NBA Best Bets: BetQL Staff Picks For Wednesday, May 4
Find out which bets we're targeting for today's NBA games
Brad Pinkerton - May 4, 2022, 3:46pm EDTToday's NBA Best Bets
Dan Karpuc: Heat -8 vs. 76ers
The glaring void left by Joel Embiid was obvious in Game 1, as the Heat dominated the Sixers in the second half en route to a 106-92 victory. Despite a solid performance by Tobias Harris (27 points, six rebounds in 37 minutes), James Harden (16 points, nine rebounds, five assists) had an off night and couldn’t take over while Tyrese Maxey chipped in 19 points and two assists. Other than that, Philly’s bench was terrible and the team as a whole had no answer for Heat center Bam Adebayo, who coasted to 24 points and 12 boards and dominated the paint on both ends of the floor. There’s nobody on this Sixers roster who can limit Adebayo, especially in pick-and-roll situations and around the rim in general, so I expect that action to continue in Game 2. Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Co. simply overmatch Philadelphia without Embiid.
Lucy Burdge: Suns -6 vs. Mavericks
I see the Suns covering this spread in Game 2. The Suns covered the 6.5-point spread in Game 1 of this series and I see no reason they can't do it again here. They’ve covered the spread in their last three games and in three of their last four games at home, as well as seven of their last 10 overall.
Nick Ashooh: Heat -8
This will continue to be an uphill battle for the Sixers without Joel Embiid in the lineup. James Harden had just 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting last game while averaging only 19.0 points per game in the first round. With Embiid out, and hobbled even whenever he comes back. if Harden can't find that "take over the game" form quickly, this series could get out of hand fast.
Miami has had plenty of success against teams that fail to ramp up the defensive pressure, going 33-14 ATS when playing a team that forces 13 or fewer turnovers a game, also having just 11 turnovers in Game 1. There's not much to give you a ton of hope Sixers-wise, so I'm leaning towards another Heat cover in Game 2.
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