Thursday’s two-game NBA Playoffs slate is sure to be another good one. TNT has the crucial doubleheader, featuring the Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers (8 p.m. EST) and Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 p.m. EST). Both home teams find themselves on the brink of elimination.
Well, last night was a colossal 0-4 failure; I placed too much faith in teams trying to save their season. Here are two more free NBA picks to get things back on track.
Table of contents
- Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers (-5) – Total: 227.5
- Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers (-2.5) – Total: 207.5
Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers (-5) – Total: 227.5
Alright, I just want to start out by saying that Damian Lillard could have cured cancer and COVID-19 all in one shot with that Game 5 performance. Holy Moses! Lillard was draining shots from literally everywhere on the court, and you’d have to expect him to have that same type of aggressiveness tonight.
It’s always tough to get into the mind of an NBA coach, but I would imagine Lillard starts drawing some ridiculous defensive coverages. In the past, that hasn’t always mattered, considering his shooting range is basically right over the 3-point line. Because of that, look for some of the other Trail Blazers to get some additional looks – Yeah, we’re looking at you, CJ McCollum!
The total on this game has dropped a whole point and, while it may not seem like much on the surface, it makes sense. After all, we just saw the two teams play a tightly contested double overtime game. It would only be right to be let down this time around. Not to mention, this game is being played at the awkward time of 5 p.m. PST local time. With that, I’d expect the offenses to be off a tick.
Betting Pick: Under 227.5 points
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers (-2.5) – Total: 207.5
This is it, folks. The end of the Lakers season.
Although LA is the favorite once again, this is the lowest favored number we’ve seen them at all series. Perhaps, most of the public is thinking the Lakers will just automatically win since they’re at home with their season on the line. I am not subscribing to this narrative playing out.
To be honest, I was already on the Suns in this series. After all, they were the second-best team during the regular season and had one of the better ATS records in the league. Chris Paul and Devin Booker lead a very talented roster that doesn’t have too many weaknesses. It will be interesting to see what LeBron James and Anthony Davis have in store for Phoenix. I don’t believe that it will be enough.
Betting Pick: Suns (+2.5)
