Will the Sixers gain ground in Game 3 in Philly?
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The Heat upset the Celtics as 14.5-point underdogs Wednesday night, the third-largest playoff upset since 1991, according to ESPN.
Following that up Thursday will be a three-game slate involving three series that are at 2-0. No team has won a series after trailing 3-0, so it's fair to expect desperate play from the Magic, Sixers, and Lakers, all of whom are playing their first home game of the postseason.
Let's get to our three bets from the slate.
Knicks @ Sixers (-4.5, O/U 202.5)
This is desperation mode for the Sixers, a team with championship aspirations that could have won the first two games had a few bounces and whistles gone their way.
The Knicks are the feistier, tougher, and grittier group, but the Sixers should display more toughness with their season on the line. Plus, after the NBA admitted to officiating mistakes in the final seconds of Game 2, expect Philadelphia to have a friendly whistle at home. Fair or not, that's how these things go in the NBA playoffs.
The Sixers are successfully hampering Jalen Brunson's ability to find his spots by cutting off driving lanes, and they improved their rebounding efforts after an embarrassing display on the glass in Game 1.
Although the "Villanova Knicks" have experience playing at Wells Fargo Center, I don't expect New York's role players to shoot as well on the road.
Joel Embiid is hurt and needs to muster enough energy to compete for 40 minutes, but he and Tyrese Maxey should receive more help from role players at home, leading to a Sixers win.
Pick: Sixers -4.5
Nicolas Batum: Over 4.5 points
Batum was the Sixers' unsung hero when they escaped the Heat in the play-in game. But he's had a miniscule impact offensively against the Knicks.
The Sixers need him to contribute, especially because the Knicks' supporting cast has been exceptional. Secondary players usually shoot better at home than on the road in the postseason, and Batum is defending Brunson well in stretches, so minutes won't be an issue. If Batum's looking to shoot on the catch, he should fire enough threes to soar past this total.
Odds: -130 (look for alt lines over 5.5, 6.5 at plus money)
Austin Reaves: Over 13.5 points
The first two games between the Lakers and Nuggets came down to the role players more than the stars. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are terrific and arguably outplaying Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, but the secondary players are giving Denver a huge advantage.
The Lakers aren't receiving enough contribution beyond James and Davis. That starts with Reaves, who's not producing sufficiently and struggling from 3-point range. He's shooting 27% from three in the playoffs and has yet to reach 14 points.
Darvin Ham and his staff should find more ways to get Reaves clean looks. In Game 2, Davis and James each scored more than 25, and D'Angelo Russell drilled seven triples. Yet the Lakers failed to break 100 points. Reaves will be a key factor in the Lakers' offense Thursday night.
Odds: -120
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.