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NBA Playoffs Best Bets, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (5/2)

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The NBA Playoffs have been filled with surprises.

Last night the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics on the road without Joel Embiid. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns only scored 87 points in a loss to the Nuggets.

We’ve also already watched the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies get eliminated.

One of the most anticipated basketball series will occur tonight between the Lakers and Warriors. They’ll follow Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks.

Here are my favorite bets for tonight’s slate of games.

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Today’s Best NBA Bets

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook. All wagers are 1 unit

Miami Heat at New York Knicks

The Knicks have listed Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson as questionable for tonight’s game. Brunson and Randle are both dealing with ankle injuries. Randle didn’t play in Game 1, and the Knicks lacked offense. New York is hopeful Randle will be active tonight.

They won’t be happy going down 0-2 in the series after two home games.

New York hasn’t struggled on offense most of the year. They’ve scored 118.7 points per 100 possessions, which was second-best in the NBA. The Knicks are usually active on the offensive glass and get to the foul line at a high rate.

Meanwhile, New York has held teams to a 54% effective field goal percentage on the defensive end. The Heat already lost Tyler Herro for the remainder of the year, but Jimmy Butler has turned up his play in the playoffs. Miami hasn’t been a consistent offense this year but the defense has limited teams to 25.2% of offensive rebounds. Miami’s going to want to keep the Knicks off the glass. However, the Knicks are probably too physical, and if they can shoot better than 20.6% from downtown in this game, they’ll escape with a win.

Bet: Knicks -6.5 (-110)

Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors

It’s LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry.

This matchup is a little earlier than others between the two greats.

The Lakers defeated the Warriors in three of four games in the regular season and took care of business at home in their final game against the Grizzlies, 125-85.

The Lakers have done well defensively, holding teams to a 53.9% effective field goal percentage. They’ve also rarely allowed teams to get to the foul line. The offense hasn’t always been consistent, but with James and Anthony Davis on the floor, Los Angeles has been getting much better.

On the other hand, although the Warriors only won one more game in the regular season, Golden State has scored at a higher rate and has played better defense too. The Lakers should find themselves at the foul line more frequently, but the Warriors certainly have better shooters.

Both teams are coming off big wins with at least 120 points. We’ve seen multiple games finish with one team at least scoring 109 points. We’ve had two games with the Warriors and Lakers each scoring over 120. I think we’ll see more of that tonight. Take the Over.

Bet: Over 228 (-110) 

Also, take a look at our other best bets for Tuesday:


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