The NBA playoffs resume with a pair of Game 3s today, Friday, May 8 — and our NBA betting expert Brandon Kravitz has locked in picks for both of tonight's matchups: Knicks vs. 76ers and Spurs vs. Timberwolves.
Continue below for our NBA spread & over/under picks for Friday, May 8.
NBA Spread & Over/Under Picks for Friday, May 8
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:00 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. 76ers Team Total Bet
Honestly, I thought the Sixers' offense looked much more fluid in Game 2, and you really have to give this Philly team a pass for Game 1—that was just a horrendous spot coming off a grueling Game 7 in Boston.
The market is giving us a bit of a discount here because the Sixers haven't reached this number yet in the series, which helps keep this total nice and suppressed.
Look at the context of Game 2. The Sixers scored 102 points, but they were leaving money on the table. They were getting clean looks all throughout the fourth quarter that just didn't fall. Paul George and VJ Edgecombe played the entire fourth and combined to go 0-for-9 from the field. Tyrese Maxey was right there with them, going just 2-for-8 in that final frame.
If just a couple of those shots drop, we’re already cashing this over.
Then you have the Joel Embiid factor. It looks like he’s going to be back, but as bizarre as this sounds, I’d almost like the over better if he didn't play just because of the increased pace. With him in, he raises the efficiency but lowers the speed.
The biggest factor for me, though, is OG Anunoby. It looks like he’s going to miss this game, and he is their premier defensive stopper. You take him off the floor, put the Sixers back at home where role players always shoot the ball better, and you’ve got a recipe for a breakout.
This should be—and frankly, has to be—the best offensive game of the series for Philadelphia. I expect them to throw everything they have at New York schematically in the best environment they're going to get.
Pick: 76ers Team Total Over 107.5
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Spurs vs. Timberwolves Spread & Moneyline Picks
I think the casual viewer may be scared off by that dismal performance in Game 2, bu for us, this is a sports bettor’s paradise. We are talking about the first home game in the series coming off a massive blowout loss. This is a smash spot. My coffee wasn’t even done brewing yet this morning and we were already firing on this. That’s how you know you’re in a rhythm.
This play checks every single zigzag box imaginable. When you look at what happened in Game 2, it was a statistical anomaly. You don’t just look at the score; you look at the "how" and the "why." Minnesota didn't just lose; they collapsed in a way that is perfect for a fade:
- Turnover Disaster: They lost the turnover battle by a wide margin, 22 to 16.
- The "Dud" Factor: Their highest scorer had exactly 12 points.
- The Margins: They got absolutely crushed on the boards and lost the free-throw battle.
That is what a "dud" in the playoffs looks like, but that is not who Minnesota is. When a team gets embarrassed like that and then heads home for the first time in the series, the energy shift is palpable.
This is a crystal-clear bounce-back spot. I’m splitting the units to maximize the value of this narrative: Half a unit on the spread ( Timberwolves +4.5). Half a unit on the Moneyline at +145.
If you're scared of the Spurs because they just thumped Minnesota in Game 2, you're missing the point of playoff variance. The three-point shooting battle was a disaster last time out, but we are betting on the home-court adrenaline to turn the tide.
Pick: Timberwolves +4.5 / Timberwolves Moneyline (+170)
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