The second round of the NBA playoffs will continue with two games Sunday.
The NBA playoffs record so far is 14-23-1. Odds are provided by Oddsshark.com.
Atlanta at Washington (+4)
Oddsmakers continue to doubt Washington, but the Wizards keep proving them wrong.
After dropping game two, the Wizards picked up a clutch shot from Paul Pierce and grabbed a game three victory, despite pretty much everyone doubting them without John Wall.
Wall isn’t likely returning anytime soon, so the Wizards will need more Pierce and emerging Otto Porter to dispose of the No. 1 seed Hawks.
Atlanta, on the other hands, just hasn’t been the same during the last part of the season and in the playoffs. It took six games for Atlanta to defeat Brooklyn, and now the Hawks couldn’t get past a team missing their best player.
Despite all those things going against the Hawks, I just can’t pull the trigger on the Wizards without Wall for a second consecutive game. The reason why oddsmakers continue to put the Hawks out in front is because the Wizards are just not the same without the All-Star point guard. Pick – Atlanta
Golden State at Memphis (+5)
I told you I liked Memphis.
The Grizzlies are just better than what experts believe. And this series just got a lot more interesting.
Golden State just can’t match up with the Grizzlies’ front court. I’m surprised that wasn’t a storyline before this series began, but in playoff basketball, quality big men are still a valuable resource.
When a team relies on jump shots, even if it tallied a league-leading amount of points in the regular season, it usually doesn’t result in success in the playoffs.
The Warriors aren’t doomed. Game four is a perfect opportunity for Golden State to take back home court advantage. I believe Golden State will this one, but it will be close. I’m not as confident in this pick as I have been in previous picks involving the Grizzlies, but I’m going with Memphis to cover the five points, but lose straight up. Pick – Memphis
