How’s this for intrigue: The primary round of the 2016 NBA postseason saw favorites post a win/loss mark of 34-10 (.772) with a record of 26-18 ATS (.590), while a staggering 13 contests were decided by 20 or more points. 

To put that into perspective, everything of the 2015 NBA playoffs saw just 12 matchups with box scores featuring wins of 20 or more points.

Rest assured you aren't alone if you’re currently experiencing an absence of pleasure surrounding the blowout basketball that has become the Association’s annual postseason tournament.

However, for the sports bettors willing to put chalk at almost every turn throughout the first 44 games of the playoffs, congratulations at the sufficient bankroll padding that you’ve enjoyed en path to Round 2. Gamblers aren’t out there for compelling television. Gamblers are, however, out there for turning a profit.

The favorites absolutely had their way with the dogs in Round 1, but do you know that during much more impressive fashion, NBA Unders went 31-13 (.704) in the course of the postseason’s first eight series matchups?  

One may read that previous sentence and assume that a trend will have been unearthed, but be mindful that Round 2 of the postseason has already registered two Overs through two contests.

Speaking of these contests, why don’t we check out what the NBA has in store for Round 2, shall we?

No. 1 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS vs. No. 5 PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Playoff series: Golden State 1-0 SU and 1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/URegular season series: Golden State 3-1 SU and 3-1 ATS, 4-0 O/U

Analysis: No Stephen Curry, no problem for the defending champs, who obliterated the Houston Rockets in five games after which annihilated Damian Lillard and the upstart Trail Blazers 118-106 within the series opener way to a primary quarter that saw the Dubs jump out to a 37-17 lead. 

There is talk across the Bay that the reigning MVP might be back by Game 3, but when the soldiers head to Portland up 2-0 within the series, would Steve Kerr & Co. risk further injury to their superstar after they could simply rest him for an extra few days? My bet is that we don’t see Curry until Game 4 on the earliest, although I’ve been wrong various times before. 

Take note that once the Blazers crushed the soldiers 137-105 in Portland back on February 19, Golden State has since ripped off three straight victories against their rivals from the Pacific Northwest, winning by a normal of 17.6 points per game within the process. Portland simply lacks the frontcourt firepower to hold with the champs.

No. 1 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS vs. No. 4 ATLANTA HAWKS

Playoff series: Cleveland 1-0 SU and 1-0 ATS, 0-1 O/URegular season series: Cleveland 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS, 2-1 O/U

Analysis: Five playoff games, five wins, three of that have come by double digits. That’s the resume boasted by LeBron James and the Cavaliers as of Monday night’s 104-93 victory over Atlanta, marking the fourth day trip of 4 tries this season that Cleveland has won and covered against the Hawks.  

This series includes a large discrepancy between the 2 participants in relation to pace, as Atlanta finished the regular season ranked eighth within the NBA in that specific metric, while Cleveland ranked 28th, meaning Under players need to be on high alert in the event that they believe the King and his men will dictate the flow.  

Not only is the Under 6-1 in Atlanta’s seven postseason performances this spring, however the Under has also hit in three of Cleveland’s last four playoff outings as well.

No. 2 SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs. No. 3 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Playoff series: Tied 1-1 SU and 1-1 ATS, 1-1 O/URegular season series: 2-2 SU, Oklahoma City 4-0 ATS, 1-3 O/U

Analysis: Controversy! After losing by 32 points in Game 1, Oklahoma City roared back in Game 2 in San Antonio to defeat the Spurs - who went 40-1 at home this season - by a last score of 98-97 way to a highly controversial non-call at the game’s final inbounds pass.  

News flash: If Manu Ginobili hadn’t made a 14-year NBA career out of flopping, perhaps he gets that decision. Yes, his foot was at the line and yes, that was absolutely a nasty. But you can’t help but appreciate the irony that comes when an entire life flopper fails to receive a flopping call when he was actually fouled.  The Spurs - who opened as -900 favorites to win this series - still advance to the conference finals, but maybe Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City swan song prolongs the inevitable, yet highly anticipated, Golden State-San Antonio matchup by a couple of days.

No. 2 TORONTO RAPTORS vs. No. 3 MIAMI HEAT

Playoff series: 0-0 (starts Tuesday)Regular season series: Toronto 3-1 SU and 3-1 ATS, 2-2 O/U

Analysis: Two Game 7 victors who advanced in very different manners because the Heat fought back from a 3-2 series deficit against Charlotte while the Raptors survived a fourth-quarter scare from Indiana to clinch the franchise’s first playoff series victory since 2001.  

Be advised that the warmth are only 1-5 ATS of their last six matchups with Toronto, however the Raptors are 0-4 ATS over their last four playoff contests. At the positive side, Miami is a rock-solid 23-10 ATS over its last 33 showdowns with Eastern Conference opposition, but Toronto is simply 3-8 ATS over its last 11 games playing on at some point of rest.  

For those of you who're enthusiastic about taking a long-term approach, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened Toronto as a -165 favorite for this series (Miami +145).

Read More... [Source: Covers.com: NBA News and Stories]