The second round of the NBA playoffs will continue with two games Wednesday.
The NBA playoffs record so far is 15-25-1. Odds are provided by Oddsshark.com.
Washington at Atlanta (-8)
The No. 1 seeds are back. At least that’s what oddsmakers are telling us.
The opening line for this game started out as -9.5 points in favor of the Hawks. Bettors have brought down that number, but the Hawks are still heavy favorites to go up 3-2.
I talked about this for game five and mentioned I just didn’t buy the Wizards being able to continue to play well without John Wall. Sure, they did it in game three. But to keep up that performance for multiple games against the No. 1 seed is just asking too much.
The Hawks, meanwhile, still haven’t impressed me much, giving me pause to to pick them giving so many points. However, the Wizards are done and Atlanta will play well in front of the home crowd. This game will be in double digits and the Hawks will enter game six with a 3-2 series lead. Pick – Atlanta
Memphis at Golden State (-9.5)
Many were wondering about Golden State’s toughness after losing two games in a row. Experts got their answer on how the Warriors would respond.
Game four wasn’t close. With Golden State needing a win, it showed why it won 67 games in the regular season. I still like Memphis, but I’m not sure it can score with the Warriors when they’re hitting on all cylinders.
This game feels like Golden State may blow out the Grizzlies. But I’m a little stubborn. The Grizzlies looked bad in game four and they won’t look the same in game five.
Golden State needs this game more than Memphis, but it should within single digits. If Golden State is at its peak, then Memphis won’t win this series or another game for that matter. I’m banking on the Warriors not shooting as well in game five, allowing the Grizzlies to stay close. Golden State will win, but it won’t be by 10 or more. Pick – Memphis
