For a Heat bunch who’ve struggled on the offensive end of floor, losing a reliable bucket-getting in Jimmy Butler (knee) figures to be the nail in their coffin. Chicago’s offense is riding high after connecting on 43 percent of their triples on Wednesday night, so we recommend backing the squad with more offensive firepower to claim the East’s No. 8 seed.

Although the Pelicans won’t have Zion Williamson (hamstring) available on Friday night, the Pels have had the Kings number all season long. New Orleans has been underdogs in all 5 of their matchups this season but still managed to win all 5 games outright. On January 7, the Pels down Williamson put together a 33-point victory over the healthy Kings. I’m backing the Pels to stay undefeated here.

The Bucks had a shaky finish to the season and they lost four of five meetings with Indiana this season. The Pacers’ chances will be boosted by the news that Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss out early in this series. His return could drag things out, but the Pacers should progress.

The Magic have all the tools to expose this Cavs side and they rank third defensively this term, which bodes well for the postseason. Cleveland lost 15 of their final 25 games this season, with their roster lacking cohesiveness and rumours swirling that star man Donovan Mitchell is heading for the exit. The pair split the regular season series 2-2, but that was before the Cavs fell apart in the run-in.

The Mavericks’ 16-2 run down the stretch proved they can be a postseason force. They’ve got the best backcourt in the West, while defensive upgrades in February have made them really hard to stop. The Mavs have become very efficient offensively in the back-half of the campaign and in Luka Doncic they boast a near unstoppable offensive force, alongside NBA champion Kyrie Irving.

The Knicks are great outsiders to win the Eastern Conference but backing them each-way for the title offers a better return. The Knicks were second in the regular season and they’ve improved since adding OG Anunoby midway through the campaign. The former Toronto Raptor has been on a title-winning roster, while he’s a solid postseason option and a defensive superstar. The Knicks have Jalen Brunson in the form of his life, so they’re fantastic outsiders to win the East.

The Timberwolves’ huge frontcourt is fancied to cause problems for a Suns side who lack the defensive options for a long postseason run. The Suns have struggled to impress in the last couple of playoff runs and they finished eight games behind a Timberwolves side who were the clear best side in the West before Karl-Anthony Towns went down with injury. With Towns back to fitness, back Minnesota to progress.

The Mavericks are flying right now and they meet an LA Clippers side who have gone cold. The Clippers roster is packed with players known for shrinking in the postseason and their star man Kawhi Leonard is an injury doubt.

The Bucks had a shaky finish to the season and they lost four of five meetings with Indiana this season. The Pacers’ chances will be boosted by the news that Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss out early in this series.

The Magic have all the tools to expose this Cavs side and they rank third defensively this term, which bodes well for the postseason. Cleveland lost 15 of their final 25 games this season, with their roster lacking cohesiveness and rumours swirling that star man Donovan Mitchell is heading for the exit.

Although the Pelicans won’t have Zion Williamson (hamstring) available on Friday night, the Pels have had the Kings number all season long. New Orleans has been underdogs in all 5 of their matchups this season but still managed to win all 5 games outright. On January 7, the Pels down Williamson put together a 33-point victory over the healthy Kings. I’m backing the Pels to stay undefeated here.