Celtics or Sixers, Nuggets or Suns? Who do the odds like in Wednesday’s Game 5s?

Two massive Game 5s await: will the MVP Joel Embiid step up? Do Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets reassert themselves at home? Who do the odds like?

The second round of the NBA playoffs are getting to their pointy end with two pivotal Game 5s on Wednesday that are more fascinating than Nic Cage’s IMDB.

Who do the odds like in these two massive Game 5s between the Celtics and Sixers, and Suns-Nuggets?

Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics. Picture: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

BOSTON CELTICS: $1.33 (via bet365)

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: $3.55 (via TopSport)

TD Garden, Boston, 9.30am

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Following a chaotic, messy OT loss in a tight Game 4, Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics ($1.33) head back to Massachusetts and host Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers ($2.04) for Game 5 looking to take control of a series that’s 2-2 mostly thanks to former MVP, James Harden of the Sixers.

The Celtics will at least be buoyed by the fact that but for a bad Jaylen Brown rotation on a Harden corner 3 (and allowing Marcus Smart, their fifth-best options - s/o NBA Straya - to take two game-deciding shots) and another superhuman from Harden (42 points after 45 in the Game 1 win) they’d likely be up 3-1 in the series.

Boston are favourites at home for a reason, toting a 35-11 record at TD Garden this season. On top of an improved showing from their role players, Boston will look to Tatum (who averages 31.7 points at home, compared to 28.6 on the road) and Brown (26.7 points a game at home) to carry them.

• Jayson Tatum - 30+ points: $2.10 (via bet365)
• Jaylen Brown - 30+ points: $4 (via bet365)

When the superstar pair goes for 30+ in a game, the Celtics are 23-1 for a win percentage of .957 and if Tatum and Brown are firing at home alongside role players like Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, Al Horford and Grant Williams, Boston will like their chances of a big Game 5 win.

THE PICK: BOSTON CELTICS -6.5: $1.76 (via Betr)

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS @ BOSTON CELTICS SGM

• Jayson Tatum - 29.5+ points

Tatum averages 31.7 points at home.

• Joel Embiid - 29.5+ points

Embiid had 34 in Game 4 and averages 32.3 on the road.

• Joel Embiid - 11.5+ rebounds

Embiid had 13 in the last two games.

• Total Points - Over 214.5

Three of the last four games between the two have hit the over.

• Boston - Win

Boston is 34-11 at home this season.

-- FIVE-LEG SGM @ $12 (via Betr)

Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns celebrates with teammate Kevin Durant. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

DENVER NUGGETS: $1.48 (via bet365)

PHOENIX SUNS: $2.78 (via TopSport)

Pepsi Center, Denver, 12pm

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The West semi-final series heads back to Denver after the Phoenix Suns navigated two home games in Arizona without point guard Chris Paul to even the series with the Nuggets at 2-2 in the perfect example of a team playing better without a nagging, annoying veteran bringing them down (s/o NBA Straya again).

The Suns got the better of the Nuggets in Game 4 despite an incredible 53 points from Nikola Jokic by simply being able to put the ball in the hands of their best two players - Devin Booker (36 points, 12 assists) and Kevin Durant (36 points, 11 rebounds, six assists) - rather than let Paul dictate the pace, do all the setting up and not hit shots (Paul was 9-of-21 from the floor and 1-of-5 from 3 in the first two games before injuring his groin).

Two wins were the result but with Paul already ruled out for this Game 5, at home the Nuggets will like their chances to be able to key in on Durant and Booker and slow their scoring barrage.

The Suns bench has been an issue all series and with Denver being the NBA’s very best home team - 39-7 so far this season - up in the altitude of Colorado, they should be able to ride another dominant Jokic performance and get more from their other stars and role players to snag a win.

In particular expect an improved shooting performance from Jamal Murray, who has gone for 28+ points in three of the games so far but has only shot 2-18 over the last three games from downtown.

Jamal Murray - 30+ points: $3.20 (via Betr)

For a shooter who was 40.8% on 3-pointers at home this season, there’s plenty of scope for a big bounceback as the Nuggets contain the Suns and get a win.

THE PICK: DENVER NUGGETS -5: $1.85 (via TopSport)

-- PHOENIX @ DENVER SGM --

• Jamal Murray - 30+ points

He’s gone for 30+ twice already in this series and a bounce back from 3pt land is on the cards for Murray.

• Devin Booker 25+ points

Booker hasn’t gone under 26 points all playoffs.

• Devin Booker - 6+ assists

With no CP3, Booker will keep racking up the assists: he has 6+ in six straight games.

• Kevin Durant 25+ points

KD has only gone under 25 once all playoffs.

• Denver - Win

The home team has won the last eight straight between these two.

-- FIVE-LEG SGM @ $6.06 (via Ladbrokes)

[all odds as of May 9]

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Originally published as Celtics or Sixers, Nuggets or Suns? Who do the odds like in Wednesday’s Game 5s?