NBA Betting: Bucks, Lakers Try To Rebound

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers entered the playoffs among the favorites to win an NBA championship. That didn’t stop both teams from suffering huge upsets in the first game of their opening-round series. Can they bounce back on Thursday in Game 2?

Magic put spell on Bucks as 14-point dogs

The Bucks faced the Orlando Magic in their series opener on Tuesday night as a 14-point favorite at Bovada Sportsbook. The Magic shocked the world by thrashing the Bucks 122-110. Nikola Vucevic poured in 35 points and added 14 rebounds to lead the Magic to the upset.

Before the Game 1 loss, Milwaukee had won four straight against Orlando while going 3-1 against the spread. The early odds for Game 2 at Bovada have the Bucks listed as 12.5-point favorites. Following their Game 1 upset, the Bucks are 7-3 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games when favored by double digits.

Blazers’ Lillard scorched Lakers in first game

The Lakers faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the opener of their series on Tuesday as 6.5-point favorites. Portland reeled off its fifth straight win, upsetting the Lakers 100-93. Damian Lillard continued to carry the Trail Blazers with a game-high 34 points.

In Game 2, the Lakers have opened as 6-point favorites at Bovada. In the last four games as an underdog, Portland is 3-1 SU and 3-0-1 ATS. When favored, the Lakers have been a terrible bet since the season resumed. In their regular-season bubble games, the Lakers were favored eight times and in those games they went 3-5 SU and 1-7 ATS.

Pacers have lost 8 straight as playoff underdog

Also on tap Thursday night is Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. In the series opener, the Heat won 113-101 as 4-point favorites. In five games against the Pacers this season, Miami is 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS.

The Heat have been a solid bet as a playoff favorite at 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five. Conversely, the Pacers have been awful when listed as a playoff underdog, losing eight in a row while going 3-5 ATS. In their last 15 games as a playoff underdog, they’re 1-14.

Rockets favored over Thunder in Game 2

The final game on the Thursday schedule is Game 2 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. Houston won the series opener 123-108 as a 1-point underdog. With Russell Westbrook sidelined, James Harden led the Rockets with 37 points and 11 rebounds.

The ATS loss snapped the Thunder’s five-game ATS winning streak against the Rockets. Despite the loss, the Thunder are still 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS in their last nine against Houston.

Houston is a slim 2-point favorite in Game 2. In their last four playoff games as a favorite, the Rockets are only 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS, while Oklahoma City has lost 11 straight as a playoff underdog with a 4-7 ATS record.