The second-round of the NBA Playoffs continue on Thursday night with a two-game slate. The
Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder are hoping to add to their 1-0 series leads, taking
on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. Both the Pistons and Thunder
walked away with convincing Game 1 victories. The BetMGM betting data suggests that most
bettors are expecting the same thing on Thursday night.
Let’s dive into the odds and see where the money is flowing ahead of these pivotal clashes!
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons
Moneyline: CLE +135 | DET -160
Spread: CLE +3.5 (-110) | DET -3.5 (-110)
Total: 215.5 Over (-110) | Under (-110)
The Cavs were no match for the Pistons in the series opener. Cleveland faced a 16-point deficit
after the first quarter, slowly chipping away before Detroit pulled away late. Fouls were an issue
for the Cavaliers throughout, with the Pistons heading to the charity stripe on 35 occasions.
Even with a tidier defensive effort, the betting market doesn’t like Cleveland’s chances of staying
within +3.5 at Little Caesars Arena.
The betting public flocks toward “the zig-zag” theory in the NBA Playoffs. In general terms, the
idea is that favorites and underdogs alternate against the spread wins throughout the
postseason; however, that could be a fatal miscalculation in this Central Division battle. The
Cavs appear as modest underdogs, attracting 17% of the betting tickets. Relative to the 4%
handle, it’s clear that the sharpest bettors are taking their money in the opposite direction. As it
stands, an astounding 96% of the handle is coming in on the Pistons to cover that short number
at home.
There’s also a less pronounced shift in the total. The number is holding steady at 215.5, but a
large portion of the handle is being directed toward the ‘over’ on fewer tickets. So far, 60% of the
betting money is on this one eclipsing the total, on just 42% of tickets.
Despite the sharp money flowing in the Pistons’ direction, the betting market hasn’t given up on
Cleveland to pull off the outright upset. Heading into Game 2, the Cavaliers are hanging on as
+185 series winners. With 66% of the handle backing them, the Cavs could be live underdogs
once the series shifts back to The Forest City.
It may come down to free throws at the end, but bettors are clearly targeting the Pistons at
home in a high-scoring affair.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Moneyline: LAL +625 | OKC -1000
Spread: LAL +15.5 (-110) | OKC -15.5 (-110)Total: 210.5 Over (-110) | Under (-110)
The Lakers weren’t even supposed to be here. They triumphed over the Houston Rockets in the
opening round, nearly seeing their 3-0 series lead evaporate. Without All-World point guard
Luka Doncic, LA was projected to cave against the Rockets. While they were able to offset
those shortcomings in the opening round, they are much less fortunate against the high-octane
Thunder.
Los Angeles was trounced in Game 1. Operating at a deficit from the outset, the Lakers threw in
the towel in the second-half of the series opener, putting up just 34 points over the final 24
minutes of the game. At the same time, they allowed OKC to do its usual thing, putting up 108
points on 49.4% shooting. Unfortunately, bettors are expecting a similar outcome in Game 2.
Oklahoma City opened as massive -15.5 favorites in tonight’s showdown at the Paycom Center.
Moreover, virtually all of the money is flowing in the Thunder’s direction ahead of tip-off. While
they are being written on just 38% of the tickets, 91% of the cash is being dumped on the home
team. Always a public darling, Lebron James and the Lakers’ 62% ticket count pales in
comparison to their 9% handle.
Similar to tonight’s Eastern Conference game, there is also a sharp vs. public divide in the total.
Most casual bettors are rushing to get a piece of the ‘over’
, as evidenced by the 57% ticket
count. But with only 38%, it’s clear that the big money wagers are primed on the ‘under’
.
BetMGM has adjusted accordingly, bumping this one from 211.5 to 210.5.
That dichotomy is also clearly reflected in the series betting. The Lakers opened as +950
underdogs to advance to the Western Conference Final. After getting spanked in Game 1, that
price appropriately dropped to +1250. Obviously, the price was too much for the betting public to
overlook, as 89% of the bets are coming in on the Lakers to stun the defending champs.
Conversely, the Thunder are attracting 89% of the handle, reflecting the large-money wagers
that OKC is getting.
Game 2’s betting spread is analogous to the series as a whole. The betting public believes that
the Lakers could cover, if not upset the Thunder at a pivotal moment in the series. The sharpest
bettors know better, continuing to seek refuge on the defending champs to take care of busine
New to sports betting? First, explore our Introduction to Sports Betting. Then check out our recommendations at Flip The Switch for online sportsbooks, along with offers to get started. And if you’re not an avid sports fan, you can still find some fun and unusual bets to enjoy!
