The NBA Playoffs are now into the second round, and the action has really started to heat up. There are a pair of games on Wednesday, and both could be terrific battles.
There are just eight teams remaining in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, and that number could shrink before long. The Conference Finals await four teams, and this is usually the time in which the playoff action really starts to heat up.
The NBA Playoff schedule has two games set to take place on Wednesday and one from each conference. The home teams in each series currently hold a 1-0 series lead, and each are favored to win in Game 2.
Favorites don’t always win in the NBA, and that will create some drama. Here is a look at each game and the betting pick that should be made for each.
Philadelphia 76ers +8.0 at Miami Heat
The Miami Heat rolled to a 106-92 win in the series opener, and the game wasn’t even that close for much of the night. Miami is the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and they have played like it in these playoffs.
Philadelphia is a worthy opponent when fully healthy, but that isn’t the case in this series. Joel Embiid missed the series opener, and he is not expected to play on Wednesday night either.
This will put a ton of pressure on James Harden, and he hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations in the postseason. Miami is a very dangerous team, and they always seem to turn it on in the playoffs.
The Heat know that they are catching a huge break by playing the 76ers without Embiid, and they can’t afford to lose any of these games at home. Jimmy Butler is a leader that always seems to make a big play in the postseason, and he is going to take charge on Wednesday.
This game will look similar to the series opener as the Heat cruise to a win and cover the spread.
Dallas Mavericks +6.0 at Phoenix Suns
The second game of the night should be the best one to watch as the Dallas Mavericks try to even the series up against the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix won the series opener by a score of 121-114, but it wasn’t that close early in the 4th quarter.
The Suns were in the NBA Finals a season ago, and they were the best team in the NBA all season long. Devin Booker and Chris Paul lead the way for Phoenix, but this is a deep and talented roster.
Dallas is going to need a heroic effort from Luka Doncic to win this game, and he provided one on Monday night in the loss. The Mavericks are going to have to be much better defensively, but that just isn’t something they do well.
This game has blowout written all over it, as the Suns are simply too difficult to defend. Phoenix will roll to a double-digit win to cover the six-point spread.
