2024 NBA May 8 Betting Predictions
The NBA playoffs are back on Thursday and we have a couple of crucial Game 2 matchups. The Celtics dropped Game 1 at home so they'll be desperate to avoid an 0-2 series score. Meanwhile, the Nuggets upset the Thunder in Game 1 and will look for a similar result on Thursday.
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (Game 2, NY leads series 1-0)
The Knicks are heading into Game 2 of the East Semifinals with a 1-0 lead over the Celtics, after stealing the opener in Boston with a tight 108-105 win. New York’s been hot lately, winning two straight and going 4-1 in their last five games. OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson both dropped 29 points in that Game 1 win, with Anunoby shooting a solid 50% from the field.
The Knicks finished the regular season 51-31 and sit as the 3rd seed in the East, while Boston came in as the top seed with a 61-21 record. Can the Knicks keep the momentum rolling and take a 2-0 lead on the road?
The Celtics are down 1-0 in the East Semifinals after a tough 108-105 loss at home to the Knicks. Despite holding the No. 2 seed with a strong 61-21 regular season record, Boston couldn’t close out Game 1. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 23 points, but both struggled with their shooting — Brown hitting just 35% from the field and Tatum even lower at 30.4%, despite pulling down 16 boards.
The C's have gone 3-2 over their last five and are looking to bounce back after dropping Game 1. Now it’s do-or-die to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole before heading to New York.
Stadium Record
Boston are 7-1 in its last 8 games at home. New York are 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston.
Head to Head Record
The Celtics have owned the Knicks 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
I don't see the Celtics shooting that badly from 3 again and they were up by 20 in Game 1, so expect a bounce back game from Tatum and Brown. So I think both sides can score 100+ and the Celtics have a 3-0 Overs record after an Overtime game at home. The Over is also 4-2 in this matchup.
Same Game Multi
Jaylen Brown has hit the 20+ point mark in his last 3 games and 4 of his last 5, should be a safe bet to get 20+ again. The Knicks showed up in Game 1 and covered easily, I think they can keep it under 10.5 pts.
Over 211.5 pts / Knicks +10.5 / Jaylen Brown 20+ pts = $5.20
Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 2, DEN leads series 1-0)
The Nuggets pulled off a big road win in Game 1 of the West Semifinals, edging out the Thunder 121-119 to take a 1-0 series lead. Denver's riding a two-game win streak and has gone 4-1 in their last five, looking strong despite being the 4th seed with a 50-32 regular season record.
Nikola Jokic was unstoppable, dropping 42 points with 22 rebounds and shooting over 50% from the field. Aaron Gordon backed him up nicely with 22 points and 14 boards of his own. With momentum on their side, the Nuggets will look to put even more pressure on the top-seeded Thunder in Game 2.
The Thunder dropped Game 1 at home in a close 121-119 loss to the Nuggets, and now trail 1-0 in the West Semifinals. Despite being the top seed in the West with a dominant 68-14 regular season record, OKC couldn’t quite close it out. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up a strong all-around game with 33 points, 10 boards, and 8 assists, while Alex Caruso added 20 points on efficient shooting.
The Thunder had been rolling with a 4-1 record over their last five, but now they’ll need to bounce back in Game 2 to avoid heading to Denver down 0-2.
Stadium Record
Oklahoma City are 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games at home. Denver are 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10, the Thunder are 6-4.
Best Bet
The Nuggets have a real chance to go 2-0 and I think the line is a good bet. In this matchup, the road team is 13-2 ATS, which bodes well for the Nuggets. They're also 6-1 ATS at this venue and I'm not sure the Thunder have a matchup for Jokic.
Same Game Multi
Game 1 totalled 240 pts and I think the trend will continue in Game 2. The Over is now 4-1 in the Nuggets last 5 and 7-3 when they play on the road. Aaron Gordon was impressive in Game 1 and has been on fire in the points/assists/rebounds market. He's hit 25 or more in his last 3 games and he finished with 37 in Game 1.
Denver Nuggets +10.5 / Over 229.5 pts / Player points + assists + rebounds - A. Gordon 25+ = $4.60
