Spurs vs. Clippers, Nets vs. Hawks Playoff Odds for April 22

Carrie Stroup here with your Spurs vs. Clippers and Nets vs. Hawks NBA Playoffs odds for Wednesday night.

Western Conference - First Round – Game 2

Sportsbook.ag Line: Los Angeles -2.0, Total: 207.0

The Spurs look to even up the series when they face the Clippers for Game 2 in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The Clippers nearly played a flawless game in a 107-92 victory over the Spurs in Game 1 of this series. Los Angeles was a 1.5-point favorite and shot 51.3% from the field compared to the 36.6% shooting of San Antonio. The Clippers also shot 55.6% (10-for-18) from the outside and turned the ball over just 13 times in the game. They will need to play mistake-free basketball moving forward because this Spurs team is not going to shoot as poorly the rest of the series.

With the win by Los Angeles in Game 1, the Clippers are now 3-2 both SU and ATS versus the Spurs. San Antonio is 13-3 ATS revenging a road loss versus an opponent of 10 points or more over the past two seasons. Los Angeles, however, is 21-9 ATS in home games when playing with two days of rest over the past three seasons and 12-4 ATS when playing six or less games in 14 days this season.

PG Tony Parker (Ankle) was injured last game, but he is probable to play for San Antonio in this one. Los Angeles is not currently dealing with any significant injuries.

The Spurs were unable to play their game in Los Angeles in Game 1 and will need to come out with some fire on Wednesday. PF Tim Duncan (13.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.0 BPG) had 11 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 30 minutes of action on Sunday. It was his fifth straight double-double, but he did shoot just 4-for-10 from the field and will need to be more efficient moving forward. He was severely outplayed by Blake Griffin in Game 1 and must hold his own the rest of the series.

SF Kawhi Leonard (16.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.3 SPG) had 18 points, six boards, three assists and four steals in Game 1. Leonard could see some more time guarding Chris Paul on Wednesday and if that’s the case, he must find a way to slow down the Clippers’ superstar.

PG Tony Parker (14.4 PPG, 4.9 APG) had trouble guarding him in Game 1 and will need to step it up on both ends of the floor. He had just 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting in 29 minutes of action.

Another guy who must return to form is SG Danny Green (11.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG). Green is one of the best outside shooters in the league (42% 3PT) and was just 2-for-11 from the field and 1-for-7 from behind the arc in Game 1. His six points were not enough and he will need to be better on Wednesday.

The Clippers were about as good as they can be on Sunday and PG Chris Paul (19.1 PPG, 10.2 APG, 4.6 RPG, 1.9 SPG) was the one running the show. Paul put on a clinic in the victory, finishing with 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 13-for-20 shooting from the field. He was too much for Tony Parker and will need to continue to be aggressive as a scorer as long as the Spurs stick with that matchup.

PF Blake Griffin (21.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.3 APG) was also dominant for Los Angeles in Game 1, finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in 43 minutes of action. If he is playing that well on both ends of the floor then it will be very difficult for Tim Duncan to make his mark on the series. Griffin’s activity can tire Duncan out and he’ll need to continue to play a tough brand of basketball on the defensive end.

C DeAndre Jordan (11.5 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.2 BPG) continues to do all of the little things for this team. He had nine points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in Game 1 and will need to keep protecting the rim moving forward.

SG Jamal Crawford (15.8 PPG, 2.5 APG) provided a huge spark for the Clippers in Game 1, pouring in 17 points in just 23 minutes off the bench. He looked healthy for the first time since hurting his calf and can be a major x-factor in this series if he can avoid getting hurt. 

Eastern Conference - First Round – Game 2

Sportsbook.ag Line: Atlanta -9.5, Total: 202.5

The Hawks look to travel to Brooklyn with a 2-0 series lead by defeating the Nets in Atlanta on Wednesday.

The opening game of this series was controlled by Atlanta for a large majority of the contest, but Brooklyn did show some signs of life late. The Hawks ended up winning 99-92 as 11-point home favorites, but did not play their best game. The Nets shot 45.6% from the field compared to just 43.0% for the Hawks. They also outrebounded them 52-44. One major difference for Atlanta was that it turned the ball over less than Brooklyn (17-14) and hit 21 of its 22 free throw attempts. The Hawks were also 10-for-30 from the outside and the Nets made just five threes total.

The Hawks have won all five meetings between these teams SU this season, but are just 3-2 ATS in those contests. The Hawks are 8-4 SU and 7-5 ATS versus the Nets over the past three seasons and 4-1 SU at home in those games. Brooklyn is 24-8 ATS in road games when playing six or less games in 14 days over the past three seasons, but the team is up against an Atlanta quad that is 27-10 ATS when the total is between 200 and 209.5 this season.

PF Mirza Teletovic (Blood Clot) is probable for this game for the Nets and PF Paul Millsap (Shoulder) and C Al Horford (Finger) are both probable for the Hawks.

The Nets lost Game 1 in Atlanta and will now try to steal Game 2 to take control of this series as they head back to Brooklyn. C Brook Lopez (17.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.8 BPG) is going to need to be the focal point of the Nets’ offense on Wednesday. Lopez had 17 points and 14 boards on just seven shots in the loss on Sunday. He was efficient and made the most of his touches, but Brooklyn must get him the ball more often in Game 2.

SG Joe Johnson (14.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.7 APG) will also need to be heavily involved in this game. Johnson was solid in Game 1, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists in 42 minutes of action. He was, however, just 6-for-17 from the field and 0-for-6 from the outside and must shoot better on Wednesday. Brooklyn would be wise to get him and Lopez involved in a two-man game offensively, as they can work very well off of each other in spurts.

PG Deron Williams (13.0 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.5 RPG) had 13 points, four boards and two assists in 33 minutes on Sunday. He is going to need to be much better as a passer because it will be hard for this team to win if he is not setting up his teammates effectively.

PF Thaddeus Young (14.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.6 SPG) had 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a steal in Game 1. His activity around the basket gave Atlanta some issues and he’ll need to continue to use his speed to find ways to get by Paul Millsap on Wednesday.

The Hawks knocked down 10 threes in Game 1 and SG Kyle Korver (12.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.6 APG) accounted for five of them. Korver finished the game with 21 points (6-for-12 FG, 5-for-11 3PT), seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in 37 minutes of action. When he wasn’t knocking down shots himself, he was taking a lot of the attention off of his teammates.

PG Jeff Teague (15.9 PPG, 7.0 APG, 1.7 SPG) gave Deron Williams a lot of problems with his speed and quickness in Game 1. Teague had 17 points and three assists, but he did pick up four fouls and must stay disciplined on defense.

Atlanta will need PF Paul Millsap (16.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.8 SPG) and C Al Horford (15.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.3. BPG) to play a lot better moving forward this postseason. Millsap did not play well against Thaddeus Young and had just six points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes of action. He was 2-for-11 from the field and must find a way to score on Wednesday. Horford was not much better, finishing Game 1 with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes. He is counted on to do more offensively and will need to hold his own against Brook Lopez in this series.

- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter