NBA playoffs 2023: Which lower-seeded teams are best in first round?

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How many surprises can we anticipate in the opening round of the NBA playoffs...

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...this year now that the field has been set following the play-in tournament?

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Last year, all eight higher-seeded teams advanced before Round 2 of the bracket became erratic.

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That is a historical outlier, though. There have been an average of 1.5 upsets in the opening round each year,

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excluding the 2020 playoffs, which were held on neutral courts in the NBA bubble.

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However, the bottom four seeds in the West have accumulated such a large amount of playoff...

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...experience that it is unlikely that chalk will once again rule in the first round this year.

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The Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, are huge favorites at Caesars Sportsbook with a 71% chance to win the series,

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