A trio of Game 2s take place in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday night, headlined by the Minnesota Timberwolves-Los Angeles Lakers matchup.
Minnesota was one of two road teams (the Golden State Warriors were the other) that won in Game 1, and oddsmakers have flipped the Timberwolves to favorites to win this series.
Can Luka Doncic and LeBron James right the ship at home – where the Lakers lost just 10 games in the regular season?
In the Eastern Conference, Damian Lillard could make his return at some point in the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers series, but Milwaukee was dominated in Game 1 despite a huge game from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After making the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Pacers look poised to make a run once again with their frenetic style of play – especially with how much they pressure the ball on defense.
Finally, the Oklahoma City Thunder are 15-point favorites in Game 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies after a 51-point win in Game 1. While things may not be again, the Thunder showed why they are the best team in the NBA this season and posted a historic net rating in the process.
As always, I’m placing a few bets for the playoff action on Tuesday, including a …
Here’s a complete breakdown of tonight’s picks!
NBA Best Bets Record to Date2024-25 season record: 226-220-4 (-4.10 units)OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1236-1165-26 (+33.99 units)
NBA Best Bets Today
Anthony Edwards OVER 24.5 Points (-120) – 0.5 unitIsaiah Hartenstein OVER 12.5 Rebounds and Assists (-110) – 0.5 unitOklahoma City Thunder-Memphis Grizzlies UNDER 229 (-108) – 0.5 unitAnthony Edwards OVER 24.5 Points (-120) – 0.5 unit
Anthony Edwards missed time with a cramp in Game 1 against Los Angeles and finished with just 22 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the field.
While it wasn’t Ant’s best game, I can’t look past his usage in this one. He took 22 shots (nine from 3) in just over 35 minutes, and the Timberwolves were able to get just about whatever they wanted on offense against the Lakers defense.
With a lack of rim protection for L.A., I expect Ant to shoot better in Game 2, and he could end up playing more minutes as well. During the regular season, Edwards averaged 27.6 points per game, and he has averaged at least 25.2 points per game in every playoff run in his young career.
Isaiah Hartenstein OVER 12.5 Rebounds and Assists (-110) – 0.5 unit
During the regular season, Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein averaged 10.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game (14.5 rebounds and assists), and he cleared 12.5 rebounds and assists in just 21 minutes in Game 1.
If Memphis can just be a in Game 2, Hartenstein should play even more – especially since the Thunder need someone to match up with Zach Edey down low.
Hartenstein closed out the regular season with 13 or more rebounds and assists in eight of his final 12 games. A solid passer from the center spot, Hartenstein is a steal at this prop line. If he was able to clear this in the limited meaningful minutes OKC played in Game 1, he should be right back in the mix on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City Thunder-Memphis Grizzlies UNDER 229 (-108) – 0.5 unit
Game 1 of this series finished with 211 combined points (131 of them from OKC), but these teams also failed to clear 229 points in each of their final two meetings in the regular season.
Even though the Grizzlies play at one of the fastest paces in the NBA, the Thunder limited their chances for fastbreak points – where Memphis has thrived – in Game 1. In fact, the Grizzlies didn’t record a fastbreak point until Marvin Bagley III’s half-court heave at the end of the third quarter.
OKC had the best defensive rating in the NBA during the regular season and one of the best scoring defenses as well.
While the Thunder easily put up points on the Grizzlies’ defense, I expect Memphis to come out with a sense of urgency after Sunday’s shellacking.
These teams both hit the OVER a ton during the regular season, but I think this total is a little too high given how much slower teams usually play in the postseason and OKC’s elite half-court defense.
