The first round of the NBA Playoffs enters its first Game 2s on Monday night with two Eastern Conference games and Lakers–Nuggets out west. The first game tips off at 7 p.m. ET between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks and closing out with a matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
Will Paolo Banchero and his most-improved-status Magic be able to turn on the offense to get a win against Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs? Is there hope for the Sixers if Embiid can’t get to 100% after another injury scare in Game 1? What about LeBron James and his Lakers? Can anyone compete against the Nikola Jokić–Jamal Murray power coupling?
We’ve got odds, previews and predictions for all three games below, in order of tip-off.
All odds from BetMGM. Find the best deals on StubHub for tickets.
No. 5 Orlando Magic at No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers
How to watch: 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Series odds: Cleveland -400, Orlando +310
After Saturday night’s 97-83 win by the Cavaliers, Cleveland’s odds to win the series have inched further away from Orlando’s. The Magic are such a capable team defensively, and their physicality is probably the Cavs’ biggest challenge. But all that energy spent on defense comes at the cost of strong offensive play.
Game 1’s light offensive output will likely continue through the series. The Cavs have trouble scoring against the Magic’s physicality, but the Magic have trouble scoring thanks to their defensive focus. It would be a feat to see Orlando score 100. Might they experiment with a different lineup in Game 2 to try to open up the offense?
The Cavs have enough shot-making ability to win and cover in this game. Their starters showed up in Game 1, with Donovan Mitchell getting 30 points, Evan Mobley 16, and Jarrett Allen 16. We’re keeping an eye out for role-players like Georges Niang and Sam Merrill to step up in Game 2.
Expert picks for Cavs vs. Magic
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No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers at No. 2 New York Knicks
How to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Series odds: New York -275, Philly +225
Embiid’s knee: the cloud over this whole series. As of Sunday night, Embiid is questionable for Game 2 as he continues to recover from a left knee injury. An incredible self-alley-oop play by Embiid, T-Mac style, almost ended in disaster when he landed on his hurt leg and went down, and stayed down for several minutes in Game 1.
Fortunately, he walked off and returned to the game in the third quarter but played the second half showing some fatigue.
And with that, the Sixers went from neck-and-neck with the Knicks in series odds to the Knicks being favored by a fair margin. Sure, the Sixers had some other issues in Game 1, as well, with missed rebounds and shots. But, in the words of The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, “With Embiid, they are contenders. Without him, they aren’t.”
The series will be competitive if Embiid is 100 percent (or even 90 percent). Tyrese Maxey is on fire shooting, and with Embiid, they’re Batman and Robin. But if the Sixers are without their Batman, the Knicks could do it in four or five games.
Expert picks for Knicks vs. Sixers
No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 2 Denver Nuggets
How to watch: 10 p.m. ET on TNT
Series odds: Denver -700, LA +500
The Nuggets’ odds to win the series have ballooned from -350 to -700 since winning Game 1 114-103. They are 4-0 against the Lakers this season since sweeping them in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. (The Lakers haven’t beaten the Nuggets since October 30, 2022.)
The Murray-Jokić high pick-and-roll is perhaps the most unguardable play in basketball right now. The Nuggets are the class of the West, and while Anthony Davis and LeBron James continue to play well, the Nuggets’ supporting class makes them too much for this LA core. Don’t expect this one to go to seven.
As a viral post on X joked, LeBron may actually want to tell his younger self: “Find a man named Nikola Jokić, convince him to pursue horse racing full time.”
Expert picks for Nuggets vs. Lakers
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(Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić in March: Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images)
