After the first four games of the NBA’s play-in tournament, we have two seven-seeds. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers got a late three-pointer from LeBron James to down the Golden State Warriors, 103-100. The Warriors had led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, but then the Lakers’ defense stiffened, and LeBron and Anthony Davis found their shots. Golden State will now host Memphis, who initially blew the doors off San Antonio before holding on for a 100-96 win, for the eighth seed in the West. In the Eastern Conference, Boston took the seventh seed in a 118-100 shellacking of the Washington Wizards behind 50 points from Jayson Tatum. The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Charlotte Hornets in an unexpected 144-117 rout, despite missing several starters, and now they visit Washington to play for the eighth seed.
Let’s take a closer look at both games as you consider your online NBA betting options.
NBA News: Play-In Tournament Update
Game Schedule
Thursday, May 20
Indiana at Washington (8:00 pm ET, TNT)
Moneyline: Indiana +125 / Washington -155
ATS: Indiana +3.5 (-115) / Washington -3.5 (-105)
O/U: 236.5 (-110/-110)
Friday, May 21
Memphis at Golden State (9:00 pm ET, ESPN)
Moneyline: Golden State -160 / Memphis +140
ATS: Golden State -3.5
O/U: 228
Thursday Predictions
During the regular season, the Pacers lost all three games against the Wizards in Washington, failing to cover in two of those games. The “over” did hit in all three of those games, so you can expect another track meet on Thursday night.
Washington is missing SF Deni Avdija (ankle) and center Thomas Bryant (Achilles). Indiana has three players listed as questionable: SG Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), PG Edmond Sumner (knee) and SG Caris LeVert (illness).
The Wizards were one of the NBA’s hottest teams down the stretch, winning 17 of their last 23 regular-season games. The Celtics did cool them off in the play-in, though. Tatum’s night was transcendent, as the 6’9” phenom was unstoppable. Washington finished third in the NBA scoring 116.6 points per game, but they permitted 118.5 and finished last in the league in that category. Indiana scored 115.3 points per game, good for sixth overall, and they have also permitted 115.3 points per contest, good for 25th. So even though that over/under is fairly high, especially for a playoff game, the “over” still seems like a smart play. Can Indiana maintain that hot shooting against the Wizards, or will Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook join forces to push the Wizards to the eighth seed?
Final Prediction:
Washington 124, Indiana 119
Friday Predictions
Golden State won two of their three meetings against Memphis, and none of the games were close, as the average margin of victory was 11 points. They last met on the last day of the regular season, and Stephen Curry went off for 46 points, pushing the Warriors to a win, giving them the eighth seed, while Memphis slid to ninth.
If you haven’t been following the Warriors this year, then you may not know that they are one of the top five defenses in the league. During their run of championships, their superteam was all about filling up the basket rather than focusing on stops. However, enforcer Draymond Green gives their team toughness, and the one-time Defensive Player of the Year has changed games all by himself. The offense, though, runs through Curry once again. He was the league’s leading scorer this season, averaging 32.0 points per game. When he’s on the floor, the Warriors have the tenth most prolific offense in the NBA. When he’s on the bench, things stagnate and produce the worst offensive numbers since 2016. The fact that Curry had 37 against the Lakers in a loss, though, suggests that others need to step up.
Memphis also has an elite defense, leading the NBA in steals and fast break points and ranked third in points from turnovers. Their offense runs through multiple players, as they had seven players average double figures in scoring for the season. Jonas Valanciunas averaged career highs of 17.1 points and 12.5 boards per game, filling a huge hole at center. He had 48 double-doubles in 72 regular-season games, including 16 in a row to set a Grizzlies franchise record. Expect him to take advantage in the frontcourt against an undersized Warriors team, but will it be enough?
Final Score Prediction:
Golden State 115, Memphis 107
NBA Betting Odds
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