The excitement and unpredictability of the first round of the NBA Playoffs have come and gone, and with just eight teams remaining, the best of the best are left to battle it out in the second round.
Monday’s matchups featured the Minnesota Timberwolves continuing their surprising playoff run by stealing a game off the San Antonio Spurs, as they look to reach the Western Conference Finals for the third straight year.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks kept up their momentum from their trouncing of the Atlanta Hawks to close that series against the Philadelphia 76ers, taking a 1-0 lead at home.
Today’s slate sees the Los Angeles Lakers, who were major underdogs in the first round, test their luck against the resounding title favorite Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, just days after wrapping up their respective seven-game series, face off in a much anticipated Game 1.
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First Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +15.5 over Oklahoma City Thunder
Rundown: Regardless of how dominant the defending champion Thunder were this season, a 15.5 point spread in a second-round series is simply too steep.
Despite being without Luka Doncic, the Lakers showed they have formulas to success in the first round against the Houston Rockets.
With Austin Reaves back, LeBron James has another offensive ballhandler to lessen the burden on him to facilitate the entire offense, which is a tremendous boon to LA’s defense.
JJ Redick’s squad has shown they have the personnel to guard in these playoffs, and if Deandre Ayton can give you the defensive intensity he did in Round 1 against the Thunder, then the Lakers should be able to avoid getting raced out of the arena on Tuesday.
The Lakers held the Rockets to under 100 points in four of six games in their series, while the Thunder will be without their second-best player in Jalen Williams.
OKC’s year-long dominance has resulted in some particularly gaudy point spreads in these playoffs, but despite sweeping the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder only covered in two of four games.
The Lakers are a much better team than the Suns, and after a close Game 1 to start this second-round series, expect this to be the last opportunity to bet against such a large point spread in these playoffs.
Second Pick: Detroit Pistons -3.5 over Cleveland Cavaliers
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles defended by Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) in the second half during game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena.
Rundown: If the Cavs showed us anything in their first round series against the Toronto Raptors, it’s that their elite offense does not travel.
Cleveland was 0-3 on the road and 4-0 at home, with the home team winning each game in that series.
The Raptors showed that you can bother the Cavs’ all-star backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden with aggressive and rangy perimeter defenders, and the Pistons have that as well, particularly in Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ausar Thompson.
Detroit is the top-ranked defensive team in these playoffs through the first round, and ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating through the regular season.
Expect a slow night for Harden and Mitchell in Game 1, resulting in a Pistons win and cover.