NBA Playoffs: Lakers, Hawks, Blazers, Jazz Favored To Take Series Leads In Game 3

Half of the first-round series in the 2021 NBA playoffs are up for grabs. Four of the eight matchups are tied 1-1 after two games, giving lower-seed teams a chance to take control of the series at home.

The Los Angeles Lakers are given the best chance to win Game 3, which is set for Thursday night at Staples Center. After taking Game 2 from the Phoenix Suns on the road, the defending champs are 6.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

As the No. 7 seed, the Lakers entered the playoffs as heavy favorites to eliminate the No. 2 seed Suns. The notion that Los Angeles is the better team was reinforced when LeBron James and Anthony Davis carried Los Angeles in Game 2, looking fully recovered from their regular-season injuries.

The Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers are also favored at home, though their series is thought to be much more evenly matched.

The betting line for Thursday’s game between Portland and the Denver Nuggets is 3.5 points. The superstars have come to play in this series. MVP favorite Nikola Jokic is averaging 36.0 points and 12.0 rebounds for Denver. Damian Lillard is putting up 38.0 points and 11.5 assists per contest.

Atlanta is favored by four points over the visiting New York Knicks Friday night. Trae Young hit a game-winning floater in the final seconds of Game 1 to propel the Hawks at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks mounted a second-half comeback to salvage Game 2, led by 26 points off the bench from Derrick Rose.

With the point spread at five points, the Utah Jazz are the only road team favored to win Game 3 in a series that’s tied 1-1. The Memphis Grizzlies have stolen home-court advantage from the No. 1 seed Jazz behind Ja Morant’s 36.5 points per game. Donovan Mitchell returned to the lineup in Game 2 and Utah scored 141 points in the victory.

The Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks all lead their respective series 2-0. Only the Los Angeles Clippers are given any serious chance to rebound and reach the second round.