If Game 1 was any indication, this year’s NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals is going to be epic. The Indiana Pacers had the game in their grasp before eventually fumbling it away in overtime to the Boston Celtics. And, sadly, Boston didn’t cover the spread, as I had predicted. Back on the horse for Game 2. Here are my NBA picks for May 23rd. Go here for the latest NBA odds.
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NBA Picks May 23rd
Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics
Tipoff – 8:00 pm EST
Spread: Celtics -8.5
Total: 224.5
Boston has tended to put up one stinker per series this playoff run, losing a game to the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Was Game 1 against Indiana their stinker that they happened to win, or should we count on another subpar performance incoming at some point?
It’s still hard to trust Boston, despite them clearly being the best team this season and, subsequently, the best team left in the playoffs. So I’m going to shy away from laying 8.5 points on them to win Game 2 in Boston’s TD Garden. I still expect them to win the game, but I can’t be certain they’re going to cover.
Additionally, who knows what version of the Indiana Pacers we’re going to see on Thursday night. They played the game of their lives on Monday night yet still lost. Morale can’t be too high. So I’m going with a play on the total. Game 1’s regulation time total (234) easily beat the 224.5 projection for Game 2. Let’s hit the over.
Best Bet: Pacers/Celtics Over 224.5 (-106)
If you’d like even more info to help make your NBA bets for May 23rd, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
