The momentum of three of the four second-round series seems to be going one way only. If we only look at the current games, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see betting odds head towards the Golden State Warriors, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, is it really that bad to go for the underdogs? The Washington Wizards, the Toronto Raptors and the Utah Jazz all have solid rosters that could pull out live betting upsets. The question now is whether you will bet online for them.
Boston Celtics @ Washington Wizards (May 5, 08:00 GMT+8)
The Wizards return home after losing twice to an inspired Celtics squad. However, they haven’t lost a game against the Celtics in their season series. They also didn’t concede a single home game during their first-round series against Atlanta.
I expect this game to be another tight game that Washington should be able to win. John Wall will always be there to nullify Isaiah Thomas’ production, and the rest of the roster will be more comfortable playing at home. Washington Wizards -6.00 @ 2.04 is not a bad punt to make if you’re expecting a long series between the two teams.
Utah Jazz @ Golden State Warriors (May 5, 10:30 GMT+8)
The Warriors were ahead of the Jazz by more than 15 points for the majority of Game 1 with terrific team basketball coming from Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. It’s not that hard to expect another win for the Dubs and go to Utah with a nice 2-0 series lead.
We can be sure that Utah won’t just roll over and give them the W easily, though. Expect Gordon Hayward to try and trade blows with Kevin Durant on the wings. Defensive adjustments will also mean Rudy Gobert and George Hill will try to clog the lanes and provide more help defence. I think this game will be a closer one, so punters shouldn’t hesitate to look at +12.00 for 2.02 for the Jazz.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Toronto Raptors (May 6, 07:00 GMT+8)
The Raptors were completely at the mercy of the Cavs without DeMar DeRozan’s shooting. While Dwane Casey is complaining about LeBron James’ “superstar calls”, we can expect him to try and shuffle the defensive assignments to get the Akron native off his game.
With the Raptors finally at home, expect the players and the crowd to come full force for Cleveland. Maybe the change of scenery is just what DeRozan needs to get his contested shot attempts to go in.
San Antonio Spurs @ Houston Rockets (May 6, 09:30 GMT+8)
This is the most difficult series to call with both teams snagging a win at San Antonio.
We can expect the usual, of course: there will be fantastic offence from James Harden and the trigger-happy Rockets while the seasoned Spurs roster will try to combat that with their trademark brand of passing basketball.
The question now lies on the star players. Will James Harden recover from his appalling Game 2 performance? Or will Kawhi Leonard bend him to his will and get a win for the Spurs?
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
