Hawks Face Magic in Game 1 – Basketball Free Picks

After sweeping right through the Charlotte Bobcats in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the Orlando Magic look like they may be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

But with the pesky Atlanta Hawks coming to town for Game 1 of the second round, who should be your Tuesday night NBA basketball bet?

NBA Second Round: Game 1

No. 3 Atlanta Hawks (4-3 Round 1 win over Milwaukee, 4-3 ATS) at

No. 2 Orlando Magic (4-0 Round 1 win over Charlotte, 3-1 ATS)

Tuesday, May 4: 8:00 p.m. TNT

NBA Betting Odds: Orlando -9, Total Points 192

Orlando comes into this series off a convincing, dominating series over Charlotte, but now the question must be asked: Can superstar Dwight Howard can stay on the court?

Howard- this season’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year- was a force down low, and averaged nine rebounds and five blocks per game in the four wins over Charlotte.

Now imagine how much more damage he could have done if he wasn’t plagued by foul trouble. Howard played an average of 26.7 minutes per game in Round 1, well below his season average of 34, and committed an average of 5.5 fouls per game.

With Atlanta’s more athletic front court, Orlando can’t afford to have “Superman,” on the bench.

As for Atlanta, they come into this series off a seven game nail-biter in Round 1 against Milwaukee. While it’d be easy to criticize Atlanta for allowing the series to go a full seven games, credit needs to be given to the Hawks for winning back-to-back games to close out the series, including Game 6 on the road.

The most important factor for Atlanta is how they defend Orlando. In the series against the Bucks, Atlanta was Jekyll and Hyde defensively, as in their wins, they allowed Milwaukee to score just 80 points per game.. In their losses however, they allowed 103 points per game.

And if you’re a Hawks fan, that’s got to be your biggest concern: How do you stop this Orlando offense?

While there aren’t any superstars outside of Howard on this roster, there are several players who can truly hurt you from anywhere on the court.

Jameer Nelson averaged close to 24 points a game in Round 1, and Vince Carter 15.5. On the season, Orlando had seven players who hit at least 78 3-pointers total. Meaning that at any time, anyone on the court can kill you.

Factor in all that, plus Orlando having over a week off between rounds, and they should be your play in this game.

Atlanta is coming off a tough seven game series with Milwaukee, and you’ve really got to wonder how much they’ve got left in the tank.

Add in a rested and dangerous Orlando team, and it’s just not looking good for the Hawks in Game 1. Remember also, that Orlando took three of four from the Hawks in the regular season, and there’s definitely cause for concern for the visitors.

Make the Magic, your Tuesday night NBA basketball bet.

Aaron’s NBA Free Pick: Orlando -9 >> JOIN HERE!