NBA Picks

Boston checks every box to be a market darling in Game 2 – they’ve been dominant against the number down the backstretch of the regular season, they’re at home, they are a name brand side with pedigree, and they just beat Philadelphia by 32 in Game One. The key isn’t whether Boston is better, they clearly are. The question is whether backing them here is going with the best of it. I dare say it is not. Blowouts like Game One tend to distort expectations, but they rarely carry over cleanly into the next game. Adjustments are made, urgency increases, and the trailing team typically responds with a more controlled and concerted effort.

Philadelphia, despite being the last team into the playoff field via the play-in route, now plays with a clearer objective: stabilize, compete, and try to even the series. That alone tends to reduce volatility and limit extreme outcomes. Boston’s strength is efficiency and structure, not necessarily relentless margin-building. They are a team that likes to lean into defense and make smart plays. When games normalize, their style doesn’t always support covering inflated numbers like this repeatedly. After Game 1, the Celtics, even at this price, look too easy, and that’s exactly the problem. When that transpires, the value almost always sits with the other side, even if it appears otherwise. In this case, it’s Sixers or nothing. Take the points.

76ers vs Celtics prediction: 76ers +13.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +13.

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The San Antonio Spurs opened the series with a convincing 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, covering the 12.5-point spread in Game 1 behind a dominant showing from Victor Wembanyama. The rookie star delivered 35 points in his playoff debut, controlling the game on both ends with efficient scoring and rim protection that disrupted Portland’s offensive rhythm. Despite the final margin, the Blazers had stretches where they competed effectively, led by Deni Avdija, who posted a strong 30-point, 10-rebound performance, while Scoot Henderson added secondary scoring. However, Portland’s struggles from beyond the arc and inability to sustain runs ultimately allowed San Antonio to pull away, highlighting the Spurs’ depth and shot-making advantage.

Heading into Game 2, the betting market provides an intriguing shift. The line once again opened at Spurs -12.5 but has since moved slightly toward Portland, settling around -11.5. That movement suggests some confidence in the Blazers’ ability to adjust and compete more effectively this time around. While San Antonio has clearly shown it can elevate its play in the postseason, covering large spreads in back-to-back games is rarely straightforward. Portland has already demonstrated it can hang around for stretches, and with improved perimeter shooting and better control of turnovers, they should be able to keep this game more competitive. Ultimately, while the Spurs remain the superior team and are likely to maintain control of the series, the margin feels less secure in this specific spot. Playoff adjustments, potential shooting regression from Game 1, and the slight line movement all point toward a tighter contest. Portland may not have enough to steal a win, but the Trail Blazers are positioned to stay within striking distance for much of the game and avoid another lopsided result.

Trail Blazers vs Spurs prediction: Trail Blazers +11.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +10.5.

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Will Kevin Durant play? That is the most important question going into Game 2. After bumping knees with a teammate in warm-ups last week, KD opted to sit out the series opener as he just wasn’t feeling right. Without him, the Rockets’ offense just looked discombobulated, despite taking 27 (!!!) shots more than the Lakers and out-rebounding them 44-35 (and 21-3 on offense), Houston just couldn’t do much even against a shorthanded Lakers team. Game 2 is massive for them now, as going down 2-0 would mean they’d need to win 4 of the next 5, which would be extremely tough. Is it time to hit the panic button after just one game?

The Lakers played an extremely efficient brand of basketball on offense, at least from a shot selection perspective. They ended the game shooting 61% from the field and 53% from three, with Luke Kennard leading the way, scoring 27 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from downtown. LA did turn the ball over 18 times which is concerning, but then again with only LeBron and Marcus Smart being able to play make on offense that’s not really surprising. Speaking of LeBron, he ended the game with 13 assists, doing his best Magic Johnson impression in Luka’s absence. I do not anticipate the Lakers changing things up all that much for Game 2, realistically what can they even change with their two best players being out?

KD playing or not makes all the difference here. With two days in between Games 1 and 2 one would think he would have enough time to fully recover. Houston has the experience of winning in LA, having done so earlier this season in the lone meeting at Crypto.com Arena. This is a must-win situation as it can be after just one game played for a team and I think Ime Udoka and his men respond. Give me Houston to cover.

Rockets vs Lakers prediction: Rockets -4.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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After holding serve and winning the opening two games, the Cavaliers are now looking to deliver the knockout punch as they head to Canada for another date with the Raptors. You’d be hard-pressed to find any flaws in the team’s performances through the first two games, as Cleveland never trailed in Game 2 in what was a wire-to-wire victory. With the series now switching to Canada for the next two games, things could get a lot more interesting. The oddsmakers still view the Cavs as slight favorites, even though history tells us it’s been difficult for them to get results there. Over the past 14 visits, they’ve got just 4 wins at Scotiabank Arena, plus they finished the regular season covering only once in 5 road games.

Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett showed up for the Raptors in Game 2, combining for 48 points, while Brandon Ingram was a no-show with just 7 points on 3-for-15 shooting and 5 turnovers. It’s been a struggle for the former Laker so far in this series, so maybe a change of scenery helps him bounce back in Game 3? During the regular season he averaged 3.8 ppg more and shot 4.6% better from the field and 8% better from three in home games. Getting Immanuel Quickley back from his hamstring injury would also be helpful, as Toronto really missed his 16.4 ppg on offense. Quickley also averaged 6.3 assists per game in 3 meetings with the Cavs during the regular season, having him handling the ball would do wonders for head coach Darko Rajakovic, who has struggled to put his main scorers in positions to score due to a lack of ball handlers available to him.

It’s now or never for the Raptors. I’m expecting a completely different game than the first 2 we watched in Cleveland. It’s hard to imagine a player of Ingram’s experience playing three consecutive bad games at this stage. Toronto has covered in 8 of 9 home games coming into this one, they’re also 10-4 SU in 14 home games vs the Cavs. Going down 3-0 would basically mean elimination, so let’s back the Raps to bounce back here. Toronto wins Game 3.

Cavaliers vs Raptors Game 3 prediction: Raptors ML (+125) available at time of publishing. Playable to +120.