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With solely the 4 finest groups within the NBA nonetheless taking part in, distractions are minimal with no multiple recreation on the schedule every day.

Which means I don’t have to separate my focus when creating my “Finest NBA Postseason Bets” record for Thursday, Might 22.

Oklahoma Metropolis took care of enterprise towards the visiting Timberwolves in Recreation 1. Must you guess on them to take action once more in Recreation 2? Let’s break it down (odds by way of FanDuel):

Minnesota Timberwolves (+7.5) vs. Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (-310), o/u 214

Oklahoma Metropolis’s depth got here up huge, and the Thunder completely deserved to win Recreation 1 in decisive trend. However we didn’t see Minnesota’s “A” recreation—blame it on an excessive amount of relaxation, stars being out of alignment, no matter.

Anthony Edwards had an off night time with a tweaked ankle, Julius Randle disappeared within the second half, and Rudy Gobert was a non-factor. I doubt we see all three mail it in once more.

I’d nonetheless lean towards selecting the Thunder to win outright (although there’s no worth within the moneyline); the expertise and depth on that roster is legit. However the T-Wolves will preserve it nearer this time round.

Timberwolves +7.5

Julius Randle, OVER 19.5 factors at -106
Sure, OKC has an amazing protection, nevertheless it was “nice” in Recreation 1 when Randle scored 28. He pale within the second half, however that’s not sufficient to persuade me a man who’s scored 20-plus factors in 5 straight video games—and 9 of his final 10—gained’t hit 20 once more.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OVER 31.5 factors at -122
In 4 regular-season video games vs. Minnesota, he scored 39, 37, 24 and 40 factors. Recreation 1 was simply the third time in his final 10 video games he shot below 40% from the sphere. Within the different two, he scored 18 and 31 factors.

Followers ought to count on extra of the second-half model of SGA for all of Recreation 2. That makes the OVER a straightforward name.

Chet Holmgren, UNDER 1.5 made 3-pointers at -182
He was on hearth from deep within the first three video games of the primary spherical (3-of-4, 3-of-8, 5-of-10). Since then, he’s made two 3-pointers in a recreation simply twice—Recreation 2 and Recreation 6 vs. Denver. Letting him discover his rhythm from past the arc shouldn’t be a precedence.

He could hit one on this recreation, however not two. That stated, at -182, there’s not a lot worth on this market. Think about pairing it in a same-game parlay.

Alex Caruso, OVER 7.5 factors at -114
Caruso comes off the bench, and betting on bench manufacturing is all the time slightly tough. However he’s scored no less than 9 factors in every of his final 5 video games and is averaging 9.3 factors per recreation within the postseason. So long as he sees 20-plus minutes, he ought to go OVER.