NBA Picks, Predictions: Our ‘Buckets’ Best Bets for Knicks vs. Pacers & Nuggets vs. Timberwolves (May 6)

We have two playoff games in the Association tonight, as the Indiana Pacers take on the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their series, while the Minnesota Timberwolves meet the Denver Nuggets in Game 2.

Our "Buckets" crew came through with four best bets for both games, including one for Pacers vs. Knicks and three for Wolves vs. Nuggets. Plus, two of our experts are aligned on a side for Monday's mile-high matchup.

Check out the full episode of "Buckets" below, and be sure to continue reading for all four of our best bets.

By Jim Turvey

The most standard look here is that DiVincenzo's minutes and field-goal attempts have dropped in the playoffs.

He's coming off his best game — a game in which he played 48 minutes — but Tom Thibodeau cut his minutes in the last series against the 76ers. He played less than 30 minutes in four of his six games against Philly.

Indiana likes to funnel opponents into taking 2s and allowed the fewest makes and takes from behind the arc in the regular season.

You can get plus-money on under 2.5 3s, and I think the Knicks will be comfortable not shooting too much because they'll pound the Pacers on the glass and in the paint.

By Jim Turvey

This is a "What could possibly go wrong?" spot here.

We have talked a lot about how the trends aren't playing as much in these playoffs. Denver was the best first-quarter against-the-spread team at home this season, and Minnesota was second-worst in the first half and the worst in the first quarter.

The trends back the Nuggets in these spots, and I like these bets both straight and parlayed.

By Matt Moore

This one is simple for me.

The top 2-seeds off a loss at home are 30-10 straight up and 26-13-1 against the spread since 2003. I think there are a lot of different things the Nuggets can do tonight to adjust after that Game 1 loss. The question is, do they want to do them?

They got punched in the mouth by the Wolves' intensity and screwed around and found out.

Reggie Jackson brought them back into the game, and if it weren't for that, it would've been a blowout. The Nuggets allowed 71% shooting from the field in the second half with terrible defense.

It wasn't Jamal Murray's fault; it was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's. I think he's going to play less as the series progresses, so I'll be on his unders for most of the series. I think they'll make adjustments and play harder, so we'll see how both teams react.

By Michael Fiddle

There are plenty of NBA'isms that lead to betting on the Nuggets here.

Don't react to Game 1. Back the best player in the series in Nikola Jokic. The smartest player tends to figure it out.

Back the team with desperation. Coaching advantages and adjustments matter in the playoffs. I think Chris Finch is a phenomenal coach, but he also only has one playoff series in his career.

Plus, the altitude in Denver could play a factor.

We knew Wolves steam would come in, but when books opened this line at Nuggets -6 after a loss with a closing line at -4.5, I think sportsbooks knew this would be a huge bounce-back spot for the Nuggets.

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