NBA Playoffs Best Bets: Thursday, May 12

Two teams that absolutely got their doors blown off on Tuesday night will both try to bounce back at home on Thursday night, as the 76ers and Mavericks will both try to force a Game 7. Will they? Let’s break it down on both NBA games.

Heat @ 76ers

The Bet: Heat +2.5 (-105, Points Bet)

Is there any coming back for the 76ers after their 35 point demolition in Miami? That game really displayed the depth disparity between the two teams as the Heat had seven players in double figures, led by Jimmy Butler’s 23 while the 76ers had just three.

The Sixers are -2.5 point favorites in this one after covering as -1 and -2.5 home favorites in Games 3 and 4. The home team has won and covered every game in this series.

The average margin of victory has been 18.6 points with the five games decided by a combined 93 points. The closest game was Game 4 which the 76ers won 116-108.

We’re predicting that we get our first close game of the series tonight, but the Heat are going to squeeze out the victory and send Philadelphia packing.

Suns @ Mavericks

The Bet: Suns -2 (-110, DraftKings)

Is it a hot take to say that the Phoenix Suns are overrated? Even if they steal Game 6 in Dallas to win this series, is anyone confident that they will roll past the Warriors, or even the Morant-less Grizzlies if they come back to beat Golden State?

This series, like others in the second round, has been dominated by the home team. Phoenix has 20 and 30 point wins at home but lost by 9 and 10 points on the road in Games 3 and 4.

The Dallas Mavericks have been a very tough out at home this season, going 33-13 at the American Airlines Center and they are 27-17-2 ATS in those games.

Phoenix had won eleven straight games against the Mavs before their two losses in Dallas last weekend.

The point spreads for the first two games in Dallas were Suns -1 and then Mavs -3. This time, the line is Dallas -2 and we’re betting the Suns close out the series in Texas tonight. Phoenix just has substantially more depth than Dallas as both teams are already playing their 12th playoff games in a month.