This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Alex Barutha
Two-Leg Parlay (+4450): Joe Ingles 8+ assists and Jazz win vs. LAC + Ben Simmons 11+ assists and Joel Embiid 12+ rebounds vs. ATL -- PointsBet (2:16 PM CT)
With Mike Conley (hamstring) sidelined, Ingles should handle the ball more often and act as a de facto point guard. With Conley off the court, Ingles averages 6.8 assists per 36 minutes at home, and eight assists seems like a reasonable number to hit when combining it with a win at +600 odds as a standalone bet. A win will be tough without Conley, but the Clippers showed plenty of weakness in Round 1, and home-court advantage matters. As for the second bet, which is +550 odds on its own, I just think the number is good, and it helps that a win doesn't have to factor in. Simmons is averaging 10.2 assists per 36 minutes in these playoffs, and Embiid is averaging 9.7 rebounds per 36 minutes. In a nearly-must-win game at home, I think they hit their marks.
Nick Whalen
Bogdan Bogdanovic OVER 16.5 points (-125) at PHI -- DraftKings (11:02 AM CT)
I'm really high on Bogdanovic in this series. He's been the Hawks' second-best player for several months now, and he's established a reliable floor as the No. 2 scorer and initiator behind Trae Young. If the Sixers sell out to slow down Young in Game 2, Bogdanovic is the guy who will be tasked with taking on more responsibility. I also like Bogdanovic OVER 24.5 points + rebounds + assists (-113).
Joel Embiid UNDER 30.5 points (-113) vs. ATL -- DraftKings
Embiid looked surprisingly spry in Game 1, but keep in mind that he had a full week between games after being held out of Game 5 against Washington. With only one off day leading up to Game 2, there's a chance that knee starts to become more of a hindrance. For the sake of the series, I hope that's not the case, but I'll be proceeding with caution when it comes to Embiid props.
Jacob Lebowitz
Trae Young OVER 9.5 Assists (-104) at PHI -- FanDuel (2:00 PM CT)
In Game 1, Young was dominant, so much so that coach Doc Rivers tried using three of his top defenders to slow down Trae Young to no avail. So far, Young is averaging 9.8 assists in the playoffs, getting at least nine in all but one game. Expect the 76ers to focus on stopping Young's scoring, which will likely force him to dish the ball to his teammates, especially in the paint. This should be another high-scoring game, so the Hawks will need efficient playmaking from Young to stay in the game and crank out a Game 2 win.
Royce O'Neale OVER 1.5 Three-pointers made (-128) vs. LAC -- FanDuel
O'Neale has been brilliant from three-point range in the postseason so far, hitting at least three three-pointers in every contest except for Game 1 against Memphis. He's also making an impressive 52 percent from behind the arc. I expect the Clippers' defense to focus on shutting down Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, which should benefit O'Neale, as he'll have the ball in his hands more and should be forced to put up more shots.
