NBA Playoffs Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (5/10)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has two playoff games on the slate, with a doubleheader schedule for ABC. The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks battle at Madison Square Garden at 3:30 p.m. ET, and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors tangle at 8:30 p.m. ET in the Twin Cities.
Let’s keep building that bankroll for the stretch run with our best NBA bets for Saturday, May 10th.
Saturday’s Best NBA Picks
NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit
Boston Celtics (-240) at New York Knicks (+198) | O/U 206.5 (-110/-110)
The Celtics head to Madison Square Garden for Game 3, and Boston is in a bad way. The C’s lost both games on the parquet floor at TD Garden, and they’re staring at the potential of an 0-3 series hole. Boston needs to perform like the Cleveland Cavaliers, the higher seed, against the Indiana Pacers. The Cavs also lost both home games, but went to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Friday, picking up a much-needed victory.
It isn’t like the Knicks are blowing out the Celtics, but they’ve found a way to make it happen. The Celtics have blown leads in each of the first two games, including a gigantic collapse in Game 1. New York won 108-105 in overtime in Game 1 as a 9-point underdog as the total pushed (213) at most shops. The Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to win that game in overtime. On Wednesday, in Game 2, the Knicks erased another 20-point deficit on the road to get the job done.
Boston shot just 36.2% (34-of-94) from the field in Game 2, while New York went 43.0% (37-of-86). Neither team was very good from distance, with the Celtics going 25.0% (10-of-40), while the Knicks went 29.0% (9-of-31). The Celtics were plus-5 in the rebounding category, but Boston had 17 turnovers, too. New York won despite the fact that its biggest lead was just three points, while, again, Boston blew a 20-point lead for a second consecutive outing.
Can the Knicks position themselves better in Game 3, seizing a commanding lead in the series? Or will Boston follow the same blueprint as the Cavaliers? New York is trying to get within one victory of its first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
What makes the Knicks series lead that much more impressive is that the Celtics won all four regular-season meetings, while Boston was 3-1 against the spread (ATS) in the four meetings, while the Over went 3-1. The total has gone low at a 1-0-1 pace in the first two meetings in this series.
It seems that the public is backing the Celtics, believing that coach Joe Mazzulla can make the correct adjustments to prevent a third consecutive disaster from happening. I have eyes, though, and love to see what the Knicks have been doing. No matter the circumstances, this team has kept it going and not quit. Even if we get a Boston win, a blowout isn’t expected. Take the Knicks with the three buckets at home. We’ll be low on the total, too.
Picks: Knicks +5.5 (-106) & Under 206.5 Points (-110)
Minnesota Timberwolves (-245) at Golden State Warriors (+200) | O/U 200.5 (-110/-110)
It’s Game 3 at Chase Center in San Francisco at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The Timberwolves picked up a 117-93 victory in Game 2, taking advantage of the absence of Stephen Curry, as he deals with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. He is expected to miss a total of a week, and that is likely going to stifle any momentum the Dubs had from a Game 1 win in the Twin Cities to open this series.
Minnesota covered as 11-point favorites in Game 2 at home, as the Over (202) cashed on Thursday. The Timberwolves hit 50.6% (44-of-87) from the field, including 43.2% (16-of-37) from behind the 3-point line. If there were any concerns or complaints, it was the fact that the Wolves were just 65.0% (13-of-20) from the free-throw stripe. The Warriors were plus-3 in the rebounding department, but Golden State had 20 total turnovers, to just 13 for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves were led by Julius Randle, who went for 24 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds while shooting an efficient 10-of-17 from the field. Anthony Edwards was good for 20 points and nine rebounds. Off the bench, the biggest surprise was Nickeil Alexander-Walker, going for 20 points off the bench, hitting 7-0f-13 from the field, while connecting on four 3-pointers. Naz Reid shook off a leg injury, going for 11 points, including three triples off the bench.
For the Warriors, Buddy Hield has had a good series, and he went for 15 points with four 3-pointers in 29 minutes. Quinten Post made the start, but he was scoreless in three minutes. Head coach Steve Kerr tried to get cute with his starting lineup, but then apparently had a change of heart. Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench for a team-best 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Jimmy Butler had 17 points with two triples, seven rebounds and four assists.
The Timberwolves looked like a new team when not having to worry about the sharpshooter Curry. Butler and Green are effective, and Hield has been doing well. But let’s go with Minnesota laying the points on the road. We’ll go with the Over, too.
Picks: Timberwolves -5.5 (-112) & Over 200.5 Points (-110)