NBA Playoffs Best Bets for May 5: Can the Knicks get an Upset Win?
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Spread Astaire
- May 5, 2025
Top NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -9 (-111) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
The second round of the NBA playoffs is here and we have two Game 1s tonight. Let’s take a look at these exciting matchups and find winning NBA picks at the top-rated sportsbooks.Â
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
Monday, May 05, 2025 – 07:00 PM EDT at TD Garden
Two of the most storied franchises in the league take the floor when the New York Knicks take on the Boston Celtics. Boston has done well against the Knicks so far this season, as it is 3-1 ATS against them.
The Knicks are coming off a six-game series against Detroit, where they were able to finish the series in Detroit with the 116-113 win. The Celtics had an easier series, taking out the Magic in five games. Boston had a higher margin of victory in their series, winning each game by nine points or more. This sets us up for our line of -8.5 for tonight’s game.
Can Knicks Seize the Moment?
What would the Knicks need to do to find success against the Celtics team that they failed to match up well with this season?
In the three games the Knicks lost to the Celtics this year the margin of victory was 23, 27 and 13. However, the Knicks struggled against top competition all year as well, going 2-14 ATS against the top six NBA teams.
Strategically, I don’t think there’s much the Knicks can do. However, they are facing a Celtics team that comes into this series banged up. During the series against the Magic, Kristaps Porzingis, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday all suffered injuries. That said, the Knicks could take advantage of a less-than-healthy team.
Celtics Start Strong
If the Celtics put in a poor performance in this series, my guess is that Game 2 would be a much more likely candidate for a loss. The Celtics usually come out strong and then start to fade once they realize they are the better team.
Therefore, if you like New York, Game 2 might be a better spot to back them.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are a great story and exciting team, however, some of their flaws will be exposed in this series. They got a little worse on defense when they added Karl-Anthony Towns, and the amount of offense that he provides will still not be enough to keep up with the Celtics. This one’s going to be rough for the fans in New York. Take the Boston Celtics.
NBA Pick: Boston Celtics -9 (-111) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
 Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Monday, May 05, 2025 – 09:30 PM EDT at Paycom Center
The Denver Nuggets needed seven games and all their heart to overcome the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. The Oklahoma City Thunder got an easy sweep against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The two teams split the regular season matchup. This is impressive because Oklahoma City only lost 14 games all year, yet two of them were against the Denver Nuggets.Â
The Thunder won their first meeting in October and the Nuggets followed that up with a win in November. However, I think the more instructive results will be the two-game back-to-back series these two teams played on March 9th and 10th. First, the Thunder won 127-103. However, maybe they were feeling overconfident after their easy win and they fell to the Nuggets the following night 140-127.
This could be emblematic of the potential zigzag nature in this series.
MVP Race Turns into Playoff Duel
One of the main storylines in this series will be the fact that the top two vote-getters for the MVP award will be facing off.
Nikola Jokic looked every bit the MVP in leading his team to the win over the Clippers, although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a quiet series against the Memphis Grizzlies. However, Shai wasn’t really required to have a big performance to beat the Grizzlies. Let’s see if he bounces back now that the team will definitely need him.
If the Nuggets are going to keep this close and potentially win the series, they are going to need more of the same play from Jamal Murray. He was key as the secondary scoring option in Denver’s win over the Clippers. The Nuggets are going to need more strong play from Murray in order to make this series competitive.
Experience Meets Explosiveness
This series is a classic example of talent versus experience.
The Thunder are the most talented regular-season team, having the highest net rating in 40 years. The Nuggets have won a championship, however, and have much more experience in these playoff settings. We have seen playoff experience shine through so far this season, especially in the Knicks versus the Pistons series. Will the Nuggets’ playoff experience allow them to shine?
This is a tough matchup to call because Oklahoma City has been so good and they are the much more rested team. However, I still think this is too many points for the Thunder to be laying. The Nuggets are going to come in and make a statement to keep this game close, maybe even steal game one.
Take the Denver Nuggets.
NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets +9.5 (-106) at Bookmaker
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
