The New Orleans Pelicans made it be known on Saturday that they plan to give the Portland Trail Blazers a run for their money in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Pelicans pulled off the upset in the first game of the series and could take a commanding lead by knocking off Portland on the road once again.
However, the Blazers will be favored to knot things up at 1, which would set up a series that could go as long as seven games. These two teams look pretty evenly matched and this should be one of the most competitive series in the NBA playoffs.
The Trail Blazers will undoubtedly be hyper focused as they know the damage that another home loss can cause in their quest to advance into the second of the postseason in NBA gambling odds.
Game 2 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The contest will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The Trail Blazers are listed as 6.5-point favorites in Game 2 despite losing the first game of this series. The Pelicans are getting more than 57 percent of the action as most of the betting public believes this spread is too high.
The scoring total is listed at 214 points, after the first game of the series was very low-scoring. Despite that, nearly 85 percent of the action is on the “over.”
The Trail Blazers are listed at -290 favorites on the moneyline. The Pelicans are +237 underdogs and New Orleans is getting more than 66 percent of the action there. Another upset would pay out similarly to the Game 1 win by New Orleans.
Last Time Out
In Game 1 of this series, the Pelicans captured a narrow victory over the Trail Blazers, winning 97-95 in Portland. Anthony Davis had 35 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks for New Orleans in the win.
Jrue Holiday added 21 points for the Trail Blazers. The Pelicans were led by CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, who finished with 19 points and 18 points, respectively.
New Orleans led by as many as 19 points before the Trail Blazers came clawing back. They closed the gap, but didn’t have quite enough steam for a comeback at the end of the contest.
Player To Watch
Damian Lillard -- Portland’s best player did not do well in the first game of the series. He shot just 6-of-23 from the field, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Lillard is one of the best scorers in the NBA but he is reliant on his outside shot, and it wasn’t falling consistently in Game 1. He did hit 4-of-9 from three-point range and a repeat performance of that would be welcomed, but Lillard needs to get more efficient from the field.
Look for Lillard to bounce back in Game 2, and if he does so Portland should have a good shot at evening the series at one game apiece.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Blazers may have finished as the No. 3 seed in the West but they really aren’t much better than any of the teams below them in the standings. The Pelicans proved that in Game 1 and should remain competitive in this contest.
The Blazers almost rallied for the win in Game 1 and should be able to even the series here in Game 2. However, it’s going to be a close game until the very end. Take the Pelicans to cover the spread once again in NBA basketball betting lines.
This game should be much higher-scoring than the first game, with Portland doing a better job of dictating the pace. Take the “over” in this matchup,
NBA ATS Pick: Trail Blazers 112, Pelicans 108
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