The intensity of the first round of the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs ramps up Friday with a pair of Game 6 showdowns. The action begins from 9:30am AEST as the Pistons host the Knicks, before we head west for the Nuggets at Clippers match-up from 12:00pm AEST. Here are our best bets for both games.
NBA Playoffs Betting Tips: Friday, May 2nd 2025
New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons (9:30am AEST)
The Detroit Pistons continue to take the fight to the New York Knicks following a determined 106-103 victory in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. It’s another must-win game for the Pistons with the Knicks leading 3-2 and looking to advance to the second round. Ausar Thompson was excellent for the Pistons in Game 5, shooting an efficient 8/10 from the field to score 22 points and grabbing seven boards and two blocks.
Detroit’s physicality on the defensive end successfully disrupted New York’s star offensive players with Jalen Brunson having an off night at home, finishing 4/16 from the field, and just 16 points. Karl-Anthony Towns also struggled, scoring 17 points on 35.7% shooting from the field. It’s hard to imagine this All-Star duo will both play poorly in back-to-back games.
One aspect where the Knicks will need to get better is on the boards. The sixth-seeded Pistons are averaging 45.4 rebounds per game through the first five games, while the Knicks are averaging 39.4. The Knicks can also count themselves lucky to be leading in the series after Game 4’s controversial missed foul call by Josh Hart against Tim Hardaway Jr.
The last three games have all resulted in one-possession victories and another close encounter could be on the cards once again. I am siding with the faster-paced Pistons, led by Cade Cunningham, to handle the Knicks and force Game 7 at MSG.
Pistons -1.5
$1.90 (1.5 units)
Denver Nuggets at LA Clippers (12:00pm AEST)
The Denver Nuggets hold a 3-2 lead over the LA Clippers with the series shifting back to the Intuit Dome in a win-or-go-home game for the Clippers. Game 5 saw a monster performance from Jamal Murray as he dropped 43 points on 17/26 shooting and 8/14 from beyond the arc to lead the Nuggets to a 131-115 victory. Surprisingly, and potentially scary for Clippers fans, was the fact that reigning MVP Nikola Jokic only scored 13 points on 4/13 shooting.
James Harden had a game to forget with the 2018 MVP only taking nine shot attempts (three made) to finish the game with 11 points. Ivica Zubac was the shining light for the Clippers in their loss, scoring 27 points but only grabbing five rebounds (well below his season average of 12.6). Zubac was just named runner up in the 2024-25 Most Improved Player award and will be a key player in Game 6 as he tries to slow down Jokic.
The Clippers have struggled to make a deep Playoffs run since 2021 when they made the Western Conference Final and lost 4-2 to the Phoenix Suns. They have lost in the first round in the previous two seasons, 4-1 loss to the Suns in 2023 and 4-2 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in 2024. With all that pressure on their shoulders heading into Friday’s elimination game, we could see the Clippers once again crumble under the bright lights.
Denver will run their offense through Nikola Jokic as always, and they spread the floor well, shooting a league-wide fifth-best 37.6% from three during the regular season. With Jokic’s outstanding court vision and passing ability, Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun are going to get some open looks from deep. The high-flying Aaron Gordon is a threat both around the rim and from deep. The Nuggets are full of confidence and play well on the road against the Clippers. They can close out the series, but we’ll take the line to play it safer since they are 6.5-point underdogs.
Nuggets +6.5
$1.93 (2 units)
