There are two massive Game 6’s in the NBA this Friday night, with the Knicks at Heat game followed by the Warriors at Lakers battle.
As always, we bring you our free previews and best betting tips for both games right here!
NBA Playoffs Betting Picks - Friday May 12th
New York Knicks at Miami Heat
Kaseya Center, 7.30pm (ET)
The New York Knicks did their job in Game 5 and protected home court to extend this series to at least six games against the Miami Heat. This matchup now heads back to Miami where the Heat will have their second opportunity to close it out and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the Bubble a few seasons ago.
Jalen Brunson was the Knicks best player once again last outing, this time posting a stat line of 38/9/7. Incredibly, Brunson played the entire 48 minutes which is something you just don’t see in the modern NBA. Regardless, he was fantastic and is now averaging 29 points per game in this series, which is far and away the best for his team.
Jimmy Butler had a quietish Game 5 where he finished with only 19 points. It was the first time in these playoffs that he failed to reach the 20-point mark for scoring aside from Game 2 which he missed with injury. However, you can expect someone of his sheer quality to immediately bounce back on Friday night.
The Knicks were able to win Game 5 on the back of some Brunson heroics, but I expect it to all be in vain. The Heat are by far the more reliable and consistent team in this matchup and they’re yet to drop a game at home in these playoffs. I have the Heat closing out the series with a comfortable win.
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers
Crypto.com Arena, 10pm (ET)
Much like the matchup above, the Golden State Warriors did as they had to and extended this second round series with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors won Game 5 comfortably and now head back to Los Angeles where they’ll be looking to cause an upset and force a Game 7 back on their home deck.
Steph Curry led all scorers once again with 27 points to go alone with eight assists, but he actually had some help this time. Andrew Wiggins balled out with 25 points and Draymond Green surprising chipped in with 20 points. Klay Thompson struggled once again, but we all know he saves his best performances for a do-or-die Game 6.
There were some genuine injury concerns to come out of Monday night’s loss for the Lakers with Anthony Davis hurting his eye. However, the Brow is expected to be fine to suit up on Friday night. He had 23 points and nine rebounds last start, while LeBron James led the team in scoring with 25 points.
The Warriors were disgraceful on the road during the regular season but did manage to win a couple of important road games against the Kings in their first round series. With their backs against the wall this one, I expect the likes of Curry and Thompson to put their best foot forward. I like the value of the Warriors to win and force a Game 7.
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