Saturday Showdown in the 2007 NBA Playoffs

Six beasts from the East will start their march for the 2007 NBA title while two teams from the West begin the playoffs' wild western shootout.

Yep, the 2007 NBA Playoffs begin Saturday as the first round of four best-of-seven wars kick off. For all ya'll living under a rock lately, yep, it's late April and that's the time of the year when we decide who will be the next NBA world champions. (I'm betting, it will no longer be that stupid team in Florida...)

Let's start at the top, and the top of the order is... (drum roll please...) Deeetroooit Baaaskeeetbaaall... Yes, the Detroit Pistons come in the 2007 NBA Playoffs at the top once again. They have secured the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and they will face the No.8 seed Orlando Magic.

This is a series between two teams who had opposite starts into the season. The Pistons started the 2006-07 NBA season 3-5 while Orlando started 13-4. Yep, the Orlando Magic was... um... MAGICAL then. Lo and behold, it's April and the Magic barely made it to the postseason. WINNER? Of course, PISTONS.

Next, we have the surprising Toronto Raptors with the No.3 seed, facing ex-Raptor Vince Carter and the No.6 seed New Jersey Nets. VC was the heart and soul of the Raptors as he brought showtime NBA basketball to that side of the border. After a handful of miserable seasons together, both VC and Toronto moved on in separate ways, both trying to rebuild on the time they had together.

Sounds like your generic soap opera huh? Now, Vince Carter is no longer expected to carry a team by his lonesome as he is surrounded by two other teammates, each capable of carrying a team while the Toronto Raptors is no longer a one-man show after creating this band of young and talented superstars led by Chris Bosh and T.J. Ford. The WINNER? I'm betting VC with his new teammates, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson will just be too much for VC's former colleagues. WINNER? The New Jersey Nets.

The pathetic No.4 seed Miami Heat will visit the No.5 seed Chicago Bulls. Despite being the higher seeded team, Miami lost the homecourt advantage to technical mumbo-jumbo only NBA Commissioner David Stern can understand.

Oh yeah, Ben Wallace (you're still my boy Ben...) will cream the stupid Miami Heat. And that's that. WINNER? BULLS.

Last but not the least, the No.4 seed Utah Jazz will visit Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and the rest of the No.5 seed Houston Rockets in Texas. Again, just like Miami, Utah lost the homecourt advantage to technical mumbo-jumbo only NBA Commissioner David Stern can understand.

Of course, the Houston Rockets have this one in the bag. Who will they guard Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady with? Kirilenko? Puh-lease... ROCKETS win in SWEEP-ing fashion.

Who will win the 2007 NBA Championship? Here are some odds from Bodog:

Chicago Bulls 7/1

Detroit Pistons 9/1

Dallas Mavericks 7/2

Miami Heat 4/1 (boo!)

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for more NBA basketball odds and the best betting lines on some of today's biggest sporting events.

2007 NBA Playoffs Detroit Pistons