There’s a huge four-game slate of NBA playoff basketball this Thursday, all of which are important Game 5’s. As always, we have you covered with the best spread and player prop bets for the day right here!
NBA Playoffs Betting Tips: Thursday, 3rd of June
Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
Madison Square Garden, 9:30am AEST
Atlanta took a commanding 3-1 series lead over New York with two double-digit wins in Games 3 and 4 to put one foot into the second round. The Hawks dominated the middle two quarters in both of their home games to make for relatively comfortable wins to put themselves in a fantastic position to upstage the #4 seed Knicks.
The Hawks have been fantastic on the defensive end all series, particularly with their pressure on Julius Randle who has struggled mightily in each of the first four games. Randle is shooting an embarrassing 27.4% in this series and more than seven fewer points than he did in the regular season. On the other hand, Hawks star Trae Young has been special on the offensive end scoring 20+ in all four games and shooting at a fantastic 47% clip.
It’s no secret that the Hawks have been the better team in this series and it’s not close; however, we still have faith that a Thibs-coached team can make the necessary adjustments to at least make the Hawks win the series on their home deck in Game 6. We expect Julius Randle to be ultra-aggressive and to guide his team to a Game 5 win.
Prop: Randle 25+ Points ($2.30)
New York Knicks -1.5
$1.90
Memphis Grizzlies at Utah Jazz
Vivint Smart Home Arena, 11:30am AEST
Memphis stunned the basketball world with a win on the road in Game 1 against the #1 seed Utah. Order has been restored since then however, with the Jazz going onto win the next three games of the series to go ahead 3-1. Now on their home deck in Game 5, the Jazz will go in as very heavy favourites to finish off their Round 1 matchup.
There have been plenty of fantastic performers for both teams over the course of the series to date. For the Grizzlies, it’s been the duo of Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant who have been carrying them on the offensive end, with both players scoring at least 20 points in all four games. While for the Jazz, the scoring constant has been Donovan Mitchell, but arguably even more important has been the playmaking and three-point shooting of Mike Conley.
The Grizzlies have put up a tremendous fight against the experienced Jazz and will take a lot of growth from this series; however, this will almost definitely be their last game of the season. The Jazz are beginning to fire on all cylinders and have been extremely hard to beat on their home deck when at full strength. We have them taking care of business with a double-figure margin win here to close out their first series of the playoffs.
Prop: Mitchell 30+ Points ($2.30)
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Clippers
Staples Center, 12pm AEST
The Clipper critics were full of ammunition when they lost the first two games (both at home) of this series against the Mavericks, but the Clippers were able to return the favour in Dallas to level it up at 2-2 as we approach Game 5, which will be played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Injuries have been a constant talking point in this series, with Luka Doncic and his neck issues at the forefront. The young superstar was clearly struggling in Game 4 and it cost his team dearly. On the other hand, the Clippers two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both fit and firing, which is an ominous sign if you’re a Mavs fan.
The Mavericks got the jump on the Clippers this series, but the Clippers have well and truly found their rhythm and will be tough to stop now that they have momentum on their side. With Doncic not at 100% fitness and Kristaps Porzingis almost a non-factor, we have the Clippers going ahead in the series for the first time with a comfortable win at home.
Prop: Batum 10+ Points ($2.40)
Los Angeles Clippers -6.5
$1.90
