The start of the second round wasn’t great for Against The Chalk.
The first round of the NBA playoffs ended at 10-15-1, and with the Hawks and Grizzlies not covering in game one of their series, the second round started out on a sour note.
The NBA playoffs record so far is 10-17-1. Odds are provided by Oddsshark.com.
Chicago at Cleveland (-5)
Something tells me the Chicago Bulls will be ready to play in this one.
Sure, the Bulls weren’t ready in games four and five against the Bucks, but Chicago steamrolled Milwaukee when it mattered. Monday’s game against Cleveland matters.
The Cavs will have to work through some rust, and historically, Lebron hasn’t always been his best in game one of a series.
Try to forget about Chicago’s 0-3 record against the Cavs during the regular season when picking this one. When you forget about that record, try to remember that the Cavs will have to learn on the fly without Kevin Love. The cohesiveness with Love hasn’t always been there this season for the Cavs, but losing a key piece this late in the season could be a detriment to the team. Pick – Chicago
LA Clippers at Houston (-6)
The betting public is in love with Houston in game one.
The line began at -3.5 in favor of the Rockets, but now the line has moved to six points. The swing likely has plenty to do with the uncertainty of Chris Paul in game one.
Either way, this game is ripe for the Rockets to earn a blow out win. The Clippers are coming back from an emotional, seven-game series, where they exercised the demons from past playoff disappointments. Paul was even crying after game seven, providing an illustration of just how much that game meant to Paul and the Clippers.
There’s no way LA comes back to win this game. I won’t say the series will end in a Houston sweep, but you can take this one to the bank. Pick – Houston
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