The second round of the NBA Playoffs resumes with an excellent doubleheader of Game 5s on TNT this Wednesday, as Knicks-Celtics takes center stage at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by Warriors-Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified 4 NBA picks spanning both of today's contests. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Wednesday, May 14.
NBA Playoffs Best Bets, Picks, Predictions: Wednesday, May 14
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
| 7 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 p.m. | |
| 9:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Knicks vs. Celtics
By Joe Dellera
The Knicks try to close out the Celtics today in Game 5 tonight, and one player that continues to play a monstrous amount of minutes is Mikal Bridges.
Bridges has played 44 minutes per game during this series and is often seeing the entire second half without rest.
This gets him some minutes away from Jalen Brunson, which is where he’s really cooked offensively.
Additionally, without Tatum, I think the Celtics’ defense gets a bit weaker. Without another extremely switchable defender in Tatum, Bridges should get a few more opportunities in the midrange or in mismatches.
I fully expect to see Bridges build off of his 23 point performance on 21 shots, but he has also contributed as a rebounding threat and facilitator.
He’s averaging 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this series, so he can easily supplement the scoring with those other contributing statistics.
Pick: Mikal Bridges Over 22.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (+100)
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Knicks vs. Celtics
Jaylen Brown is going to have to step up in a much larger scoring and playmaking role without Jayson Tatum. However, this line is an overcorrection that is worth playing the under.
When a player increases their on-ball usage rate, the rebounding opportunities dip, mainly because they spend less time crashing the offensive glass from the wings.
Jaylen would often do this and get opportunities, as 3-point shots cause longer rebounds, and the Celtics shoot more 3s than anyone.
Also, Brown has shown a tendency to really strengthen his assist numbers when Tatum misses time.
If Brown is facilitating, which I expect, his points + rebounds prop becomes a fade.
Pick: Jaylen Brown Under 33.5 Points + Rebounds (-125)
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Warriors vs. Timberwolves
The Warriors are in a must-win spot for Game 5 for any chance of keeping their playoff hopes alive. One thing that’s clear for this matchup is that they’ll be without their best player, Stephen Curry, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
When I looked at the odds, my first observation was that the line felt steep for a game the Warriors would be desperate to win.
After all, the Timberwolves were just 4.5-point favorites for the two games in San Francisco, so with all things equal, a venue change to Minnesota shouldn’t result in a 5.5-point move.
Historically, double-digit underdogs facing a 3-1 deficit in the playoffs are 17-15-1 (53.1%) against the spread. While those numbers are probably good enough to warrant a play on the Warriors, a better option emerged when we included a total of 202.5 or fewer points.
In this spot, the total is 9-3 to the over and currently on a 7-0 run.
My thinking here is that we could see a situation where the underdog is desperate to keep its season alive and likely to try and extend the game by one play as much as possible if it’s trailing late in the fourth quarter.
As a result, while I like the Warriors' chances of covering the double-digit point spread, a play on the over gives us our best chance of cashing a winning ticket.
Pick: Over 202 (-110)
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Warriors vs. Timberwolves
By Alex Hinton
In this series, Naz Reid has averaged 11 points per game. Most of that production has come from behind the arc. In Games 1-3, he knocked down three triples each. Even in Game 4 when he only scored five points, he made one three.
