The top seeds in each conference are in action on Wednesday, May 15 as the 2024 NBA Playoffs continue. The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder will need extra games in order to win their semifinal series since both clubs were upset at home in Game 2. However, while the Celtics were able to wrestle homecourt advantage away from the Cleveland Cavaliers with a Game 3 road win OKC wasn’t as fortunate. The No. 1 seed in the West dropped Games 2 and 3 to the Dallas Mavericks surrendering the homecourt edge. The good news for the Thunder is that they lost more than two games in a row just once during the regular season.
Handicapping games for a NBA parlay this postseason hasn’t been easy. I’m not sure anyone expected the Denver Nuggets to lose two in a row at home to Minnesota, though the Wolves are a good team. Both of Boston’s losses took place on the parquet floor with the Celtics having trouble winning consistently in their barn over the past three years. Both of Boston’s home setbacks were by double-digits when the Cs were favored by at least 13 points. In four of their first six playoff wins the Celtics covered the NBA betting line when laying double-digits.
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NBA Parlay Picks for Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Boston ATS
Cleveland / Boston UNDER
Oklahoma City ATS
Dallas / Oklahoma City UNDER
Since there was only one game on last Wednesday’s schedule I had to do a same game parlay with the Knicks and Pacers. And I have to say that one turned out well for me. I backed New York laying 4.5-points and the OVER on a total of 218. The teams easily went above the total in Game 1 and the Knicks can run with teams when they have to. They needed to run with the Pacers, who take offense serious. Indiana led the NBA in scoring during the regular season and reached 120 points or more in four of their last five games against Milwaukee in the opening round. They scored 119 points in Game 1 and didn’t let up, though the Knicks eventually won 130-121. It’s been a successful postseason so far and I’ll look to keep it going.
There’s a good chance the Celtics will by laying double figures again when the line for Game 5 surfaces. That hasn’t affected them yet since they covered the spread in each of their first six playoff wins. The Celtics are the class of the NBA and need a wakeup call now and then to keep them grounded. They responded to a Game 2 loss in the first round by winning the next three games, including a 34-point rout in the Garden to clinch the series.
And a scary reality is that the Celtics could be even better with Kristaps Porzingis nearing a return. KP averaged 20.1 points during the regular season helping Boston to the most efficient offensive rating. Even if he doesn’t play the Celtics have so much depth it likely won’t make a difference. With that being said I’m backing Boston and the UNDER.
After my NBA Finals picks were eliminated in the first round I gravitated toward the Thunder. I like their youthful enthusiasm and their teamwork reminds me a lot of the Warriors during their championship runs. After losing Games 2 and 3 they are facing adversity for the first time; how they respond will tell us a lot about their chances of winning this series and anything else.
Defensively OKC has one a nice job limiting Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but they didn’t anticipate P.J. Washington coming up big. Now that the Thunder are dialed into the Mavs’ secret weapon I think they are ready to show off their top defense. And we’ve yet to see Shai Gilgeous Alexander go off this series, but it’s coming and he’ll help send OKC to a cover win.
NBA Schedule for Wednesday, May 15
Cleveland at Boston, 7 p.m. ET / TNT
Dallas at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET / TNT
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