Sunday puts forward two Game 7s for the second round of the NBA playoffs: The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference and Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets out west.
The opening game is the west coast contest in which the host Nuggets are laying -5.5 and with a total of 212.5 at Bovada. These are the same figures the match opened at BetOnline, home of the opening lineon both the side and total. Thus far, 59 percent of bets and 66 percent of the money is on Denver at the Vegas and offshore bookies.
The subsequent game sees home team Toronto favorite by -6 and 209, down from the opener of -6.5 and 208, though sportsbooks such as GTBetshad it juiced to the underdogs. The Raptors have gotten 56 percent of bets and 65 percent of the money.
As customary, bettors lean towards both games over with 66 percent of bets and 52 percent of the money on Philly-Toronto with 68 and 82 respectively in the high-altitude of Colorado. Denver is the No. 4 under team in the NBA based on margin, going under by an average of 1.4 points per game and under 51-43-1 this season. Both Toronto and Philadelphia are under .500 against the spread, somewhat rare for teams still surviving in the postseason. Toronto is 43-49-1 with the Sixers not much better at 45-58.
According to Cy McCormick, Managing Partner of the Power of 620 sports servicesbehind every pick, the MasterLockLine, the biggest key is which “Ben Simmons shows up for Philadelphia.” McCormick notes that the enigmatic former LSU underachiever is “unstoppable when he wants to turn it on” but looks like a “cataclysmic bust when he’s lost in space.”
The marvelous database of Joe Duffy’s Picks advises us that experience much matters deep in a series. Playoff teams from the previous season versus an opponent that lacked a postseason berth a year before, are 121-89-1 in games 5-7 of the first three rounds of the playoffs. That would favor Portland. For those who fear that system goes inverse in the NBA Finals, perhaps diluting the angle, that is not the case. It is 3-3 in the championship round, but 2-0 since 2008-09.
Legendary handicapper Joe Duffy will have at least one of the sides and plenty of baseball at OffshoreInsiders.com.
