BENNY DIAMOND’S NBA PLAYOFF PICKS
Portland ML -140 over Nuggets
They split the first two games at home in both series and lost Game 3 before winning Game 4 to go home tied at two wins each. Denver rolled to easy wins in Game 5 of both series but they were rolled rather easily in Game 6 in San Antonio. The Trail Blazers were 32-9 at home in the regular season and they are 4-1 at home in the playoffs. Denver has the momentum but they did against the Spurs as well. Look for Portland to find a way to survive and force another Game 7 situation for the Nuggets.
RAPTORS -2 over 76ers
The 76ers have struggled against the spread, losing eight of their last 11 conference semifinal games, while the Raptors have won seven of their last 10 road games. Embiid and Simmons have stunk it up in their last two games and the team won’t stand a chance on Thursday if they continue to struggle. The Raptors will also be trying to close out the 76ers, now that the Milwaukee Bucks have advanced to the conference finals so the Bucks don’t get any extra time to rest. With Kawhi Leonard playing his best basketball of the season, the Raptors are the best bet here.
