The NBA Playoffs move to Game 3 on Thursday, with lower seeds finally getting their chance in home games. Each of Thursday’s games features a 2-0 series, led by the teams playing at home. But there’s a good chance two of these series will be 2-1 by the end of the night.
The evening begins with a tipoff between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic, with the Magic having the smallest advantage in the odds. Then, a rematch in Philadelphia where the Philadelphia 76ers will be hungry after a controversial and chaotic end to Game 2 against the New York Knicks. The night ends with the LA Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets, where another narrow point spread favors the Nuggets.
Can the Cavaliers break their road playoff blues from last year and pull out a win in Orlando? Will the Sixers come out strong to prove they can beat this physical New York team? What will the test look like for LeBron James and the Lakers after blowing a 20-point lead in Denver on Monday?
We preview each match from a betting odds perspective, as well as our team picks for each match.
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No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic
How to watch: 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Cleveland leads the series 2-0
Series odds: Riders -700, Magic +500
The Cavs head into Orlando 2-0, leading comfortably even though much of their roster isn’t playing their best ball. But Cleveland pushed him where it counted. Jarrett Allen has been a rebounding machine, racking up 38 rebounds in the first two games and two double-doubles. By comparison, the Magic’s starters combined have 49, although their defense is generally solid.
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting in Game 1 and a game-high 23 in Game 2. He’s shooting an average of 70 percent in the first quarters. But this is where the cracks appear. In Game 2, Mitchell only scored four points in the second half and the Cavs as a whole only scored 16 in the fourth quarter after Orlando switched defenses.
This perhaps explains this point gap, very narrow for a series which has not yet had a close match. As Athleticism Jason Lloyd said it: “The Magic aren’t that far from making a series. Some of those shots that didn’t land on the road might land at home.
So far, however, the Magic have struggled to create against the Cavs, shooting less than 35 percent overall and less than 24 percent from 3-point range in both games so far. The Cavs pack the paint and force long shots that just don’t fall. The Magic are also bad on wide open threes (no defenders within 6 feet) at 11-for-44.
The key for the Magic will be to come out with more heat in the first quarter and not let the Cavs put the game away early. This seems more likely with a home crowd, and the narrow spread for this match reflects that advantage.
Expert Picks for Cavs vs. Magic
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No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers
How to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
New York leads the series 2-0
Series odds: Knicks -500, 76ers +375
Hello, revenge match? Philly enters its first home game of the series with a serious problem on its shoulder after Monday’s game. The Sixers were seconds away from splitting the series, and then. Oh and then. You know what happened. A three-three from Donte DiVincenzo, a timeout from 76ers coach Nick Nurse that was not awarded and two refereeing errors that have been constantly challenged since.
It was a devastating finish for Philly after going up by five points with 30 seconds remaining. Joel Embiid played 39 minutes and had 34 points and 10 rebounds on a knee that has been a constant problem. Tyrese Maxey, this season’s most improved player, played 44 minutes, scored 35 and contributed 10 assists. And this after missing the morning shoot due to a reported illness. It was a huge effort and devastating final seconds.
Not so devastating for the Knicks, who are now 2-0 in Philadelphia, despite star Jalen Brunson struggling to find a rhythm and shooting 29 percent in the first two games. The Knicks also spread their scoring more than the 76ers, with 58 points coming off the bench over the two games. Behind Brunson, Josh Hart is the top scorer and the only one to have a double-double in both games.
The Sixers are favored to win Game 3 at home, and our experts do not advise betting against them for this matchup.
Expert Picks for Knicks vs. Sixers
How to watch: 10 p.m. ET on TNT
Denver leads the series 2-0
Series odds: Nuggets -1600, Lakers +850
It’s time to check our Nuggets series tracker: Denver’s odds of winning the series were -350 before Game 1. They had doubled to -700 before the second game. Now they have climbed again to -1,600.
And yet, the Lakers are close underdogs for the home opener at Crypto.com Arena. In a stunning turn of events in Game 2, the Lakers were up by as many as 20 points in Denver and 10 early in the fourth quarter. They held the lead almost the rest of the way until two plays by Jamal Murray sealed their fate: a step-back jump shot that tied the game, then a 15-foot buzzer-beater for the win.
LeBron scored 12 of the Lakers’ 20 points in the final quarter, but missed a critical three with 16.1 seconds remaining. Anthony Davis had 32 points in 39 minutes and D’Angelo Russell had 23.
The fallout from that game involved another controversial call, a foul against Russell in the final minute of the third quarter that was challenged and then overturned by the replay center.
The Nuggets outscored the Lakers by 17 points in the second half. Nikola Jokić had 32 points in the first game and 27 points and a triple-double in the second game.
Expert Picks for Nuggets vs. Lakers
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Chaos in the Garden: Knicks dominate 76ers in the exact environment they want most
(Photo by Joel Embiid and Josh Hart: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)