National Basketball Association

NBA First Round Playoff Picks

Updated Aug. 17, 2020 10:15 a.m. ET

The 2020 NBA playoffs start on Monday, and to get fans ready, FOX Sports' NBA analysts made their picks for every first-round matchup in both conferences.

So let's take a deeper look at each series, including the odds on each prediction via FOX Bet:

Western Conference

(1) Lakers vs. (8) Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard averaged 37.6 points, 9.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in eight bubble games, but Portland finished the season 20th out of 22 teams in defensive rating (114.2 points allowed per 100 possessions), and were last in forcing turnovers.

The Lakers, meanwhile, have LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the first seed in the West.

Broussard's pick: Lakers in 6 (+300)

Bucher's pick: Lakers in 6 (+300)

McIntyre's pick: Lakers in 4 (+333)

Betting favorite: Lakers in 5 (+225)

(2) Clippers vs. (7) Mavericks

The Mavs lost all three games against the Clippers this year, with star Luka Doncic shooting just 42.6 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from deep. Dallas also had the second-worst defense in the bubble.

Broussard's pick: Clippers in 5 (+240)

Bucher's pick: Clippers in 4 (+333)

McIntyre's pick: Clippers in 5 (+240)

Betting favorite: Clippers in 5 (+240)

(3) Nuggets vs. (6) Jazz

Denver is 3-0 against Utah this year, with Nikola Jokic averaging 29.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists while shooting 56.3 percent from the field in those 3 wins.

Broussard's pick: Nuggets in 6 (+333)

Bucher's pick: Nuggets in 7 (+450)

McIntyre's pick: Nuggets in 7 (+450)

Betting favorite: Nuggets in 5 (+300)

(4) Rockets vs. (5) Thunder

Oklahoma City's lineup of Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams boasts the best net rating (+29.9 points per 100 possessions) of any group that has played at least 100 minutes together this season.

Rockets star Russell Westbrook is expected to miss at least Game 1 with a strained right quad.

Broussard's pick: Thunder in 6 (+600)

Bucher's pick: Thunder in 6 (+600)

McIntyre's pick: Thunder in 6 (+600)

Betting favorite: Rockets in 6 (+350)

Eastern Conference

(1) Bucks vs. (8) Magic

Milwaukee, led by reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, is 4-0 against Orlando.

The Bucks boast the league's best defensive rating (102.9), while Orlando doesn't have a player who averages at least 20 points per game.

Broussard's pick: Bucks in 4 (Ed. note: At the time of publication, FOX Bet did not have prices on this series.)

Bucher's pick: Bucks in 4

McIntyre's pick: Bucks in 4

Betting favorite: N/A

(2) Raptors vs. (7) Nets

Toronto led the bubble in defensive rating (102.7) and was second overall in the NBA in defense this season. Although the Raptors' offense was a team effort, with five players averaging 15+ points per game, Toronto was just 14th in offense in the regular season.

Broussard's pick: Raptors in 5 (+180)

Bucher's pick: Raptors in 5 (+180)

McIntyre's pick: Raptors in 5 (+180)

Betting favorite: Raptors in 4 (-110)

(3) Celtics vs. (6) 76ers

The Sixers hold a 3-1 season-series advantage against the Celtics, but Ben Simmons is out for the rest of the year with a knee injury, and Joel Embiid is dealing with injuries of his own (hand, ankle).

On the other hand, a healthy Gordon Hayward has lifted Boston from 10th in the NBA in offense last season to fourth in 2019-2020.

Broussard's pick: Celtics in 6 (+300)

Bucher's pick: Celtics in 6 (+300)

McIntyre's pick: Celtics in 5 (+250)

Betting favorite: Celtics in 5 (+250)

(4) Pacers vs. (5) Heat

Indiana's TJ Warren has averaged 31.0 points per game since the restart, but his numbers against Miami on Aug. 10 were a pedestrian 10.3 points on 35.5 percent shooting, thanks in part to a budding rivalry with the Heat's Jimmy Butler.

However, on Sunday, Butler said that any animosity between the two was in the past.

The Heat are shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc this season, second in the NBA.

Broussard's pick: Heat in 6 (+300)

Bucher's pick: Heat in 7 (+450)

McIntyre's pick: Heat in 6 (+300)

Betting favorite: Heat in 6 (+300)