2017 NBA Playoffs Wining Picks For 2nd Round Series
Posted by Eric Williams on Wednesday,April 26, 2017 2:45, EDT in
With a couple of first round NBA playoff series already complete and the conference semifinals set to get underway on May 1, basketball bettors need to know which teams are offering the best value in their expected second round series matchups.
No worries, I’ve got you covered with some fun-filled winning NBA betting picks for each expected second round series matchup. Now, let’s get started.
A Closer Look At The 2017 NBA Playoffs Wining Picks For 2nd Round Series
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Boston vs. No. 4 Washington
Right now, the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards are locked in identical 2-2 ties in their respective first round series matchups, but I’m expecting both teams to win and advance against their lower-seeded conference rivals.
When the C’s and Wizards do meet in the second round, you should expect a knock-down, drag-out thriller of a series that I’m expecting, barring any unforeseen injuries to key players, to go the full distance seeing a how these two title hopefuls are very evenly matched. The C’s and Wiz split their four regular season meetings both, SU and ATS with the home team winning each contest. For their semifinal series matchup, I’m going to urge you to back the Celtics to win and advance in seven difficult games, although I will admit that, prior to the postseason, I had the Wizards reaching the conference finals.
Right now however, Boston is coming together and playing excellent basketball after dropping their first two games at home against Chicago while Washington has been humbled a bit in dropping games 3 and 4 against feisty Atlanta. I like the Celtics to reach the conference final by using their ‘smarter’ brand of basketball to beat a Wizards team that I more explosive offensively, but not nearly a good at the other end of the floor.
Pick: Boston in 7
No. 3 Toronto vs. No. 2 Cleveland
I’ve been really impressed with how the Toronto Raptors have fought back from their stunning 2-1 series deficit against upstart Milwaukee to take a 3-2 series lead heading into Thursday night’s Game 6 road date. While I expect Toronto to eventually dispatch the Bucks, likely in seven games, no matter how hard I look for ways the Raptors can potentially beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, I just can’t find them.
Cleveland beat Toronto three times in four regular season meetings while covering the spread in each victory. Going back to their Eastern Conference Finals matchup from last season, the Cavaliers have gone 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games against the Raptors and that tells me the Cavs will bounce the Raptors out of the postseason for the second straight year.
Pick: Cleveland in 5
Western Conference
No. 1 Golden State vs. No. 5 Utah
The Utah Jazz have looked mostly phenomenal in outplaying the higher-seeded Los Angeles Clippers as they currently hold a 3-2 series edge heading back home for Game 6 on Thursday night, but there’s no way the offensively-challenged Jazz will be able to keep up Steph Curry and the explosive Golden State Warriors when they meet in the second round.
The Dubs won two of three against the Jazz this season while covering the spread as double-digit favorites in both victories. Utah leads the league in points allowed, but they also struggle mightily to score the ball and that alone will spell doom for the Jazz, even though I have to tip my hat to them for their outstanding campaign.
Pick: Golden State in 5
No. 3 Houston vs. No. 2 San Antonio
The Spurs have a 3-2 series lead over the Grizzlies as they head back to Memphis for Game 6 on Thursday night and while I expect them to win and advance in even games, I’m also thinking the winner of their first round matchup could be in trouble against James Harden and the Houston Rockets.
I know the Spurs beat the Rockets three times in four meetings during the regular season, but three of the four meetings this season were decided by six points or less with two of them being decided by an identical two points. The Spurs will have home court advantage and that could be the deciding factor against Houston, but I’m going to urge you to go against popular opinion and the series betting odds to back the Rockets for the upset.
Houston has a plethora of consistent shooters while San Antonio is getting the vast majority of its offensive production from Kawhi Leonard, first and foremost and aging point guard Tony Parker second. Sure, Houston’s defense leaves a lot to be desired, but the Rockets can score the ball better than any team in the league outside of Golden State and I believe it is that kind of scoring ability that will propel them past the Spurs in the second round.
Pick: Houston in 6
