The first round of the NBA Playoffs continue on Friday where we have a pair of tasty matchups to dive into. First up on the card is the Bucks at Pacers, which will be followed by the Knicks at 76ers. We bring you our game previews and best bets for both games below!
Also, make sure to head over to our NBA Tips regularly, as we’ll be providing free tips for all the major games in the NBA post-season!
NBA Playoffs Betting Tips: Friday, May 3rd 2024
Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 8:30am (AEST)
Series Score: Indiana Pacers lead 3-2
As expected, the undermanned Bucks showed plenty of fight on their home floor in Game 5 to record a remarkable 23-point win despite trailing by double-digits during the first half (115-92). They had a great contribution from their entire roster, although they’ll now have to back it up on Friday as they’ll likely be without both Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo once again. Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton led the way with 29 points apiece, while Malik Beasley also poured in 18 second half points. For the Pacers, Pascal Siakam was horrible with 12 points on 40% shooting, and Tyrese Haliburton (16 points) wasn’t much better. The Pacers return to their home deck and will clearly be looking to put in a better performance to finish the series, although the undermanned Bucks won’t be hopeless. They’re one of the deeper teams in the league and I’d be surprised if they don’t at least make this a close one.
Milwaukee Bucks +8.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers
Wells Fargo Center, 11:00am (AEST)
Series Score: New York Knicks lead 3-2
What an eventful game we had in Game 5 of this series, with the Knicks looking home and hosed when they led by six points with 30 seconds remaining. Tyrese Maxey had other ideas as he hit two huge threes in the last couple of plays, sending the game to overtime before ultimately leading his team to a win. Joel Embiid was clearly hindered with injury and had limited impact on the game and he’s listed as questionable to suit up for Game 6, which is clearly a big watch in the leadup. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson will need to come up big again and his player markets are certainly in play here, particularly his points line. Regardless of their demoralising defeat last start, I’m surprised to see the Knicks priced as the clear underdogs here and believe they’re certainly value in the moneyline. I’m happy to invest on them getting the job done and finishing the series.
New York Knicks to Win
$2.30 (1.5 Units)
