NBA Playoffs Betting: Injuries Influence Game 2 Spreads

• The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as 1-point favorites against the Memphis Grizzlies with Ja Morant’s availability uncertain.
• The Milwaukee Bucks are 6.5-point favorites over the Miami Heat despite Giannis Antetokounmpo listed as doubtful for Game 2.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Grizzlies may be without star guard Ja Morant for Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers as 1-point home underdogs. With Morant’s game status in jeopardy, public betting has swung the game spread in favor of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers Opening Odds

• Spread: Memphis Grizzlies -1.5
• Moneyline: Grizzlies (-120) vs Lakers (+100)

Morant carries a questionable designation on the NBA’s injury report for the same hand that he was previously dealing with an injury on. The Los Angeles Lakers received 73% of money line bets and now are 1-point favorites on NBA sportsbooks for Game 2.

Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers Current Odds

• Spread: Los Angeles Lakers -1
• Moneyline: Grizzlies (-105) vs Lakers (-115)

The Los Angeles Lakers outscored the Memphis Grizzlies 23-11 after Ja Morant’s exit in the fourth quarter. Ja expressed his pessimism towards playing in Game 2 in an interview with ESPN, claiming that he was unable to undo a balled-up pair off socks.

The Lakers (-115) have valuable odds to win Game 2 in Memphis, even if Ja Morant plays, based on their scoring performance in the first game of the series.

Milwaukee Bucks (-6.5) vs Miami Heat

The Milwaukee Bucks are in a similar spot as the Grizzlies, losing Game 1 along with their best player. The Bucks are 6.5-point favorites against the Miami Heat with Giannis Antetokounmpo listed as doubtful for Game 2.

Even if the Heat don’t shoot 60% from three-point range again, their 13-point victory in Game 1 with Antetokounmpo’s absence gives value to their +6.5-point spread on legal sportsbooks.

Luckily for the short-handed Grizzlies and Bucks, home teams that lose Game 1 since 2021 go on to win Game 2 over 92% of the time. With the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns winning their Game 2 home games, this crazy NBA Playoffs trend continues to prove itself and improved to 12-1.