NBA Playoffs Betting Picks: Game 2 Matches to Wager On

As the first round of the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, every night is full of exciting playoff action. Tuesday, April 19th will be another one of those nights, as we’ll see three first-round matchups. Game 2 of a series could be pivotal because if the road team sneaks away with a victory, it negates the home-court advantage. In one of the three games, the road team already has a victory, as Minnesota defeated Memphis in Game 1. In the other two, the home team won, as Miami defeated Atlanta, and Phoenix defeated New Orleans.

Here now is a preview of each of the three Tuesday night games that you should bet against the NBA Playoffs Odds.

Hawks v Heat, Timberwolves v Grizzlies, Pelicans v Suns : Who Will Win Game 2 of the Series?

Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat

The Heat controlled Trae Young, holding the Atlanta star to a playoff-low 8 points in a 115-91 blowout victory. The Heat’s defense was the story in this one, as not only did they slow Young down, but they also held the Hawks to just 91 points. The return of Bam Adebayo for the Heat was a big spark to their defense, as Adebayo can guard anyone on the floor.

Jimmy Butler looked like the version of Jimmy Butler that we saw when he led the Heat to the NBA Finals in the bubble. Butler looked inspired, and his energy and toughness seemed to spark the Heat.

We’ll see if Miami can bottle Young up again, or if the young superstar will come back strong and make this one a battle in Game 2.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Memphis Grizzlies

Minnesota came to Memphis and took care of business in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series. Anthony Edwards was a star in his first playoff game as he scored 36 points to lead the Timberwolves to victory. Karl-Anthony Towns wasn’t too shabby himself, as he scored 29.

This series is going to be a battle of two offensive teams. We should continue to see high-scoring battles between the two. Ja Morant scored 32 for Memphis in Game 1. Memphis can’t afford to go into Minnesota down 0-2, so we should see an inspired Grizzlies team on their home floor on Tuesday night.

New Orleans Pelicans @ Phoenix Suns

The grizzled veteran, Chris Paul, came to play in Game 1. He became the oldest player in playoff history to score 30 points and have 10 assists, as he and Devin Booker, who scored 25 points, led the Suns to a 110-99 victory.

Phoenix saw New Orleans make a furious comeback in the fourth, but Paul crushed any hopes of a New Orleans win with a 17-point 4th quarter to lead the Suns to a win. Phoenix scored 31 points in the 4th, and Paul scored or assisted on 23 of them.

If the Suns continue to play the stellar defense that they played throughout Game 1, they should be able to take care of the Pelicans in four games. There are still rumors floating around that Zion Williamson could make an appearance in this series for the Pelicans, but we don’t think he’ll play, and even if he does, it won’t be enough for New Orleans to beat the Suns.