The second round of the playoffs has been chock full of drama — injuries (and the will-he wont-he play drama that comes with it) and last-second shots. But the party is barely getting started with Game 4 and Game 5’s on tap next. Here are the very best NBA playoff bets to make on May 9 and May 10.
Against The Spread: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks
This Celtics-Bucks clash is almost at pick ‘em, though, the best online sportsbooks are favoring hometown Milwaukee ever slightly on the spread (one point). The Bucks escaped Game 3 with a slim two-point victory to take a 2-1 lead. However, we still believe Boston is firmly in control of this series.
The way we saw it, the C’s were the better team all-game long aside from the third quarter. It was the worst stretch of play we’ve seen from Boston in a long time, as they shot 6-of-20 from the field and more inexplicably, gave up 18 points in transition. The miserable stretch of play resulted in a 17-point differential, which ultimately did Boston in despite a fourth-quarter rally.
That 12-minute performance really felt like an outlier, and so did Jayson Tatum’s entire game for that matter. The Celtics’ top playmaker shot 4-of-19 from the floor in Game 3. And despite this, Boston came within a basket of sending the game to overtime — on the road, no less. This C's team (and Tatum himself) will correct those miscues in Game 3, they’re too well-coached not to.
Likewise, we don’t think Giannis Antetokounmpo can keep doing what he pulled off in Game 3 — a dynamite performance of 42 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 16-of-30 from the floor. He'll regress on Monday, which means we're picking Boston to take Game 4 and tie up the series. This season, when they are one-point underdogs, the Celtics’ ATS record is 16-7-1. This is a team that thrives in the underdog and back-against-the-wall situation, which is exactly what Game 4 is.
Over/Under 226 Points: Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors
Ja Morant is hurt — whether it was intentionally caused by Jordan Poole or not is up for debate — but his Game 4 status is up in the air. By the looks of the game spread (nine points), it sure seems like the top-used NBA betting sites think he’ll sit out Monday’s game. We’re hesitant to wager on the spread until Morant’s status is clear, but we are jumping on the over/under regardless if he’s on the court or not.
Why do you ask? Because this series is about to get even more chippy. There’s obviously bad blood between both sides. The flagrant foul from Draymond Green in Game 1, then Dillon Brooks “breaking the code” and injuring Gary Payton II, and now this Morant fiasco is all evidence of the built-up tension between the emerging rivals out West. When there’s this much bad blood brewing, games typically become more intensive — which is exactly what we expect out of Game 4. There will be no easy basket come game-time, which signals an under is coming.
Let’s talk about the Morant effect, though. He hobbled out of the arena post-injury. On one hand, the Grizzlies went 20-5 without him this season. But on the other, Morant has been a relentless scorer this season (hence his 47-point effort in Game 2). Even if he plays, if he’s slightly off, we expect Memphis’ offense to be negatively affected. It’s just another reason why we see this game trending below 226 points.
Against The Spread: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
After going down 2-0, Dallas has once again made this a series by winning back-to-back games. However, we’re not buying the Mavs' chances in a pivotal Game 5, which we think will end with the Suns covering the spread.
The key to the Mavericks' comeback was getting production from someone not named Luka Doncic. That came mainly from Jalen Brunson (28 points in Game 3) and Dorian Finney-Smith (24 points in Game 4). However, that was at home, as the series heads back to Phoenix, we’re not at all optimistic their success will continue.
In the same token, being at home should help the Suns stop beating themselves. And by that, we’re mainly talking about Chris Paul. The veteran uncharacteristically had a playoff career-high seven turnovers in Game 3 (the team had 17 as a whole) followed by foul trouble the next game out. In Game 4, Paul would foul out early in the fourth quarter on 23 total minutes played. The first-ballot Hall of Famer, Paul, should be able to right the ship in Game 5.
This feels like a series where the home team will win each time. Thankfully for the Suns, they own a home-court advantage. After a wake-up call the past two games, we anticipate Phoenix to cover the spread in this one behind a revitalized effort from Paul.
How To Bet On 2022 NBA Playoffs?
While we think the three wagers above are most worth your dollar, you’re free to make other 2022 NBA playoffs bets. If you want a full list of NBA playoff bets, head to one of the top-rated betting sites we’ve earmarked below. On top of daily betting lines, you also find futures on the eventual conference and NBA Finals winners — which really pay the big bucks. Visit one of the underneath bookmakers to see for yourself!
