Winners Club: NBA Playoffs Continue, NFL Draft Begins Thursday

Plus, postseason teams on the verge of elimination and Finals futures odds.

Slowly but surely, the action-packed and upset-filled first round of the NBA postseason is coming to a close. Two series already ended and two more can wrap up tonight.

The playoffs continue Thursday, Friday and, if necessary, Saturday, which overlaps with the highly anticipated NFL Draft. There are still so many questions about the best prospects and what the teams with picks at the top of the first round are going to do with them.

Read SI’s latest mock drafts to get a sense of how things will unfold Thursday and follow @SI_Betting and @SI_Fantasy for more draft coverage.

(Programming note: Winners Club will not be sent out on Friday but will resume Monday morning.)

NBA Playoffs: First Round Winds Down

The Hawks became the second playoff team to get sent home Tuesday night when the Heat closed out the series, 3-1, without Jimmy Butler or Kyle Lowry.

Fun fact: In their 43 losses this season, the Hawks finished 1-42 Against the Spread. The lone cover came Tuesday night in the series-ending loss to the Heat on Tuesday.

The remaining six series could all be one game away from ending. The Bucks and Warriors can eliminate the Bulls and Nuggets, respectively, tonight if they defend home court. And on Thursday, the 76ers (at Raptors) and Suns (at Pelicans) will try to close out their respective series on the road. The Mavericks host the Jazz for Game 6 at home and have the chance to advance past the first round for the first time with Luka Dončić.

After wins on Tuesday, the title odds for both the Heat and Suns dropped. Here’s how the top five contenders stack up on SI Sportsbook:

• Warriors +320
• Suns +400
• Celtics +450
• Heat +550
• Bucks +650

Wednesday

7:30 p.m. ET (TNT): Bulls vs. Bucks (-11.5) | Milwaukee leads series, 3-1

10 p.m. ET (TNT): Nuggets vs. Warriors (-9.5) | Golden State leads series, 3-1

Thursday

7 p.m. ET (NBA TV): 76ers (-1.5) vs. Raptors | Philadelphia leads series, 3-2

7:30 p.m. ET (TNT): Suns (-2.5) vs. Pelicans | Phoenix leads series, 3-2

10 p.m. ET (TNT): Jazz vs. Mavericks (-2.5) | Dallas leads series, 3-2

More NBA postseason reading:

Zach LaVine to Miss Game 5: The Bulls face elimination against the Bucks on the road without their All-Star guard, who entered health and safety protocols on Tuesday.

There’s Hope Donovan Mitchell Plays Game 6: Utah’s All-Star left Monday’s game early with an injury that was revealed to be bi-lateral quadriceps contusions. He’s day-to-day with his team staring down an elimination game on the road.

It’s Time to Have the James Harden Conversation: The 76ers’ midseason trade acquisition has not performed up to the level he did in Houston and Philadelphia needs him to with MVP finalist Joel Embiid not 100% healthy.

2022 NFL Draft Prep

The league’s biggest offseason event begins Thursday night in Las Vegas and there’s still a whole lot of unknowns. Unlike in some recent years in which the No. 1 pick was virtually decided when the draft order was set in January, there’s no clear top prospect and debate has swirled about what the Jaguars will do with their second consecutive first overall pick.

You can consult any number of mock drafts (including Albert Breer’s Mock Draft 5.0) to get an idea of what teams are thinking and how SI’s insiders expect the first round to unfold.

Our Frankie Taddeo took a unique approach to mapping out the first 32 picks. He used betting odds to inform his selections 1-32. Read his mock here.

John Locher/AP

There are a slew of options to wager on at SI Sportsbook:

Who will go No. 1? Travon Walker (-222), Aidan Hutchinson (+200) or does Jacksonville go with an offensive tackle to protect Trevor Lawrence and scoop up Ikem Ekwonu (+400)?

How about the first quarterback off the board? Malik Willis (-152), Kenny Pickett (+150) or a longshot like Desmond Ridder (+1000)?

You can also bet on the over/under for the number of players at each position to go in the first round and what position each team’s first first-round pick will be.

More NFL Draft reading:

Over/Under on First-Round Defensive Players: The line for defensive players to be drafted in the first 32 picks is set at 15.5—should you bet over or under that total?

Where Will the Top Tackles Go?: Ekwonu and Evan Neal are the most likely offensive linemen to come off the board first, but how long will they last?

Best Fantasy Landing Spots for Rookie Pass Catchers: First-year receivers have made massive impacts early on in recent years. So which destinations could set up Garrett Wilson, Drake London and Jameson Williams to succeed?

In Other News

MLB Power Rankings: The White Sox took a dive, the Mariners are on the rise and the Dodgers, Mets and Giants round out the top three teams in the latest SI power rankings.

Christian Kirk Talks Lawrence Ahead of Draft: The Jaguars’ marquee offseason addition at wide receiver spoke with SI’s Jen Piacenti about what he’s excited for in his first season in Jacksonville.

49ers GM ‘Can’t Envision’ Deebo Samuel Trade: John Lynch has no plans on getting rid of the uber-talented Samuel after his breakout season, despite Samuel’s recent trade request.

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Thank you for reading Winners Club! I’ll be back on Monday. Enjoy the draft and the rest of your weekend.