NBA Picks & Predictions: Sunday (5/10)
Happy Mother's Day! Now, dads, unless she's a basketball fan, it may not be the best idea to watch both of today's NBA playoff games. But placing a couple of bets on them so that you can buy her something special? You can only go wrong if your NBA picks lose.
I can't promise my bets are winners, and I'm not going to lie to you and call them locks, like some analysts do (because there is no such thing). But I will say that after carefully reviewing the data for both series, these are my best NBA picks for Mother's Day.
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Sunday’s Best NBA Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
There is no clear-cut market to pick from the traditional betting line for this game. Either team can win this game, and depending on how it plays out, the under or the over could be a good bet. However, with elimination on the line, I expect to see a much better game out of the 76ers.
But if they are going to win, Tyrese Maxey needs to shoot early and often. In Game 1 and Game 3, he took just nine and 12 shots, respectively, and had forgettable nights on the scoreboard in losing efforts. But in Game 2, he took 23 shots, and the 76ers were more competitive. Against the Celtics, he took 18+ shots in six out of seven games and went over 24.5 points in five of them.
Philadelphia is at its best when Maxey is active on the scoreboard. With that in mind, I think he’ll get his shots off today and score 25+points, regardless of how the game plays out.
Pick: Tyrese Maxey Over 24.5 Points (-115)
San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Games like this can be a little more challenging to bet on because you just don't know with any certainty what you are going to get. All signs point to the Spurs taking care of business, but there is no value in betting the Moneyline, and the spread for this game is relatively small (4.5 points). However, there has been one constant in this series: Minnesota's offense in the second half.
In Game 1, they scored 59 points in the second half. In Game 2, they scored 60 points. In Game 3, they scored 57 points.
Much has been said about San Antonio's defense, but the Timberwolves have a pretty solid offense. Anthony Edwards was not at his best in the first two games, but he appeared to be closer to his old self in Game 2 than in any other postseason game to date.
Edwards took 26 shots and played 41 minutes in Game 3. He played 25 and 24 minutes, respectively, in Game 1 and Game 2, taking 13 shots in each contest.
With Edwards closer to his old self again, anything can happen in this game. One thing we can count on, though, is a solid offensive effort from Minnesota in the second half.
Pick: Timberwolves Second-Half Team Total Over 52.5 Points (-108)