NBA, NHL Playoff Brackets

The NBA Playoffs start this weekend and the NHL Playoffs started yesterday, so I've updated the MDS Model to pick both brackets! This year the NHL format has been altered slightly, as it is no longer reseeded.

The West is stacked. Which means that unfortunately, we have a lot of predicted top matchups (per the model, rankings are over the entire NBA) before the Finals:

1st round: #2 LAC vs #4 GS, #5 HOU vs #6 POR

2nd round: #2 LAC vs #3 OKC, #1 SA vs #5 HOU

Conference Finals: #1 SA vs #2 LAC (in contrast with #10 MIA vs #12 IND)

We all know the Heat don't turn it on until the Playoffs though... But I think one of SA/LAC/OKC takes them out this year. That's a spite pick, but the math backs it.

Well, there it is.