Best bets to consider for Tuesday's NBA playoff slate
With three games on tap for Tuesday's NBA postseason slate, we dive into the matchups to deliver the ins and outs from a betting perspective.
Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors
Line: Raptors -10.5
Total: 211.5
Orlando's offensive surge from the regular season continued for its Game 1 win over Toronto, which put the Magic on an 11-1 run to the team total over. They shot only 40 percent from the field overall but converted 14 of their 29 3-point attempts and 18 of their 20 free throws. Meanwhile, Toronto shot 33 percent from downtown and attempted just 14 shots from the line.
The Magic are cruising and have covered each of their previous five games. They've also fared well this season against Atlantic Division playoff teams, with Saturday's outright win against the Raptors putting the Magic at 12-3 against the spread.
Orlando brings a new flavor to the playoff field but is often discredited because it plays in the weaker Eastern Conference. Before blaming Toronto for failing to come through in a postseason opener (again), perhaps we're not giving a sneaky-good Magic club the credit it deserves.
There's some serious disrespect with Tuesday's spread.
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets
Line: Nuggets -7
Total: 209.5
Saturday's 101-96 win made San Antonio only the eighth opponent to beat Denver on its home court. The Spurs brought the tempo to a screeching halt and were efficient from the floor, shooting 48.2 percent overall against one of the NBA's top defenses. Gregg Popovich and Co. were -3.3 in average scoring margin on the road this season, so it was surprising to see them win outright as a five-point underdog to Denver, which is now 0-8 against the spread in its last eight first-round playoff games.
The Nuggets couldn't capitalize beyond the arc or at the free-throw line, as they went 6-for-28 and 16-for-24, respectively. However, Tuesday might be a good spot for Denver to rebound: In five home games this season following a home loss, the Nuggets are averaging 119.6 points per contest.
With a young team letting the nerves settle after a playoff opener, Denver's team total over might be worth another look.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Portland Trail Blazers
Line: Trail Blazers -1
Total: 223
You can likely expect a bounce-back in the shooting department from Oklahoma City, which originally opened as a 2.5-point underdog. The Thunder could be up in the series had they not collectively shot 5-for-33 from deep in Saturday's five-point loss. While bettors race to the window to bet Oklahoma City and bank on the offense regressing to the mean, it's not as if Portland was perfect, either.
Outside of 39 first-quarter points, the Trail Blazers' offense struggled. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum both shot worse than their respective season averages on a day when the biggest X-factor was Enes Kanter. Overall, Portland turned the ball over 18 times and left plenty of points at the free-throw line; Oklahoma City's isn't the only offense that should expect to have a better showing in Game 2.
The Thunder are still the best team to fade in the first half. We recommended taking a look at Portland -1 on the first-half spread in Game 1 - a winner which continued Oklahoma City's dreadful 3-21 run. The Trail Blazers at -1 for the full-game spread Tuesday may not be such a bad number to grab.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.