NBA Playoff Best Bets: Tuesday, May 2

Please fade me.

I’m ice cold. And after trying séances, hanging up a horseshoe in my apartment, and throwing a whole bag of salt over my left shoulder, I hope this is the week the streak ends.

On an unrelated note, if anyone knows any cleaners that can get a whole bunch of salt out of a carpet, DM me.

Thanks.

Categories:
Layups: 2-Unit Plays
Two-Pointers: 1-Unit Plays
Three-Pointers: 0.75-Unit Plays
Half-Court Shot: 0.5-Unit Plays

Playoffs: 4-7 (-2.6 units)

Two-Pointers

Knicks 1Q -1.5 (-115): Death, taxes, and the Knicks starting games fast. The Knicks have the second-best win percentage in the first quarter this season AND the second-best ATS record in the first quarter at home. In Game 1, they won the 1Q by ten, and after a devastating loss, I expect another quick start by them. New York also has the second-best net rating in the first quarter at home in the playoffs, while the Heat are 10th with a net rating of -7.9 on the road.

Jordan Poole Over 12.5 Points (-105): Listen, the man was clowned for the last three games of the Warriors’ series vs. the Kings. And rightly so with two single-digit games and a 1-6 performance from three. He was generally unplayable for the majority of the round, but in Game 1 vs. the Lakers, Poole might be in a good spot.

He averaged over 16 points a game against the Lakers in four matchups this season, and at home, he averages 21 points a game while shooting 35% from three. Steph Curry likely won’t play 40+ minutes right out of the gate after we witnessed a Game 7 that saw Steve Kerr taking timeouts to specifically give him some rest. That means it’s time for a bounce-back game from Poole, so let’s take advantage of a low number and hope for some positive regression.