The Washington Wizards put on a shooting clinic in Game 1 to beat the Indiana Pacers on the road, 102-96. Now with the series lead against the conference’s No. 1 seed, can the Wizards continue their surge, or will the Pacers regroup to even the series up? How do you think the second round will go? Answer our survey here.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Wizards vs. Pacers and create a betting account to enjoy the thrills of the game from a fan and bettor’s standpoint alike.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers Round 2, Game 2 Betting Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 – May 5, Washington 102 Indiana 96
Game 2 – May 7, 7:00 PM ET, Washington (+4) at Indiana(-4); total: 185.0 – view all NBA lines
Game 3 – May 9, 7:00 PM ET, Indiana at Washington
Game 4 – May 11, 7:00 PM ET, Indiana at Washington
Game 5(if necessary) – May 13, Washington at Indiana
Game 6 (if necessary) – May 15, Indiana at Washington
Game 7 (if necessary) – May 18, Washington at Indiana
Make your playoff predictions here in our NBA survey
Betting on the Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are full of confidence right now. They are coming off a morale-boosting win in Game 1 at Indiana – their first there since 2007 – and by doing so, have extended their road winning streak to seven games. Moreover, Washington is also 7-0 ATS in those games.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Wizards mauled Indiana beneath the boards on Monday night. They outrebounded the Pacers by a huge margin, 53 to 36, and dominated the Pacers in terms of offensive rebounds, 17 to six–seven of which came from Drew Gooden.
Washington also hit 10 three-pointers, the most they’ve hit thus far in the Playoffs. Of course, the Wizards aren’t going to have the same type of shooting every night, so it’s important for them to control the boards.
With Marcin Gortat (15 rebounds, three blocks in Game 1) and Nene (six rebounds, two blocks) forming a solid starting frontcourt for Washington, John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Trevor Ariza can comfortably hoist shots from the outside, knowing that their big men (including Gooden) are up to the task of corralling the rebounds if they miss.
Betting on the Indiana Pacers
It doesn’t come as a surprise anymore. For the third time in four games, Roy Hibbert laid a big fat egg on his score sheet, as he had no points in Game 1. Even more frustrating for coach Frank Vogel was the fact that Hibbert did not even register a single rebound.
If the Indiana Pacers are to reach the conference finals this season, then their All-Star big man needs to play like he wants to be there. Paul George (23.9 PPG, 10.7 RPG in these Playoffs) can’t be the only one playing consistent basketball in the Playoffs for Indiana.
Among the teams that are still in contention, the Pacers are the worst in scoring. They’ve put up a lowly 93.8 PPG on 44.4% shooting.
Despite the loss to Washington, the Pacers’ 12-1 SU record in their last 13 home games against the Wizards is still impressive. Indiana hasn’t lost back-to-back at home since April 6th.
Writer’s Prediction
These are not the Atlanta Hawks, who have a questionable frontcourt, the Pacers are facing. The Wizards will not be as hot from the outside as they were in Game 1, but the big men will propel them to win Game 2. Take the Wizards to cover (+4).
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