The NBA Conference Finals continue on Friday and Saturday with a couple of very important Game 2’s! We bring you our best bets for both clashes right here!
Also, be sure to check out our NBA Tips page regularly to find our best bets for each playoff series, as well as our best plays for all the key games during every week!
NBA Playoffs Betting Tips: Friday May 20th
Boston Celtics at Miami Heat
Friday 10:30am AEST, FTX Arena
The Celtics were fast starters on the road in Game 1 and opened up an eight-point lead at the main break. However, the Heat were simply irresistible in the third period, outscoring their opponents 39-14 in a game-winning 12 minutes. Jimmy Butler was the star of the show with 41 points, while Jayson Tatum struggled for the Celtics, particularly in the second half where he was held to 1-7 on field goal attempts.
The Heat’s stifling defence in the second half was the difference in the opening game of this series, and it’s something the Celtics will have to adjust to ahead of Game 2. Helping their cause will be the likely return of DPOY Marcus Smart, while second-round hero Al Horford is also a chance to return in limited minutes. For the Heat, they’ll be looking for more of the same as Kyle Lowry continues to miss due to injury.
This is going to be one of the toughest series to predict in this season’s playoffs, but we were on the money in Game 1 when we back the Heat to cover the spread and it looks like we’ll be going back to the well once again on Friday. The Heat looked unstoppable when their home crowd got behind them in their first meeting and if they can get on another solid run going in Game 2, then I think they can get the job done again and go up 2-0 before heading back to Boston on Sunday.
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
Saturday 11am, Chase Center
The Mavericks got out of the blocks reasonably well on the road in Game 1 of this intriguing series, but their small lead quickly evaporated when the Warriors went on a big run late in the first and earlier in the second term. Luka Doncic struggled with 20 points on 6-18 shooting, while Steph Curry was the star for the Warriors with 21 points on 7-16 attempts to go along with a game-high 12 rebounds.
The Mavericks were a little too predictable in Game 1 when they put up a whopping 48 three-point attempts compared to just 38 from two-point range. They hit on just 22.8% of their shots from distance, which made it impossible for them to stay competitive. The one concern for the Warriors is that the Mavericks likely won’t shoot below 25% from three again in this series, which will make the following games a lot trickier to negotiate.
Although the Mavericks took and missed a lot of shots from deep in Game 1, they were still getting some very good looks that they’d usually be knocking down. If they can go on a couple of 6-0 or 8-0 runs in Game 2 with better shooting, I firmly believe they can push this Warriors outfit all the way, especially when you consider they can be very sloppy with turnovers at times. I’m happy to be on the big Mavs line in Game 2.
Dallas Mavericks +6.5
$1.90
Player Props
Friday 10:30am Celtics at Heat – Jayson Tatum Under 28.5 Points $1.90 Ladbrokes
Friday 10:30am Celtics at Heat – Tyler Herro 16+ Points $1.90 Ladbrokes
