Road to the NBA Finals: NBA Playoff Predictions, Picks for Every Game 2 on Tuesday

The 2026 NBA Playoffs roll on with three more Game 2 matchups on Tuesday, April 21, where two of the top teams in the odds to win the NBA Finals are in action.

After their wins on Sunday, the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs moved into a tie for second in the odds to win the NBA Finals, and there’s a chance they could end up meeting in the Finals in June.

This year, I’m trying a new challenge of betting on every NBA playoff game, and so far there have been some mixed results, including a 1-for-3 day on Monday night.

Here’s a quick look at the Game 2 matchups set for April 21:

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles vs. Houston series is extremely intriguing ahead of Game 2, as the Rockets remain favored to win the series (and this game) even after losing Game 1 outright. Kevin Durant (knee) is listed as questionable for Game 2 while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both still out for Los Angeles.

I have a pick for every game in the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday, including a player prop for Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

As always, the rules for the Road to the NBA Finals challenge are pretty simple:

Bet on every game through the play-in tournament and playoffs
Bet can be a spread, total, moneyline, player prop or game prop
ENJOY POSTSEASON BASKETBALL!

Here’s a breakdown of my favorite bet for each playoff game on Tuesday night.

Jayson Tatum OVER 9.5 Rebounds (-131)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Tatum is a great bet as a rebounder:

Jayson Tatum continued his elite postseason rebounding in Sunday’s Game 1, grabbing seven first-quarter rebounds and finishing with 11 boards in just over 32 minutes of action.

This is a continuation of his great rebounding since he returned from an Achilles injury in March. Tatum ended the regular season averaging 10.0 rebounds per game in 16 games, and he put up 10 games with double-digit rebounds.

With Joel Embiid (appendectomy) still out of the lineup, this Philly team is really shaky on the glass. During the regular season, the Sixers were 21st in rebound percentage and 22nd in the league in opponent rebounds per game.

Tatum is Boston’s best rebounder – even when Neemias Queta is in the game – and he’s shown that over the course of multiple playoff runs. Tatum has averaged 11.5, 9.7 and 10.5 rebounds per game in the last three postseasons, making him a worthwhile bet to reach 10 boards on Tuesday night.

San Antonio Spurs -11.5 (-105) vs. Portland Trail Blazers

So much for playoff jitters, right?

The Spurs looked locked in from the jump in Game 1, and they turned a 10-point halftime lead into a 13-point win, keeping the Blazers at bay the entire second half.

Portland’s offense (21st in the NBA in the regular season) was always going to be an issue in this series, and the Blazers didn’t get much from anyone outside of Deni Avdija (30 points) and Scoot Henderson (18 points).

San Antonio is now 21-17-1 against the spread when favored at home, and the Blazers’ road record as underdogs continues to be a concern.

Portland has an average scoring margin of -9.9 points in those games, going 12-14 against the spread. San Antonio is now 33-8 straight up at home in the 2025-26 season, and the defense isn’t going away.

The Spurs have now won three games against Portland by 11 or more points, even though Wemby has played in just one of them. I’m going to lay the points again on Tuesday, as Portland’s offense simply lacks the firepower to keep up with this potent Spurs attack that finished in the top three in offensive, defensive and net rating in the regular season.

Los Angeles Lakers +4.5 (-105) vs. Houston Rockets

Could we see another upset in Game 2 of this Western Conference battle?

Kevin Durant’s status is truly up in the air after an ominous report from Shams Charania on Monday, and I think the Lakers are being undervalued even if the two-time NBA Finals MVP does play in Game 2.

Reporting for NBA Today on status updates on Houston star Kevin Durant's deep patellar tendon bruise and Minnesota star Anthony Edwards' runner's knee: pic.twitter.com/SJ8pdxdKV6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 20, 2026

There are a few things to look at when it comes to this Game 2 matchup:

The Lakers’ Turnovers

Los Angeles turned the ball over a ton in Game 1, yet it weathered the storm by holding Houston to 37.6 percent shooting from the field.

Los Angeles shot over 60 percent from the field to get the win, but a few less turnovers could mitigate the expected step back that L.A. will have from the floor.

The Durant Factor

Houston lacks shock creation with Durant out, and it was evident in Game 1 that outside of Alperen Sengun and Reed Sheppard, there isn’t anyone who can really initiate offense and create their own shot.

Even if the star forward is in the lineup, are we sure that the Rockets are multiple possessions better than the Lakers? Los Angeles showed a proof of concept with James orchestrating the offense in Game 1, and Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura are good enough secondary players to help L.A. keep up with a shaky Houston offense that has wilted time and time again in crunch time this season.

L.A.’s Defense

The lone benefit to Reaves and Doncic being out is the fact that the Lakers can play extremely defensive-heavy lineups, which worked wonders in Game 1. I think there’s real upset potential if Durant ends up sitting, as Houston wouldn’t have a major advantage on the offensive end.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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