2 weeks Ago
The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and Monday features a pair of Game 2s after both home teams pulled off comeback wins in their series openers. The New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons get the action started on Monday, after New York rode a 21-0 second-half run to pick up a double-digit win on Saturday night. In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets find themselves as underdogs at home in Game 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers after pulling out an overtime win in Game 1.
That series could be a long one, especially since the opening lines for both Game 1 and Game 2 have been inside three points. As always, I’m betting on the playoff action on Monday, and there are two players that I love in the prop market for the two-game slate. Plus, there could be a little New York parlay to bet if the Knicks are able to carry the momentum from the fourth quarter barrage they had in Game 1.
Let’s break down these picks and the latest odds from DraftKings. NBA Best Bets Record to Date 2024-25 season record: 223-216-4 (-3.36 units) OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1233-1161-26 (+34.
72 units) Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here . NBA Best Bets Today Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Nikola Jokic OVER 8.5 Assists (-140) – 0.5 unit OG Anunoby OVER 16.
5 Points (-125) – 0.5 unit Knicks + Jalen Brunson Parlay (-102) – 0.5 unit During the regular season, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic averaged 10.
2 assists per game, and he picked up 12 dimes in Game 1 against the Clips. Jokic had at least nine dimes in six of his last eight games to close the regular season, and Denver is going to run its offense through him as much as possible on Monday night. The Clippers did finish the regular season with one of the top defensive ratings in the NBA, but they still allowed over 25 opponent assists per game.
While Los Angeles held Jokic below this total twice in the regular season, he also picked up an 11-assist game against Ivica Zubac and company. With this prop set well below the three-time MVP’s season average, he’s worth a look in Game 2. OG Anunoby played over 44 minutes in Game 1 against Detroit, and he finished with 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field.
Anunoby is going to play heavy minutes again for the Knicks since he’s been the team’s primary option on defense against Cade Cunningham. This season, OG averaged 18.0 points per game, but he saw his usage and numbers take a major step forward down the stretch of the regular season with Jalen Brunson out of the lineup.
From the start of March through the end of the regular season, Anunoby averaged 22.9 points per game on 16.9 shots per game.
He’s clearly shown that he deserves to be a top option next to Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, and he was in Game 1. This line is too low for him in Game 2 – especially since he needed just the first half to clear this prop on Saturday. Knicks Moneyline Even though the Knicks were shaky early on against Detroit, I’m buying them to win Game 2 at home.
Not only are the Knicks 21-16-1 against the spread as home favorites this season, but they didn’t exactly play their best basketball in the first half with Brunson shooting 3-for-14 from the field and Josh Hart getting in major foul trouble. The Pistons are scrappy, but Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley all shot the ball at a high rate, scoring 19 or more points in Game 1.
Can they duplicate that output in Game 2? A more consistent Brunson game would do wonders for the Knicks, and New York seemed to benefit from the physical style of play, getting to the line 17 times – led by 10 attempts from Brunson. While the Knicks actually attempted less free throws than the Pistons, they were more efficient, hitting the same number of total free throws in Game 1. Detroit had the Knicks’ number during the regular season, but there is a lack of experience in the playoffs on this roster.
On the road, I think the Pistons have a tough time stealing a game. Jalen Brunson 25+ Points To close out this parlay, I’m betting on Brunson to score 25 or more points in this matchup. Not only did the Knicks guard finish with 34 points in Game 1, but he attempted 27 shots and 10 free throws while playing 40 minutes.
Brunson is going to have a massive workload all postseason long, and he showed last season that he will score at a high rate in the playoffs – averaging 32.4 points per game. At this discounted number, he’s worth a shot in Game 2.
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