There are a trio of Game 5’s taking place on Wednesday night with 2 more teams fighting to keep their seasons alive. Both the Detroit Pistons and the Houston Rockets know that a loss tonight will end their playoff runs this year. Meanwhile out in Cleveland, the Cavaliers will be looking to end a 2-game skid and retake the lead in their series against the Toronto Raptors.
You can find all of our NBA Playoff previews here. But first, check out my best bets for each of tonight’s games!
Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons best bet: Magic +9.5 (-110)
A dominant Pistons win in Game 2 proved to be just a blip so far in this series, with the Magic comfortably in control for most of the 2 games since. The main issue for the Pistons is that they have not had many players capable of generating their own offense, most notably Jalen Duren — who is averaging just half the points he did in the regular season. Tobias Harris has stepped up, but if the 33-year-old is your clear second option on offense, you are not going to dominate many games in the postseason. As for the visitors, Wendell Carter Jr. has controlled his matchup against Duren throughout this series. And with Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and Franz Wagner all capable of scoring 20 or more on any given night, it’s hard to see how the Pistons can blow this team out by double-digits.
Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers best bet: Ja’Kobe Walter over 1.5 made threes (-120)
Ja’Kobe Walter struggled in Toronto, but there are signs he should bounce back in Game 5. The guard has retained the trust of the coaching staff, with his minutes not dropping below 26 per game. Furthermore, with Immanuel Quickley out for the rest of the series and Gradey Dick having fallen out of the rotation, the Raptors have no real alternative either. Walter has also not been shy to let it fly, as he’s attempted 8 threes in Game 4 and averaging 5.5 attempts for the series. Walter has preferred shooting on the road this season, seeing his 3-point percentage jump to 44.7%. With that in mind, everything is lined up for the Baylor product to break out of his slump in Cleveland.
Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers best bet: Jabari Smith Jr. over 2.5 made threes (-138)
In 3 of the 4 games so far in the series, Jabari Smith Jr. has been able to knock down at least 3 shots from deep. The data suggests another good performance from deep for the forward tonight, as he’s shooting 38.9% from the perimeter, where most of his shots come from. Smith has attempted 10 threes in each of his last 2 outings, and he’s failed to clear the 40-minute mark just once this series. With playing time not being an issue, Smith will get another chance to space the floor tonight and be a factor from deep.
Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources and never miss a story
