Randy Wittman on the good ole days:

“We did everything together… It’s a different… There was no social media or Nintendo or whatever games that they play… Asteroids or whatever. So you did things together, you went out to dinner together, you didn’t sit in a room.”

As game time encroaches upon our humble, #SoWizards lives, there is an uncertain excitement in the air. No one—not fans, not coachers, not players—knows what’s going to play out once that ball is tossed in the air. Sports, y’all.

So, as sports tend to go, we are contractually obliged to throw out predictions that absolutely no one will really hold us to. Let’s go…

TAI Staff Predictions

Conor Dirks (@ConorDDirks): I can show you the world. Shining, shimmering splendid. Tell me, readers, now when did you last let the second half of a Pacers season decide? Wizards in 6. No one to tell us no, say we’re only dreaming, John Wall, etc.

Adam McGinnis (@AdamMcGinnis): Sorry to the Lady Gaga Monster fans who hate basketball, but the Wizards close this out over the hapless Pacers in six games. Then, before the Heat and Wizards Eastern Conference Finals, it will be revealed that Team President Ernie Grunfeld has been granted a life time contract.

Adam Rubin (@LedellsPlace): Washington in 6. The Wizards can do exactly what the Hawks did, just with better players.

Dan Diamond (@ddiamond): Washington in 6. I can’t believe I just wrote that.

Rashad Mobley (@Rashad20): Pacers in 7. The Wizards have had a fine season, but the Pacers are one step closer to the Miami Heat—the only team that brings the confident gene out of them.

Sean Fagan (@McCarrick): Wizards in 6. Pandas fly, dolphins do algebra and Lance Stephenson spontaneously implodes after Otto Porter blocks his shot.

John Converse Townsend (@JohnCTownsend): The Washington Wizards, today, are a better basketball team than the Indiana Pacers. (That will still be true two weeks from now.) Wiz Kids in 7.

Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It): I said Wizards in 6 as my initial prediction on a Pacers podcast on Sunday afternoon, and I said the same thing on D.C.’s 106.7 The Fan with Chad Dukes on Monday afternoon. Seems worth sticking to.

[Michael Ruffin jersey bro outside of the Verizon Center – via instagram.com/truthaboutit]

ODDLY, ODDS

Las Vegas odds (via @BovadaLV) assigned a +170 payout and 17/10 odds to the Wizards against the Bulls in Round 1, essentially meaning that the Wizards had a 37 percent chance to win and if someone put down $100, legally, on Washington to take the series, they would have won $170 (so, a $270 payout).

Round 2 versus Indiana, it seems, isn’t much different. The Wizards are given a slightly better chance to win (38%) and the payout on a $100 bet would be $260. Find the full run-down via BovadaLV below.

NBA CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS – SERIES PRICES

Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers

Washington Wizards +160 (8/5)
Indiana Pacers -180 (5/9)

Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards – Exact Series Result

Indiana Pacers win 4-0                        17/2
Indiana Pacers win 4-1                          7/2
Indiana Pacers win 4-2                          4/1
Indiana Pacers win 4-3                          7/2
Washington Wizards win 4-0            20/1
Washington Wizards win 4-1               9/1
Washington Wizards win 4-2            11/2
Washington Wizards win 4-3            11/2

Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards – Total Games in Series

4 Games          6/1
5 Games          5/2
6 Games          7/4
7 Games           7/4

John Wall – Average Second Round Points Per Game
Over/Under 18½

John Wall – Average Second Round Assists Per Game
Over/Under 8

Bradley Beal – Average Second Round Points Per Game
Over/Under 16½

Marcin Gortat – Average Second Round Points Per Game 
Over/Under 11½

Marcin Gortat – Average Second Round Rebounds Per Game
Over/Under 9

Paul George – Average Second Round Points Per Game
Over/Under 22½

Paul George – Average Second Round Rebounds Per Game
Over/Under 8½

David West – Average Second Round Points Per Game
Over/Under 15

David West – Average Second Rebounds Per Game 
Over/Under 7

Lance Stephenson – Average Second Round Points Per Game
Over/Under 14

Lance Stephenson – Average Second Round Rebounds Per Game
Over/Under 7

George Hill – Average Second Round Points Per Game
Over/Under 10½

Roy Hibbert – Average Second Round Minutes Points Per Game
Over/Under 25½

Odds to win 2014 NBA Championship 

Miami Heat                                  7/5
San Antonio Spurs                     3/1
Oklahoma City Thunder           9/2
Los Angeles Clippers                 15/2
Indiana Pacers                            12/1
Brooklyn Nets                              16/1
Portland Trailblazers                25/1
Washington Wizards                25/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Eastern Conference     

Miami Heat                                1/3
Indiana Pacers                          11/2
Brooklyn Nets                             7/1
Washington Wizards               9/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs                    11/10
Oklahoma City Thunder          11/5
Los Angeles Clippers                3/1
Portland Trailblazers                9/1

2014 NBA Championship Exact Matchup         

Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs                           7/4
Miami Heat vs Oklahoma City Thunder                13/4
Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Clippers                      4/1
Miami Heat vs Portland Trailblazers                    12/1
Indiana Pacers vs San Antonio Spurs                    12/1
Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder         18/1
Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Clippers               25/1
Indiana Pacers vs Portland Trailblazers              60/1
Brooklyn Nets vs San Antonio Spurs                     15/1
Brooklyn Nets vs Oklahoma City Thunder          22/1
Brooklyn Nets vs Los Angeles Clippers                30/1
Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trailblazers                 75/1
Washington Wizards vs San Antonio Spurs               20/1
Washington Wizards vs Oklahoma City Thunder     30/1
Washington Wizards vs Los Angeles Clippers          28/1
Washington Wizards vs Portland Trailblazers         75/1