing I wanted to look at was the impact on winning/losing Game 6. Keep in mind that the team who lost the previous contest had a chance to close out the series.
What I found is that it’s actually a disadvantage to win the previous contest. Not a huge shock, given how strong the Zig Zag Theory is. Those who lost the prior meeting are 18-13 (58%) ATS in Game 7. It’s also worth noting that the UNDER is a profitable 18-13 (58%) in this situation.
Additional NBA Playoff Resources
