May 26th NBA Picks – Will Underdog Wizards, Hawks, and Grizzlies Come Through Again Wednesday Night?

• Chris Sheridan has insight on Wednesday’s NBA Playoff underdogs
• Coming off Game 1 covers and upset against higher-seeded teams, can all three deliver again in  their Game 2s?
• See the trends for the Grizzlies, Wizards and Hawks in the story below

Taylor Jenkins and the Memphis Grizzlies are having quite the stretch.  They have already ended the seasons of Gregg Popovich and Steph Curry, and they pulled off the biggest shocker of the opening weekend of the NBA playoffs by defeating the top-seeded Utah Jazz on the road in Game 1.

Has this ‘dog already had its day? Or is this one of three NBA underdogs back in action Wednesday night that deserves a closer look heading into a trio of Game 2’s?

If the gambling gods smile on Memphis along with the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks, the chalk in the NBA playoffs will be closer to erasure, and three of the bigger public betting favorites are going to be on their heels.

Grizzlies vs Jazz Game 2 Odds

Odds as of May 26th

Can Memphis Catch Lightning In a Bottle Twice?

Doubt the Grizzlies at your own risk. Ja Morant seems intent to prove he is twice as good of a player as the point guard he replaced (Mike Conley), Dillon Brooks is coming off a coming out party performance of 31 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the Game 1 upset, and Jonas Valanciunas seems intent to show that Lithuanian centers and every bit as good as French centers despite whatever award Rudy Gobert might have coming his way (Defensive Player of the Year).

Donovan Mitchell will be playing for Utah after being a last-minute scratch Sunday night, and this shapes up as an epic battle between a No. 8 seed that has been flying under the radar all season  and a No. 1 seed that needs to re-discover its 3-point prowess, pronto.

Memphis won the opener 112-109, despite making only seven 3-pointers to Utah’s 12 and going to the free throw line 21 times to Utah’s 33. The Grizzlies will have to find someone to defend Mitchell, who burned them for 35 points in each of his two regular season games.

Since the NBA expanded to 16 playoff teams in 1984, the No. 8 seed has won the opening game 15 of 76 times (19.7%). Of the 14 times it has happened prior to Utah’s loss, the No. 8 seed has gone on to win the series three times (21.4%). Only five No. 8 seeds have in NBA history have upset a No. 1 seed in 74 total series (6.8%).

26 points (10 in the 4th quarter) for @JaMorant in Game 1. pic.twitter.com/CWx3P7xk8s

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) May 24, 2021

Wizards vs Sixers Game 2 Odds

Is It Do or Die Time for Russell Westbrook and the Wizards?

That might be putting it a little too strongly, but there is no arguing that Washington blew a chance to pull off the upset Sunday afternoon when Westbrook committed an unforced turnover and then missed a 3-pointer in the final 40 seconds as the Sixers failed to pull away.

Nobody is harder on himself for making mistakes than Westbrook, so expect him to come into Wednesday night’s Game 2 with an extra level of focus.

“The level of physicality was going to be way top-tier — and then playing guys like [Philadelphia backup center] Dwight Howard, Joel Embiid, you have to come out with a mindset of trying to push them around more than they try to push you around,” Washington center Daniel Gafford said.

Finding someone to defend Tobias Harris will be a priority after Philly’s “third star” went off for 37 points. The Sixers also got 30 from Embiid to help overcome Ben Simmons’ 0-for-6 free throw shooting.

All eyes on Game 2.#WizSixers | @RealDealBeal23 pic.twitter.com/m7cIuo4RfF

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) May 25, 2021

Hawks vs Knicks Game 2 Odds

What to Expect Aside From Another Raucous Crowd at MSG?

Trae Young played the villain especially well and silenced the largest crowd to gather in New York since the pandemic began.

Can he do it again? Because we’ve already learned that New York has nobody who can defend him. That will be question No. 1 as Tom Thibodeau prepares his Knicks for Game 2, with many folks expecting Frank Ntilikina to replace the ineffective Elfrid Payton in the starting lineup.

“The great players, in every era, that’s what they do,” Thibodeau said. “They pose problems.”

The Knicks can live with the matchups at other positions being a wash, but they cannot let Young go off in the fourth quarter again, nor can they afford another 6-for-23 brick fest like the one Julius Randle gave them in Game 1.

There will be a sense of desperation from New York to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole after already having lost home court advantage. The Knicks swept the season series 3-0 but are clearly not as deep as the Hawks, whose postseason chemistry is as unrefined as the Knicks’.

Game 2 on deck.

Back to work Wednesday night 😤 pic.twitter.com/lw1nxVfy5t

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 25, 2021

What Are the Best Bets?

The chances of three lower-seeded teams all winning is small, so the wager to make from a sound judgement basis is all three ‘dogs plus the points.

Memphis has covered in two straight games; Washington  has covered in five of seven and 11 of the past 15; Atlanta has covered in three straight and six of nine. Maybe do yourself a favor and buy an extra half-point on the Hawks, making the spread 2.5.

Three upsets are not needed for this parlay, just three close games. The three ‘dogs have already shown that they have some bite with their bark.