Now that we have made it further into the conference semifinals, you may be wondering how to bet the rest of the way in the four series underway: Cleveland-Atlanta (1-0), Toronto-Miami (0-0), Golden State-Portland (1-0) and San Antonio-Oklahoma City (1-1). Let’s take a look at some NBA betting predictions before we end up in the conference finals.
More NBA Betting Predictions for the Playoffs Second Round
Steven Adams could be the difference for Oklahoma City
The Spurs ran Oklahoma City out of the gym in Game 1 — and then they lost in Game 2. One reason was the fact that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook weren’t ice cold like they were in the opener, but another reason was the 17 rebounds that Adams pulled down. While the Spurs did have their best season ever (keyed in large part by the addition of LaMarcus Aldridge), the truth is that they do have an age issue on the inside that a center like Adams can exploit. If Adams can keep a presence inside, the Thunder have a real shot at a series win.
The Trail Blazers could win this series.
I know, most of the prognosticators have the Warriors winning this series in four or five games. Remember how much better the Trail Blazers played the Clippers after the series moved to Oregon? The Warriors’ Game 1 win was not nearly as dominant as what the Clippers did — and Portland beat the Clippers in Game 3 with Paul and Griffin still on the floor. If Portland can sneak out of Golden State with a Game 2 win, even with Curry potentially returning in Game 3, this series could get interesting. Remember that Portland beat Golden State (with Curry) by 32 in Portland during the regular season.
Watch Kyle Lowry’s elbow.
This talented guard from Toronto has seen his shooting motion suffer during the playoffs because of an elbow ailment. DeMar DeRozan put the team on his back in Game 7, and if Lowry can get back in sync, he and DeRozan could run roughshod over the Heat. Toronto’s defense is much better than Charlotte’s, but the key is whether the Raptors have one or two real scoring threats from the guard position. It will be a lot easier for the Heat to shut down DeRozan with Lowry limited than it will be for them to have to deal with both All-Star guards at the same time.
Don’t buy the Hawk hype.
I predicted yesterday that the Cavaliers would sweep Atlanta, and I stand by that prediction. The Cavaliers are in the Hawks’ heads on both ends of the floor, and blowing that fourth quarter lead in Game 1 is just going to drive that spike further into the Hawks’ collective confidence. Atlanta has a talented roster, but they don’t match up well with Cleveland, and it’s getting clearer with every passing game that they don’t believe they can win.
