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NBA: Second Round Series Previews

Western and Eastern conference NBA second round playoff previews from our man Poolside Rants. Plus up to date 2nd round NBA Playoff gambling lines and series future odds…

NBA Playoffs Betting – Second Round Series Previews

NBA Betting Online Articles From Cappers Picks

Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers

Rockets vs Lakers odds: Lakers -1200

The Houston Rockets are happy to finally be past the first round but their stay in the playoffs may not last far beyond that.

The Rockets take on the Los Angeles Lakers, who are the Western Conference favorites. The Rockets starting lineup pales in comparison to the Lakers and their bench is far thinner.  On top of that, the Rockets are a defensive team and, if they can’t slow the Lakers to their pace, the series could end very quickly.

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You don’t need a crystal ball to see how this series will play out. The Lakers were 4-0 against the Rockets in the regular season and won by an average of 13 points per game.

Pick: Lakers in five.

Atlanta Hawks @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Hawks vs Cavaliers odds: Cavaliers -2800

Just like the top seed in the Western Conference, the top seed in the East won’t have too many problems advancing into the third round either.

The Atlanta Hawks needed seven games to dispel the lousy Miami Heat, which likely means they have virtually no shot of topping the Cavaliers in a seven-game series.

If there is one shred of hope, it’s that the two teams played some tight contests in the regular season. But the reality is that, with the Hawks battling injuries to Marvin Williams and Al Horford, they aren’t likely to get past the rested Cavs.

Pick: Cavaliers in Four.

Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets – DEN leads series 1-0

Mavericks vs Nuggets odds: Nuggets -425

The Dallas Mavericks will try to beat the Denver Nuggets at their game, which didn’t work in Game 1.

The Mavericks are a versatile, scoring unit that likes to run, which unfortunately plays right into the hands of the Nuggets, who are pretty hot right now. The Nuggets have won 18 of their last 22 games, topping the 100-point mark in 20 of those contests, which shows how unlikely it will be for another team to outscore them.

Furthermore, the Nuggets have home court advantage and playing in Denver at the high altitude has really slowed some teams down in the second halves.

If the Nuggets can steal a game in Dallas, this series could be five-games short. Either way, expect the Nuggets to advance.

Pick: Nuggets in Six.

Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics

Magic vs Celtics odds: Magic -120

The Orlando Magic appear to be facing a wounded animal in the second round but they should be very wary. The Boston Celtics were pushed to their limits against the Chicago Bulls but they did prevail. Last year, they were also pushed to seven games by the Atlanta Hawks, which many people viewed as a sign of weakness, but the Celtics then grew stronger as the playoffs went along.

The Celtics are actually a very tough matchup for the Magic and the Celtics even have home court advantage, which makes it surprising that they are in fact the underdog in this series.

Rajon Rondo should give Rafer Alston fits while Ray Allen and Paul Pierce will be far too much for Mikael Pietrus and Hedo Turkoglu on the defensive end.

While the Celtics will have to contain Dwight Howard, the real key will be to protect the three-point line. As the Philadelphia 76ers showed, if the Magic are not hitting threes, they become fairly vulnerable.

Pick: Celtics in Six.

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By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"

2 replies on “NBA: Second Round Series Previews”

I think with the exception of Orlando, the other 3 favorites win their second round series. I still have LA and Cleveland on a collision course for one another and I do not see any of the remaining teams getting in their way.

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