The three underdogs to go up 1-0 in their respective series will all be back in action this Wednesday, the 19th of March as the 2017 NBA Playoffs continue. We take a look at all three games and give our NBA Playoffs Betting Tips for each below.
Milwaukee Bucks at Toronto Raptors (9am AEST)
The Bucks captured an inspiring 97-83 win over the Raptors on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the series before another game in Toronto on Wednesday. The win might have been an upset, but it would have hardly come as a surprise to most avid Raptors fans, who have only seen their franchise win one game-one in their 22-year history. The Raptors have made a habit of losing game ones in the past and only last year they managed to overcome their hoodoo of losing in the first round in five straight playoffs appearances.
As expected, the Bucks relied heavily upon Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the win as the 6’11 small forward poured in 28 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. While he has had an outstanding season worthy of all NBA contention, his playoff pedigree is highly unproven, and producing another effort like that could be difficult in his second straight road game. I like the Raptors to square the ledger here and so do the bookies, but the line is just a little too high for my liking so we’ll take the Bucks to cover.
TIP: Milwaukee +7.5 - $1.95 at Sportsbet
Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (10am AEST)
Young gun Bobby Portis was the story of the game as the Bulls took a 1-0 lead over the Celtics in Boston on Monday. The power forward exploded for 19 points and was a perfect second fiddle to Jimmy Butler as the Celtics had no answer to the Bulls rebounding pressure. Chicago racked up 23 second chance points and out-rebounded the Celtics 53-36 in the game to win as underdogs.
Isaiah Thomas tried his best in the loss, pouring in 33 points on 10-18 shooting just one day after the tragic loss of his younger sister in a car accident. The Celts will need more from their supporting cast if they want to level the series here, particularly a much better rebounding effort from their bigs in Al Horford and Amir Johnson. It’s been the Celtics Achilles heel all year, and the likes of Portis and Robin Lopez were able to exploit it Monday. Although it’s probably not something you can fix on the fly, I do think the Celtics should level the series here, as the Bulls uncharacteristic 3pt shooting kept them in the games at times, expect that to drop off.
TIP: Boston to win 1-10 - $2.70 at Ladbrokes
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers
After a thrilling game one win which saw veteran Joe Johnson add yet another shot to his already long list of clutch game winners, the Jazz will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead before they head back to Utah. However, they’ll have to do it without their star centre, Rudy Gobert, who suffered a knee injury in the first possession of game one in LA. At this stage, Gobert has only been ruled out for game two, meaning he could make a return later in the series, but for now, he’s out, meaning the Jazz will have an uphill battle ahead of them.
Although the Jazz were able to fight out all of game one without him and still come away with the win, you’d think a coach as experienced as Doc Rivers will relish the two days of preparation time knowing the defensive juggernaut is out. Chris Paul was at his dominant best, with 25 points and 11 assists in the win while Gordon Hayward was the shining light for the Jazz with 19 points and 10 rebounds. I like all three home teams to level their respected series here, but this one seems the surest bet in the absence of Gobert.
TIP: Los Angeles to win 1-10 - $2.65 at Ladbrokes
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