Ricky Dimon
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Well, a Game 5 doesn’t get any bigger than this. The Boston-Milwaukee series has been back-and-forth and the result is a 2-2 tie going back to Boston. Things are not as competitive in the Western Conference, where Golden State leads 3-1 and can finish off an injury-plagued Memphis squad.
Now it’s time to take a look at the best first-basket bets to be made on Wednesday. So far in this postseason my first-basket plays have been extremely profitable. I nailed 2 plays on the same day during the play-in tournament – Kyrie Irving at +600 and Anthony Edwards at +700 for a 2-leg parlay that paid out at +5500. After that, I cashed two consecutive Donovan Mitchell plays, both at +500 (Game 2 and Game 3 of the Utah-Dallas series), before hitting another bullseye with Phoenix’s Mikal Bridges at +1000. On Tuesday I was all over Joel Embiid at +440. Let’s keep the momentum going!
Bucks vs Celtics: Giannis Antetokounmpo (+470)
The Bucks can be expected to have the first possession in their road date with the Celtics. Milwaukee will be putting Brook Lopez in the circle and he was won three of the four opening tips in this series. He is 2-1 against Robert Williams and 1-0 against Al Horford. Williams is coming off a knee injury that kept him out of his team’s first two playoff games and he sat out Monday’s victory due to soreness. Either way, you have to feel good about Lopez’s chances against Horford or Williams.
Needless to say, the tipoff is the most important factor that should be looked at when deciding on first-basket bets. Obviously players on whichever team gains possession are going to have by far the best opportunities. If the Bucks do get the ball first, look for Antetokounmpo to capitalize. The Greek Freak averaged 18.6 field-goal attempts per game during the regular season. In this series he has forked up at least 25 shots in all four contests, including 30 in Game 3 and 32 in Game 4. He has scored 42 and 34 points in the last two games. Antetokounmpo is feeling unstoppable and with his team coming off a loss he will be eager to set the tone right from the start on Wednesday. At +440, the best player on the floor has good value.
Make sure you read all of our NBA Playoffs coverage, which includes same game parlays and player props
Warriors vs Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks (+650)
This Warriors-Grizzlies showdown is another case of the tipoff being a key component to first-basket success. Golden State has been sending Jonathan Kuminga to do the tip and he is nothing short of hopeless. The 19-year-old was 0-for-6 during the regular season and he is 0-for-2 in the playoffs. Steven Jackson was back in the starting lineup for Memphis on Monday and he is the absolute best in the business when it comes to jump balls. Adams won 71 of 92 (77.2 percent) in the regular season. Even if the the Grizzlies go with Jaren Jackson Jr., they should have no trouble winning the tip. JJJ won almost 60% of his jumps in 2021-22 (26 of 44) and so far in the playoffs he is 9-for-11.
If the Grizzlies corral the ball off the tip, don’t be surprised if Brooks becomes the beneficiary. After being suspended for Game 3, the former Oregon standout promptly hoisted up 19 shots in Monday’s loss. He has attempted at least 18 shots in four of his last five contests (not including Game 2, which saw him get ejected three minutes into it). With Morant out, Brooks is going to have to shoulder much of the scoring load. Look for him to do so early and often.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies
If you want to go really big, an Antetokounmpo-Brooks parlay pays out at +4175!
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