NBA Playoffs Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (Warriors vs. Timberwolves)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a single playoff game on tap for Thursday night, as the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves square off in Game 2 of their best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final Series.
Tip-off at the Target Center in Minneapolis is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on TNT/truTV/Max.
Let’s keep building that bankroll for the stretch run with our best NBA bets for Thursday, May 8th.
Thursday’s Best NBA Playoffs Picks
NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit
Golden State Warriors (+385) at Minnesota Timberwolves (-500) | O/U 201.5 (-108/-112)
There is good news and bad news for the Golden State Warriors. The good news is that the Dubs won 99-88 in Game 1 of this series, cashing outright as a 6-point underdog as the under (210) connected in the opener. However, the bad news is that superstar Steph Curry is sidelined for at least a week due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
Curry was forced to exit the Game 1 victory in the second quarter due to the hamstring injury, and an MRI revealed the extent of the injury. He is expected to be sidelined through at least Game 4 in San Francisco, although he has not been ruled out for the remainder of the series. His status will depend upon how he responds to treatment. What is certain is that he is out for Game 2. The Warriors were still 7-5 this season in 12 games without Curry, so all is not lost.
With the Curry news, the odds for the Warriors fell tremendously. They were a 6-point underdog in Game 1. They’re now a double-digit underdog. While losing Curry is a gigantic blow, this team still has Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Buddy Hield. Wait, what? Yes, Hield stepped up with 24 points and five three-pointers in Game 1, while adding eight rebounds and three assists with a steal. The Bahamian-born baller stepped up in the series opener and was instrumental in the road upset.
Golden State won despite shooting 39.1% (34-of-87) from the field, buoyed by a 42.9% mark (18-of-42) from behind the three-point line. The Dubs were also 86.7% (13-of-15) from the free-throw line, while managing to outrebound the Timberwolves at a 51-to-41 margin. Minnesota turned it over 16 times, while Golden State coughed it up 12 times.
The Timberwolves were 39.5% (34-of-86) from the field, while going just 17.2% (5-of-29) from behind the three-point line, while managing just 19 assists, to 26 for the Warriors.
It was an ugly night for Anthony Edwards, who misfired on 13 of his 22 field-goal shots, finishing with 23 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, two assists and a blocked shot with three turnovers. Rudy Gobert ended up with just nine points while compiling 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in 26 minutes.
Naz Reid was sharp off the bench, ending up with 19 points on 8-of-14 from the field, while dropping in three triples, five boards, a blocked shot and a steal. The rest of the Timberwolves ended up just 2-of-22 (9.1%) from downtown, and that’s a recipe for disaster, Curry or no Curry.
The Wolves didn’t escape without injury, though, as Reid also suffered a hamstring injury, and he is a question mark for Game 2. Reid was their most effective shooter from distance, so that’s a huge concern.
Minnesota had won and covered the final three games of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, which is why the Game 1 loss to Golden State was shocking, especially with Curry missing more than a half.
For the Warriors, Brandin Podziemski will be forced into a much larger role, while Moses Moody and Pat Spencer should also see much more responsibilities than expected. And Hield will be counted upon to at least remotely replicate his Game 1 results.
Looking at this game, the Curry injury is huge, and his absence moved the line more than two buckets. We’ll still back Golden State with the double digits, as Butler and Green are still there. We’ll back the over, too.
The Warriors have hit the over in three of the past five games, going for 103+ points in five of the past six outings. Minnesota has scored 116+ points in three of its six playoff games, splitting the over and under in two of the past four outings.
It’s worth a roll of the dice to take the Warriors straight up, too, for the chance to nearly quadruple up. Sure, it’s an uphill climb without Curry, but didn’t the Warriors do that in Game 1, playing without him for more than a half? Up is down and down is up in the second round of this series. Underdogs have run wild, not only covering five of the first six games, but they’ve won outright all five times.
Picks: Warriors +10.5 (-110) & Over 201.5 Points (-108)