The NBA Second Round Playoff Games have arrived as Pickswise will be handing out daily winning NBA picks starting on Monday. With over a decade of combined winning experience, Pickswise is your number one NBA second round playoff resource to win. To kick off the second round playoff games, the Portland Trailblazers and Denver Nuggets from the Western Conference will go toe to toe. Enjoy these free NBA second round playoff predictions? Give @Pickswise a follow and get a first hand-look on his daily research.
Game 1: Trailblazers vs Nuggets
Line: Nuggets -170
Pickswise Expert Picks: Blazers win
The Trail Blazers have just about everything going for them in this game except that they are playing on the road. The Blazers last game was on Tuesday while the Nuggets just played on Saturday night a tight fought game. For the Trail Blazers it’s been the Damian Lillard show and in their last game against the Thunder he put up 50 points including the game winner. I expect it will be the Damian Lillard show again on Monday and he should be able to lead them to a big upset victory in game one. I really like this pick, and there is a lot of value getting plus money on the money line.
Game 2: Trailblazers vs Nuggets
Line: Nuggets -165
Pickswise Expert Picks: Nuggets Win
The Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum but the one thing they don’t have is someone to slow down Nikola Jokic and that did them in during game one. Enes Kanter did okay when he was in the game but it’s clear he isn’t 100 percent, and when he goes to the bench then there is no one. Jokic put up 37 points in game one and he really should have no issue running up the score again in this game. Damian Lillard will keep the Blazers in this game but at the end of the day Jokic is going to be too much. Take the Nuggets on the money line to win game two and take a 2-0 series lead with extreme confidence. This game seems almost too easy and it should be a slam dunk winner.
Game 3: Trailblazers vs Nuggets
Line: Blazers -110
Pickswise Expert Picks: Nuggets Win
We were on the dead wrong side of game two and a big reason was because we thought Nikola Jokic would dominate the post again but that wasn’t the case. In 37 minutes the Trail Blazers found a way to hold him to only 16 points after he scored 37 points in game one. The defense locked down in a big way giving up only 90 points total in the game and now they get a chance to come home to play the game. This is a team that is 35-9 straight up at home compared to the Nuggets who are 21-23 straight up on the road. The Nuggets won in game two with Lillard only scoring 14 points but I expect a big bounce back in game three. Back the Nuggets on the money line with the utmost confidence.
Game 4: Trailblazers vs Nuggets
Line: Blazers -155
Pickswise Expert Picks: Blazers Win
This series has been hard to handicap and in game three both teams really deserved a win but only the Trail Blazers came away with a victory to take a 2-1 series lead. This game much like the first three games could really go either way and I don’t love this game on the moneyline. With the Nuggets loss though there have to be some questions about how they will respond in this game. I think the loss in game three might take so much out of them mentally that they will struggle in this game. I don’t love this pick and I really feel like it could go either way but it’s a lean to the Trail Blazers because of their mental state.
Game 5: Trailblazers vs Nuggets
Line: Nuggets -190
Pickswise Expert Picks: Nuggets Win
The Trail Blazers and Nuggets has been so entertaining to watch, but has also been super unpredictable on who will win. Most counted the Nuggets dead and out after they lost in overtime in game three but all they did was come back and win game four. Jamal Murray was good again in game four putting up 34 points including clinching the game late with free throws. Murray has been a big reason all season the team 38-9 straight up record at home while the Trail Blazers are only one game above .500 on the road. I don’t love this pick but it’s been hard to beat the Nuggets all season at home and this feels like another spot where it’s going to be quite the task. Back the Nuggets on the money line in this game.
Game 6: Trailblazers vs Nuggets
Line: Blazers -160
Pickswise Expert Picks: Blazers Win
Game Five was a big game for us at Pickwise as we finally correctly picked a game winner in this series which just shows how unpredictable they have been this series so tread lightly on this. It seems when the pressure is the highest that’s when Damian Lillard shows up the most, and this game has all the pressure. Against the Thunder Lillard hit the three pointer from real deep to advance to this round, and I think he is going to have another huge game in this one. The Blazers are 36-10 at home compared to the Nuggets who are just 22-24 on the road. Bet this one lightly but take the Trail Blazers.
Game 7: Trailblazers vs Nuggets
Line: Nuggets -210
Pickswise Expert Picks: Nuggets Win!
It’s game seven between the Thunder and the Trail Blazers and anything can happen, especially with how this series has played out. In the last two games the home team has won to force this game and I think that will be the case again in this game. Rodney Hood had a huge game for the Trail Blazers in game six and that was a big reason why they came out out with a win but I don’t think he will be strong in this game. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will have big games and lead the Nuggets to a victory. I don’t love this game because I feel like it could go either way but the Nuggets to win this game is the play.
