NBA playoff betting players know that some teams just struggle against other teams, especially on the road, and Tuesday’s matchups will be prime examples of this concept as Atlanta and Orlando kick off their second-round series, while the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz will square off for Game 2 of their Western series.
Hawks vs Magic odds – Tuesday, May 4, 8:00 PM ET
The Magic will be the favorites in this contest against their Southeast Division rivals, who have a quick turnaround after a seven-game win over Milwaukee in their first-round series. The Magic have been off for eight days after sweeping Charlotte, despite a poor series from Dwight Howard. The Magic won three of four against the Hawks this season, and Atlanta has lost seven of their last 10 in Orlando. Howard dominated the Hawks during the regular season, and the Magic need him on the floor if they’re going to get back to the Eastern Conference finals. The Magic may be worried about rust, but they should be more worries about the duo of Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford, who shook out of his shooting slump late in the Milwaukee series. On the other hand, the Hawks will have to deal with Jameer Nelson, who torched Charlotte. We’re taking the Magic at home in our sportsbetting book, because Atlanta just isn’t a good team away from home.
Jazz vs Lakers odds – Tuesday, May 4, 10:30 PM ET
The Lakers survived a fourth-quarter Utah run in their 104-99 win over the Jazz at home in Game 1, and now the Jazz have lost 15 in a row at the Staples Center (against the Lakers, anyway). Kobe Bryant had 11 of his 31 points in the final 12 minutes, while the Jazz got 24 points and eight assists from Deron Williams. The Lakers’ bench played terrible in Game 1, and NBA betting players know crucial they were to last year’s run to the championship. The Los Angeles subs actually lost the Lakers’ fourth-quarter lead before Bryant and Pau Gasol, who had 25 points and 12 boards, took over. Phil Jackson’s decision to put Ron Artest on Williams worked at times, but he may be better off putting Bryant, who played extremely well defensively on Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook in the later parts of the first-round series, on the Utah point guard who has lit up the postseason so far. Artest keeps Willams from posting up, which he likes to do with smaller guards like the Lakers’ Derek Fisher, but he also exploited his quickness advantage against Artest, and that’s something that the Lakers will have to watch for. The Jazz just don’t seem to have any luck when visiting the Lakers, and it’s tough to think that their streak will end in the playoffs, especially as the Lakers are 4-0 so far in the postseason. Go with the NBA championship betting favorites, the Lakers, on Tuesday.
