2021 NBA Playoff Odds

The NBA Playoffs have been anything but ordinary through the first two games of each series, which makes for some very interesting 2021 NBA playoff odds for a trio of Game 3s on Thursday, May 27. BetRivers.com is proud to provide a wide variety of 2021 NBA Playoff odds, props, and teasers for Blazers-Nuggets, Lakers-Suns and Heat-Bucks. After reading the updates, join and bet on sports legally and securely.

The No. 3 seed Nuggets avoid a 0-2 hole with a 19-point win in Game 2 on Monday. With Chris Paul banged up, the No. 2 seed Suns were unable to grab a 2-0 lead over the No. 7 seed Lakers. The series moves to Los Angeles on Thursday night and the Lakers look to be rounding into championship form. In the East, the No. 3 seed Bucks dismantled the No. 6 seed Heat in Game 2 and can move one step closer to a first-round sweep with a Game 3 win on Thursday night.

Longtime basketball writer Rob Dauster, the co-founder of The Field of 68 Podcast Network is here to provide his thoughts on the 2021 NBA Playoff odds for Thursday, May 27, with picks and predictions for Game 3 of Blazers-Nuggets, Lakers-Suns and Heat-Bucks.

RELATED: Click here for the full list of 2021 NBA Playoff Odds & Futures

We went 3-0 yesterday betting favorites!

And while some of those player props we liked didn’t his — Joel Embiid went quiet at the wrong time — we’ll take 3-0 eight days a week.

Where is the value tonight?

2021 NBA PLAYOFF ODDS: THURSDAY, MAY 27

#3 DENVER NUGGETS (1-1) at #6 PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
GAME 3: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBATV
MONEYLINE: Blazers -175 ML, Nuggets +143 ML
SPREAD: Blazers -4
OVER/UNDER: 227.5
Click here for the full list of Blazers-Nuggets Game 3 odds.

Denver avoided falling into a 2-0 hole as they blew out Portland in Game 2, winning 128-109 to even up the series at 1-1. Nikola Jokic was the star, as you might expect, finishing with 38 points while shooting 75% from the field. He was 10-for-12 from the floor in the first half, and if it wasn’t for a superhuman performance from Damian Lillard in the first 24 minutes, this game would not have looked as respectable as a 19-point loss.

The adjustment that the Nuggets made in Game 2 was to pound the ball inside. There were times where their front court simply played 3-on-3 with Denver’s guards camped out in the corners. They have an incredible size advantage everywhere along the front line, and despite the fact that Michael Porter Jr. hasn’t really gotten it going in the series yet, they’ve been able to find an attack that works.

My take on this game, however, is going to be the same as my take on the entire series: I don’t think either of these rosters are built to get stops against each other. Portland doesn’t have size inside. Denver doesn’t have the guards to slow down Dame or CJ McCollum. Denver found a way to get their offense clicking in Game 2, and while I don’t think we’re going to see them shooting 66 percent from the floor in the first half again, I do think that they are going to be able to find a way to take advantage of those mismatches. Eventually, MPJ is going to start making some shots as well.

And Portland?

You know at some point that Dame is going to go Supernova on us.

So the over is the play for me.

But I also do think that the Nuggets are worth a look here. The line is already moving towards Portland — it opened at (-3.5) — and I just think that Denver has found a way to attack the Blazers. Denver’s moneyline (+143) is worth a look as well.

#2 PHOENIX SUNS (1-1) at #7 LOS ANGELES LAKERS (1-1)
GAME 3: 10:00 p.m. ET, TNT
MONEYLINE: Lakers -295 ML, Suns +240 ML
SPREAD: Lakers -7
OVER/UNDER: 211.5
Click here for the full list of Lakers-Suns Game 3 odds.

The Lakers were able to wrestle away home-court advantage from the No. 2-seed Suns this week as they won Game 2 despite the fact that they have yet to really settle into any kind of offensive rhythm in the series.

The biggest reason why?

Chris Paul is hurt. In the Playoffs. Again. (There are a lot of jokes that can be made here, but I just feel bad for the dude. He’s an all-time great at the point and he has had the worst postseason luck of any star ever.)

Keep an eye on his status, but just two days ago, he only managed 23 minutes while playing at what was clearly not 100 percent. He’s their defensive engine at the point of attack and a star in ball-screens that thrives in the mid-range. Cameron Payne has had a resurgence in Phoenix. Cameron Payne is not Chris Paul.

The other interesting aspect in this game is what the Lakers do at the four and the five. When Marc Gasol or Andre Drummond are on the floor, it gets Anthony Davis matched up with someone who is not De’Andre Ayton. That’s a good thing! But when Davis is not at the five, it significantly reduces what the Lakers can be defensively.

Now, I don’t want to bet this spread until I know Paul’s status. The fact that the line is at (-7) suggests to me that Paul will not be playing, and if he is, he will not be near 100 percent. If that’s the case, I like the over here. I fully expect Frank Vogel to continue using a two-big lineup, creating exploitable matchups on both ends, and without Paul, Phoenix is not as good defensively or as disciplined controlling the pace offensively.

Oh, and there is definitely some three-point regression coming for the Lakers. Points on points on points.

#3 MILWAUKEE BUCKS (2-0) at #6 MIAMI HEAT (0-2)
GAME 3: 7:30 p.m ET, TNT
MONEYLINE: Bucks -121 ML, Heat +102 ML
SPREAD: Bucks -1.5
OVER/UNDER: 225
Click here for the full list of Blazers-Nuggets Game 3 odds.

We expected some regression in Game 2, and we got it.

In Game 1, Milwaukee shot just 5-for-31 from three. In Game 2, they shot 22-for-53. In Game 1, they won on a Khris Middleton game-winner in overtime. In Game 2, they led by 26 points at the end of the first quarter. Miami shot 20-for-50 from three in Game 1. They were 8-for-28 in Game 2.

Truth be told, Game 2 is more indicative of this matchup than Game 1. The Bucks can now surround Giannis with shooters, and given Brook Lopez’s presence and the fact that Trevor Ariza just doesn’t have the strength to be able to guard Giannis, it forced Spoelstra to use Dewayne Dedmon alongside Bam Adebayo in Game 2. Now, this could have just been something that he tried out to see if it could work moving forward once he knew the game was out of reach, but that seems like an awfully suboptimal thing to do against a team that has mastered the art of dunks, layups and open threes.

This is Miami’s last stand. And after the Bucks won both games at home as five-point favorites, they’ve only laying 1.5 points on the road here. This certainly is a bounce-back spot, but I just think this is too bad of a matchup for Miami. Bucks sweep. Lay the points. I would even consider betting it up to Milwaukee (-3.5). Rout City.