Our NBA experts Christopher Walder, Nick Holz, and David Caraviello are here throughout the playoffs offering up their spread, moneyline, OVER/UNDER, and player prop picks for all of the action.
Thursday night welcomes Game 2 of Cavaliers-Celtics and Mavericks-Thunder. Can either the Cavaliers or Mavericks bounce back after Game 1 blowouts? Let's dive into all the odds and find the value on Thursday night's NBA playoff action.
(Related Link) 2024 NBA Playoff Series Prices
NBA Expert Picks Results: Second Round
| Expert | Record | Units |
|---|---|---|
| David Caraviello | 6-1 | 5.5 |
| Christopher Walder | 4-5 | -1.55 |
| Nick Holz | 2-5 | -3.07 |
Jump To Picks
- Nick's Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Spread
- Nick's Pick: Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Spread
- David's Pick: Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Spread
- David's Pick: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Spread
- Chris' Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics OVER/UNDER
- Chris' Pick: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Moneyline
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Game 2 Preview & Picks
Matchup Page: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics, 7 p.m. ET
Same-Game Parlay: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 2
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +13.5 (-108) | +660 | O 212 (-110) |
| Boston Celtics | -13.5 (-112) | -1000 | U 212 (-110) |
Nick Holz's Pick: Boston Celtics ATS -13.5 (-112)
After a Game 1 shellacking of the Cavs, the Celtics are now 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games. Further, when the juggernaut Celts have been favored by 13.5 or more points this season, they've gone 10-5 ATS. Boston has averaged close to 114 points per game against Cleveland across their last 10 games played. When the Celtics score over 110 points this season, Joey Mazzulla's squad is an outstanding 40-21-3 ATS.
Boston knocked down 18 3-points in Game 1, and smoked the Cavaliers in non-Donovan Mitchell (29.5 point prop for Game 2) minutes. Even with Mitchell shooting 50% from the field, the Cavaliers are outgunned and overmatched at nearly every position. Give me the Celtics to roll in Game 2.
David Caraviello's Pick: Boston Celtics ATS -13.5 (-112)
Boston blew out Cleveland to open this Eastern Conference semifinal series, behind 32 points from Jaylen Brown.
Both teams are missing big men, with Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis and Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen each battling injuries, but that’s a far larger issue for the Cavs than the deeper Celtics--who won easily in Game 1 without Porzingis, and despite an off night from Jayson Tatum. Expect more of the same in Game 2 in Boston on Thursday night.
Christopher Walder's Pick: UNDER 212 Total Points (-110)
An OVER/UNDER of 212 points is the highest number set by oddsmakers for either team as of yet this postseason, with the bar excessively low coming off first-round matchups with the 13th and 14th-ranked offenses of the playoffs in the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, respectively.
The Celtics have split the OVER/UNDER at 3-3 through six postseason games, while Cleveland is in the same boat at 4-4, but has gone OVER in three of its last four tries. Tuesday's 120-95 win at 215 total points hit the OVER of 211.5 points, and that was with Porzingis and Allen absent, Tatum continuing to struggle on offense, and Derrick White converting seven 3-pointers. I expect Game 2 to be more of a slog on the scoreboard, with some of those aforementioned issues becoming more glaring the second time around.
Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2 Preview & Picks
Matchup Page: Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET
Same-Game Parlay: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Mavericks | +5 (-110) | +168 | O 218.5 (-112) |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | -5 (-110) | -200 | U 218.5 (-108) |
Nick Holz's Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder ATS -5 (-110)
Mark Daignault's squad took it to Luka and the Mavs in the game one. Pulling away in the second half with an onslaught Dallas couldn't match. OKC is now 8-1 ATS in their last nine games. They're also 8-0 SU in their last eight games at home, and have won nine straight games against the Western Conference.
The Thunder's defense held Dallas to just 39% shooting from the field, and 34% from three-point range. On top of that, OKC grabbed 52 rebounds, including 16 offensive boards which led to 25 second-chance points. Dallas' bigs were suppose to be a strength against the younger, smaller Thunder rotations in this series. If they can't get things turned around on the glass, they have little chance pulling off an upset.
Lu Dort turns defense into offense for OKC! 🐶 pic.twitter.com/IVyLYpbFAN
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 8, 2024
OKC is now an unreal 29-15 ATS at home versus the Mavericks all time. Led by NBA MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28.5 Game 2 point prop), the Thunder have been favorites of five or more 37 times this season, and covered in 23 of those contests.
David Caraviello's Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder ATS -5 (-110)
Oklahoma City got a scare in the first game of its opening-round series against New Orleans, and has been on a tear ever since. That run continued with a blowout of Dallas in Game 1, thanks to 29 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic appears limited with a knee issue, Kyrie Irving is his typical Jekyll-and-Hyde self, and Dallas just struggled to keep up with a younger, deeper team that’s now won five straight playoff games by at least 20 points. No reason to expect anything different in Game 2 Thursday in OKC.
Christopher Walder's Pick: Dallas Mavericks ML (+168)
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, and that's because riding with the Mavericks moneyline for a second-straight time after the team lost by 22 points on the road did me in.
This pick is a credit to the coaching of Jason Kidd, the starpower of a clearly-hobbled Doncic, the firepower of Irving, and the underrated depth of the second unit ranking fifth this postseason at 24.6 points per game. Rocking the spread would be the safer course here as Dallas would just need to cover as five-point underdogs, but that +168 as of Thursday morning is calling.
The Mavericks haven't legitimately dropped consecutive games (we're not counting the losses on April 12-14 because all key players were sitting) since early March, because the team is constructed to withstand defeats and bounce back, which I project they will on Thursday to even the series at 1-1 before travelling back to the American Airlines Center.
