Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Tonight, we have two games on the schedule.
The first features the Milwaukee Bucks who will look to close out their first-round series (MIL leads series 3-1) against the Chicago Bulls at home. Likewise, the Golden State Warriors (GSW leads the series 3-1) hope to wrap up their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets in Game 5. Let’s take a look at some of tonight’s best NBA bets as the first round of the NBA playoffs heats up.
Best Bets of the Night
Game: Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks -12 (MIL leads 3-1)
The Bulls will likely lose this game as the Bucks look to cement their way into the second round of the NBA playoffs. In a playoff series like this one, where next-door neighbors are facing off against one another, a third consecutive blowout win from the Bucks should terrify the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference. In Game 3, the Bulls only scored 81 points and lost by 30. In Game 4, they scored 95 points to the Bucks’ 119. The Bucks should end their first-round series with another statement victory at home despite missing the services of Khris Middleton.
The Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -12
Game: Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors -8.5 (GSW leads 3-1)
The Nuggets edged a 126-121 win in Game 4 and avoided a sweep in their first-round series against Golden State. Though the game ended with only a five-point differential, Draymond Green voiced his discontent about the Warriors’ performance colorfully in the post-game interview, blaming himself in large part for his team’s loss.
His response in the post-game interview reveals just how confident the Warriors are. Simply put, they couldn’t put the finishing touches down in Game 4 to close the series out. At the same time, Denver played with all of its might to squeeze out a consolation win. Andre Iguodala has been ruled out for tonight’s game. While his defensive skill set and playoff experience are integral to Golden State’s success (after all he was the 2015 NBA Finals MVP), the Warriors will go ahead and close this series out tonight at home with a 10+ point victory.
The Pick: Golden State Warriors -8.5
NBA Player Props of the Night
Game: Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors -9 (GSW leads 3-1)
Prop #1: Draymond Green Over 7.5 Points
By no means is Draymond Green a consistent or reliable scorer for the Warriors. However, Green’s role for Golden State in playoff basketball is always instrumental. In Game 4, Draymond scored 13 points (5-6 FG). While in Games 2 and 3, Green only scored 6 points in each game, he didn’t take more than six or seven shots in 30+ minutes on the floor. In Game 5, the Warriors should dominate. While Andre Iguodala is by no means a big scorer, he has been ruled out for tonight’s game. As a result, Draymond might see a few more shots from the field tonight and has a better chance of scoring at least eight points.
Prop #2: Andrew Wiggins Over 15.5 Points
Wiggins has shot a very respectable 46.6% from the field this season and averaged 17.2 PPG (including the first round of the playoffs). Since Klay Thompson rejoined the Warriors rotation, Wiggins’ offensive numbers have slightly decreased. He was selected as a first-team All-Star averaging approximately 18.5 PPG. Nonetheless, Wiggins still plays 30+ minutes on most nights. Wiggins should score more than 16 points tonight after being relatively quiet in this first round of the playoffs.
