NBA picks and parlays for Aug 18: Lakers on Upset Alert?

It is time to look ahead to day 2 of the NBA playoffs. Although there are four quality games on tap, all eyes will be on the Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers won the play-in game against Memphis and they are now one of the hottest teams in the NBA restart. This has led many to believe that the Lakers can be in line for an early upset. Before making our NBA picks and parlays for Aug. 18, let’s read the NBA lines and check out the public perception.

Breaking down the 2020 NBA Playoff Bracket predictions for every series and your printable brackets!

The pulse of the public

The Lakers are one of the most popular teams at the betting window, but not today. The Miami Heat is attracting (66%) of the betting action, but it’s the Milwaukee Bucks that is getting the attention of the public. Leading up to the tip-off of the Magic vs Bucks early game, over 72% of the wagers are on Milwaukee.

Daily NBA Picks

Here are the two best bets for the second day of the NBA playoffs. All point-spreads are taken from our top sportsbooks.

Bet on the NBA Playoffsand double your first deposit and get a free $10 NBA bet right here!

Pacers (+4)

The Pacers are a very good team and the NBA match up with the Heat in the first round may be the best one to watch. Jimmy Butler vs TJ Warren will provide some drama, but this series is much more than that. The Pacers are without All-Star Domantas Sabonis, but Coach Nate McMillan is doing a wonderful job with the small lineup ushering out three guards in Aaron Holiday, Victor Oladipo, and Malcolm Brogdon. This will be a true chess match as this NBA match up will be a battle of the solid shooting Pacers against the solid switch-happy defense of the Heat. This is a seven-game series waiting to happen. The Heat are 2-6 ATS in the last eight meetings and fall short in game one.

Lakers (-5.5)

Forget what you have heard about upsets. The Lakers did not care about playing in the bubble and once they clinched the No. 1 seed in the West, they treated it like preseason. For as impressive as Damian Lillard and the Blazers have been, they don’t play any defense. They allowed Memphis to score 10 more points than their regular-season average in the play-in game. This was a playoff game where the Blazers should have clamped down on defense and they did the opposite. Anthony Davis and the big men of the Lakers will have a field day in the paint in this game. The Blazers allow the most offensive putbacks in the league and this will be the biggest difference in game one. The Trail Blazers are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 playoff games as an underdog. I am not bold enough to predict a sweep, but the Lakers win and cover.

Daily NBA Parlay

Our first parlay of the NBA playoffs was a winner and consisted of NBA betting totals and it will be more of the same for day two.

Two team parlay:

Oklahoma City / Houston Under 225.5

This game has many storylines to keep track of, but the biggest news is that Russell Westbrook will miss the first game with an injury. James Harden is very good, but he is inconsistent and has struggled historically against the Thunder. The under is 38-16 in Thunder last 54 games playing on 3 or more days rest and defense will be on display in this game. Bet the under.

Heat / Pacers Over 216

It is time to double dip in this game. If you like high scoring basketball games there is plenty to like about this game. The Pacers use the small lineup, as we mentioned, but rest is the key for Indiana. The Pacers have gone over in four of the last five games when they have had 3 or more days rest. The Heat love to run and put up points which is why the over is 10-3 in the last 13 games when Miami is a favorite and 13-6-1 in the last 20 games that they have played in.

NBA picks and parlays for Aug 18: Lakers on Upset Alert?