NBA Playoffs Round 2 Betting Preview

Round 1 of the NBA playoffs is now done, which means we are down to just 8 teams with a chance of being crowned champion. The second round has delivered a few interesting match-ups, as well as a couple that look like total miss-matches. This is the playoffs, though, and anything can happen, so let’s take a look at each of the 4 pro hoops odds series to see if we can figure out which 4 teams will be battling it out for their respective Conference titles.

NBA Playoffs Round 2 Betting Preview

Atlanta Hawks Vs Cleveland Cavaliers

This one is a repeat of last season’s Eastern Conference Final, which the Cavaliers ended up winning in 4 straight games. While last year was a bit of a fairy tale season for the Hawks, this season has been a lot more of what we have come to expect from them in recent years. They came in as the 4th seed, took out the Celtics in 6, but now look as though they have gone as far as they can go. The Cavaliers were routinely lambasted for under performing in the regular season, but they look like a team on a mission in the playoffs. They have won their opening 5 games, including the first in this series, and look like the team to beat in the East. Our Pick: Cavaliers in 5

Miami Heat Vs Toronto Raptors

Both of these teams will be looking for a speedier passage through to the next round after both saw their Round 1 series go the full 7 games. The Heat did well to dig themselves out of a 3-2 hole in their series versus the Charlotte Hornets, while the Raptors were pushed a whole lot harder by the Indiana Pacers than most people expected. Since the LeBron era ended in Miami, the Raptors have won 5 of 7 against the Heat, which suggests they should win this series. Our Pick: Raptors in 6

Golden State Warriors Vs Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are perhaps the surprise team of the playoffs so far, but their advance to the second round comes with a bit of an asterisk attached. Yes, they knocked off the LA Clippers in 6, but they did so against a team that had lost Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to injury. The Warriors have the health of Stephen Curry to worry about, but they can probably sit him out this series and still comfortably win. After all, the Warriors have won 6 of their last 7 meetings versus Portland. Our Pick: Warriors in 4

Oklahoma City Thunder Vs San Antonio Spurs

There is no doubt about it, this is the marquee match-up of the second round, and a repeat of the 2014 Western Conference Final, which the Spurs won in 6. Both teams breezed through their opening round series, but both also know this is going to be a much bigger battle. The Thunder stole Game 2 in San Antonio to tie the series at 1-1, but there was some controversy, as officials admitted they missed a call that would have resulted in the Spurs getting the win. You get the sense that the fireworks are just warming up in this one. Our Pick: Spurs in 7