Wednesday NBA playoff betting – Hawks look to take control, Nuggets look to end series
Wednesday’s basketball betting card presents one intriguing matchup and one lame duck matchup.
While the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat are engaged in a tight, entertaining series, the New Orleans Hornets are simply begging the Denver Nuggets to put them out of their misery.
The sportsbook odds are posted, so let’s take a look at the two contests:
NBA Playoff Picks: Hawks, Nuggets Back On Their Home Courts
- Hawks back home after winning first playoff road game since 1997
- Hornets try to bounce back after an ugly 58-point loss on Monday
- Nuggets looking to advance to second round after losing in first round in the last five seasons
Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks - ATL leads series 3-2
Wednesday, 8:05 PM ET at Phillips Arena
Heat vs Hawks odds: Hawks -5
The Atlanta Hawks finally won a playoff game, and basketball betting fans have reinvested their confidence into the young Hawks. They looked very dominant in Game 1 of the series, winning by 22 points, but then failed twice in Games 2 and 3, losing by an average of 22 points per game themselves.
The difference in Game 4 was the fact that the Hawks protected the three-point line, which they failed to do in the previous two games. Between Games 2 and 3, the Heat were a combined 27-of-49 from three-point land. In Game 4, they were just four-of-16.
With the series shifting back to Atlanta, it looks like they have finally made the necessary adjustments to slow down the Heat. On their home court, bet on Atlanta to guard the three-point line once again and regain the series lead.
Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Hornets - DEN leads series 3-1
Wednesday, 10:35 PM ET at the Pepsi Center
Hornets vs Nuggets odds: Nuggets -10.5
While it’s true that “a loss is a loss,” in some cases, a loss can reveal far more than just another tick in the wrong column.
The New Orleans Hornets took a beating on Monday night, and it’s one they are not likely to recover from in this series. Playing on their home court with the opportunity to tie the series 2-2, the Hornets lost by an NBA playoff record-tying 58 points to the Nuggets, which is the ugliest loss in franchise history.
Basketball betting fans need to pay close attention to that loss because it is a red flag. The Hornets have packed it up and packed it in for this series; they have displayed that they are not capable of winning three straight games, which is what they need to do now to win the series. They looked lifeless in their loss and, considering they have already failed to win twice in Denver - losing by an average of 22 points per game - they are not going to win three straight games with two of them being on the road.
The bottom line for New Orleans is that they know the end is near. They can see the white light and they aren’t trying to fight it. Bet on the Nuggets to close out the series on Wednesday.
For daily analysis on the NBA lines, keep coming back to the BetOnline.com Betting Edge.
Craig Parsons is an avid sports fan, but his true love has always been basketball. Too short to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, he did the next best thing: sports betting and covering basketball for a living. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
