Washington Wizards +6 -120 (44-38, 22-19 away) @ Chicago Bulls (48-34, 27-14 home)
(Wizards Lead Series 1-0)
I recommend a play on the Washington Wizards plus the points (+6) in the NBA Playoffs tonight. I like the Wiz again here as I feel they match up really well with the Bulls and they are getting too many points in this spot. The Bulls are a team that has trouble scoring and their offense can be down right ugly to watch at times. They really do not have a consistent perimeter scorer and that is a huge problem when facing the Wiz because they actually match up real well with the stellar front court of the Bulls, as we all saw in Game 1 of this series. I expect Tom Thibedeau to make some defensive adjustments because he is one of the best coaches in the league but he can’t play the game for his team out on the floor. I like the way the young legs of the Wiz can challenge the Bulls athletically and are not afraid to bang down low with them. The Wiz are peaking at the right time in my opinion and the Bulls are what they are. In the end their inability to get consistent buckets on the offensive end will be Chicago’s undoing. The Wiz have a chance at another upset here in Game 2 as I expect this game to come down to the last couple of possessions, which is why I am making the Washington Wizards plus the points (+6) one of my NBA Playoffs Plays of the Day.
Bulls 92 Wizards 90
Atlanta Hawks (38-44, 14-27 away) @ Indiana Pacers -7 (56-26, 35-6 home) O/U 187 points
(Hawks Lead Series 1-0)
I recommend a play on the Under (187 pts) in Game 2 of the Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers NBA Playoff game tonight. I will not over react to what we saw in Game 1 of this series where the Hawks looked absolutely unstoppable on offense and the Pacers looked like a high school JV squad. I expect an inspired effort from the Pacers with their backs against the wall and with that inspired effort I expect a much improved defensive performance. I look for Frank Vogel to make adjustments to the defense of the Pacers to slow down Teague and control the Hawks bigs of Milsap and Antic. The Pacers are not a very good scoring team and they especially aren’t in the last few months so I am not too worried about them running away with this game. I also expect the Hawks to play tough and continue to play the Pacers physically on the defensive end. All of these factors make me believe this will be a low scoring game, which is why I am making the Under (187 pts) in Game 2 of the Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers NBA Playoff game one of my NBA Playoffs Plays of the Day.
Pacers 93 Hawks 85