NBA Playoffs Betting: May 14
Both the Nets and Trail Blazers will be playing for their 2014 NBA Playoffs lives on Wednesday night. Each finds themselves in 3-1 holes against the Heat and Spurs, respectively. LeBron James was unstoppable in Game 4, narrowly missing his first 50-point playoff game, instead settling for 49 on 16-24 shooting. Meanwhile, the Blazers needed 17 off the bench from Will Barton to avoid a sweep on Monday. Here’s a breakdown of the action, including the latest point spreads.
BROOKLYN AT MIAMI -7
The Nets blew a golden opportunity to even the series in Game 4. They were in position to win, but poor perimeter shooting and LeBron’s dominant performance proved to be the difference. Deron Williams needs to snap out of his series long slump for Brooklyn to have any chance of staying alive; he is 15-44 from the field thus far. The good news for the Nets is they looked more confident at home in Games 3 and 4 after being hammered on the road in the opening two games. If they can carry the improved effort back to South Beach, a return trip to the Empire State for Game 6 is possible. Ray Allen will be key for the Heat; he was 7-12 from three-point range in Games 1 and 2, but only 1-6 in Games 3 and 4. Miami has to smell blood, but they can’t rely on James to score 50 every night, even though he’s more than capable. The Heat are 5-1 ATS in their last six. The Nets are 2-5 ATS in their last seven trips to Miami. This is a tough spot for Brooklyn. Look for the two-time defending champs to pull away in the fourth.
Bet Miami -7
PORTLAND AT SAN ANTONIO -8
The Spurs seemed to be toying with Portland in the first three games, winning by an average of 18.6 points. The Blazers decided to play defense in Game 4, holding San Antonio to 3-18 from beyond the arc. That effort was good enough to avoid elimination. Manu Ginobili laid a rare egg, scoring just 2 points on 1-6 shooting. Tony Parker wasn’t much better, dishing only one assist after totaling 25 in the first three games. Basically, the Spurs as a team had an off night. Chalk it up to fatigue. However, Portland shouldn’t expect that same Spurs team to show up in Game 5, especially inside the friendly confines of AT&T Center. All those open looks and easy transition baskets the Blazers had against Houston are nowhere to be found. Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge have been average at best, which won’t cut it in this series. The Spurs are clearly the better team in every facet. Portland is 1-7 ATS in their last eight overall and 2-5 ATS at San Antonio in their last seven. Home team wins going away.
Bet San Antonio -8
