NBA Playoffs 2019: Complete Monday TV Schedule, Odds and Predictions

Here comes the second round of the NBA playoffs, whether the Denver Nuggets are ready or not.

The Nuggets were extended to the limit in their first-round, seven-game series over the San Antonio Spurs, and after getting 48 hours to catch their collective breath, they start competing in the second round against the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night.

Denver, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, will have home-court advantage over the third-seeded Trail Blazers. Portland earned an impressive five-game victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in its first-round series, and the visitors will be rested since their close-out game against the Thunder was Wednesday.

The Philadelphia 76ers will try to even their second-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors Monday night. Philadelphia dropped the opening game of the series 108-95, and the Sixers have lost 14 straight games in Toronto. In addition to trying to overcome their long losing streak north of the border, they must find a way to contain the powerful Kawhi Leonard, who dropped 45 points on them in Game 1.

NBA Playoffs Monday Schedule

Game 2: Philadelphia at Toronto (8 p.m. ET, TNT) 

Game 1: Portland at Denver (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT) 

The Raptors are on a roll, as they have reeled off a team-record five straight playoff wins since losing the opener of their first-round series to the Orlando Magic.

The combination of Leonard and Pascal Siakam was too much for the Magic, and the Sixers did not appear to have many answers for the duo in Saturday's series opener.

Leonard was a strong playoff performer for the San Antonio Spurs earlier in his career (16.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game over six years and 87 games), and the 45-point effort against Philadelphia in Game 1 represents a career postseason high.

Philadelphia's Ben Simmons knows that slowing down Leonard will be one of the keys for Philadelphia if they are going to make this a competitive series. 

"He's a tough player; I mean, he's Kawhi," Simmons said, per Field Level Media (h/t ESPN.com). "He's a physical guy—a lot of length; he can shoot the ball, so he's a tough guy to match up on."

Siakam had 29 points for the Raptors, and he was impressive in the game's opening quarter when he totaled 17 points.

In addition to containing those two leaders, Philadelphia has to do a better job of shooting the ball. The 76ers shot 39.3 percent from the field Saturday, and they could not stay close to Toronto since the Raptors made 51.3 percent of their shots.

Center Joel Embiid will try to help the Sixers turn things around in Game 2 after scoring 16 points and taking down eight rebounds in the opener. Embiid appeared to have an easy time of it in Philadelphia's first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets, but he started the series against the Raptors with a 5-of-18 shooting performance.

The Raptors are 6.5-point favorites to take a 2-0 lead in the series, per VegasInsider.

Prediction

Look for the Sixers to get off to a better start in this game and keep the game close into the third quarter. Embiid is likely to improve upon his shooting, and the option of the big center scoring down low will be a key issue in the game and the rest of the series.

However, don't look for Philadelphia to end its Toronto losing streak here. The Raptors pull away in the late going and get the victory and the cover.

Portland at Denver

The Blazers are rested, but they are not necessarily healthy as they begin the series with the Nuggets. Center Jusuf Nurkic is out for the rest of the season, and Enes Kanter has a left shoulder injury that he suffered in the series win over the Thunder.

The 6'11" Kanter averaged 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game against Oklahoma City, but he is having problems with basic movements after suffering what he said was a separated shoulder.

The Nuggets won three of the four games that they played against the Blazers during the regular season, and there is a sense of confidence against this opponent. "We're prepared; we've been prepared for them all year," forward Paul Millsap said, per Field Level Media.

While Portland may not be at 100 percent, the Blazers' backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum is in top form and is the key reason the team was able to eliminate the Thunder in a relatively short series.

Lillard hit a dramatic series-ending shot from well beyond the three-point line and he averaged 33.0 points per game in the series. McCollum averaged 24.4 points per game in the win over the Thunder.

The Nuggets are led by Nikola Jokic and Jamaal Murray, and both performed well against the Spurs. Jokic averaged nearly a triple-double in the series with 23.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists per night. Murray hit the final shot in the series-clinching 90-86 victory Saturday night, and he averaged 19.0 points while shooting 45.1 percent from the field.

The Nuggets are 3.5-point favorites in the series opener.

Prediction

The Nuggets are a confident bunch, and they have homecourt advantage in the series, but don't count out the Blazers.

Not only did they beat the Thunder in convincing fashion, but they were also trounced in their two previous playoff appearances in 2017 and '18. They failed to win a game in either postseason appearance, and now they are in the process of showing their playoff opponents just how dangerous they can be.

This series won't be easy, but look for the rested Blazers to get off to a sharp start and win Game 1. Denver has not had time to prepare for its new opponent, and the Nuggets may need a game to regain their edge.