The 2024 NBA Playoffs roll on into Tuesday, with three different Game 2 matchups set to tip off this evening. We’re ready to lock in some moneyline, spread, over/under, and player prop bets on BetMGM, and we’ll share our favorites so you can make some money with us.
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Kicking things off this evening, we’ll see the third-seeded Wolves hosting the sixth-seeded Suns in Minneapolis (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT, Sling). The Suns will be looking to even the series after Minnesota smashed Phoenix 120-95 in Game 1.
Then the Bucks host the Pacers (8:30 p.m., NBA TV, Sling), fresh off Milwaukee’s 109-94 beatdown of Indy in Game 1. It was ‘no Giannis, no problem’ for Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, who combined for 58 points on 20-of-38 shooting.
Closing out the night, the Clippers host Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in Los Angeles (10 p.m., TNT, Sling), with Dallas still licking its wounds from Game 1. The Mavs scored just 30 combined points in the first and second quarters, and L.A. ultimately won 109-97.
All three of these home teams won Game 1 in their respective first-round series, but only two of the three are favored to extend to a 2-0 lead. The Wolves (-2.5) are modest favorites and the Bucks (-1.5) are basically a coin-flip against the Pacers, while the Clips (+2.5) are getting points versus Dallas.
Let’s get to our best moneyline, spread, and over/under bets on BetMGM for Tuesday!
The Suns are getting 2.5 points as of now, and we’re taking on a little juice to buy two more so we can ride with Phoenix. We’re pretty confident that Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and company can win this game outright, but we’re extremely confident they can at least keep it close until the final whistle.
Phoenix swept Minnesota 3-0 in the regular season, winning all three games by double-digits and outscoring the Wolves by a collective 47 points. Anthony Edwards and company flipped the switch in Game 1, beating the Suns 120-95 in front of a raucous crowd at Target Center.
The Suns don’t take too kindly to getting beat down. They lost by 12 or more points 10 different times this season, and their record after those bad losses was 9-1. Not only that, their average plus-minus margin across those 10 games was +10.9.
We’re not saying they’re beating Chris Finch’s squad by double-digits in Minneapolis. However, we don’t see the Suns taking another beating, either. We’re rooting and betting for a close game here.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Wolves 115, Suns 111 — Minnesota wins (-155) but Phoenix covers the +4.5 alternate spread (-145), while the score goes well OVER the total (212.5).
Dallas got burned in the opening half of Game 1, scoring just 30 combined points, including just eight in the second quarter. But Jason Kidd’s squad looked to have figured something out after intermission, winning the second half 67-53.
The Clippers surprised the Mavs with physicality, and once Dallas responded with aggressiveness of its own, the tides shifted. We think Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will be on a mission on Tuesday night, and we like the Mavs’ ample front court to hold it down and make up for the embarrassing performance in the series opener.
The Mavericks went 19-13 both straight up and against the spread following a loss this season, while the Clippers went just 25-26 ATS after wins. Los Angeles also went 7-7 without Kawhi Leonard this season, so a 1-0 series lead almost makes it feel as if the Clips are playing with house money. Bet the Mavs to take this one down.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Mavericks 114, Clippers 111 — Dallas wins (-140) and narrowly covers (-2.5) and the game finishes OVER the total (217.5).
MORE: One key betting trend for every 1st-round matchup
The Bucks punched the Pacers in the mouth in Game 1, holding the highest-scoring team in the NBA to just 94 points on 39 percent shooting in a 15-point smackdown. Something tells us Rick Carlisle will have Tyrese Haliburton and company ready to bounce back from that tough L.
Indy averaged 123.3 points per game this season — nearly three full points better than the East-leading Celtics — and maintained the second-best pace in the Association. The Pacers also averaged 128.8 PPG while going 4-1 against Milwaukee, even bouncing the Bucks out of the In-Season Tournament.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo still out and both Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton feeling it from deep, all we need is Indy to catch fire and this OVER should be locked up by midway through the fourth quarter. We’re betting on and rooting for the points.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Pacers 120, Bucks 114 — Indy wins (-105) and covers (+1.5), while the game cruises well OVER the total (222.5).
When the going gets tough, the best in the biz get going. Dončić will be shooting early and often in Game 2 against the Clippers, trying to even out the series with Kawhi Leonard on the shelf.
Dončić dropped 33 in the losing effort in Game 1 and averaged 34 against the Clips over three games in the regular season. Nobody’s stopping this man on Tuesday night.
