NBA betting: Five bets that stand out for Thursday’s playoff games

The 2025 NBA playoffs proceed Thursday with three Sport 3s, beginning with the Detroit Pistons internet hosting the New York Knicks (-1.5, 214.5). That’s adopted by the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (-9.5, 227.5) at Memphis Grizzlies, then the Denver Nuggets at LA Clippers (-5.5, 212.5).

Listed below are a few of the bets that stand out for Thursday’s video games.

Odds are as of publication time. For essentially the most up-to-date odds, go to ESPN BET

Bets for Thursday

Karl-Anthony Cities to attain 25+ factors (+150). The Knicks did not purchase Cities simply to restrict his shot quantity within the playoffs. He had solely 14.0 area purpose makes an attempt in Sport 1 and 11.0 in Sport 2 — nicely under his regular-season common of 17.0 makes an attempt per sport. Cities additionally averaged 24.4 PPG through the common season, giving him a fairly excessive scoring ground. He can rating from anyplace on the courtroom and is able to placing up factors in bunches. The Knicks ought to lean closely on Cities in Sport 3. — Eric Moody

Kris Dunn over 12.5 factors, rebounds and assists (-105). The Nuggets had been torched by Kawhi Leonard in Sport 2, and so they’ll possible alter by throwing a number of defenders at him in Sport 3. However will they depart James Harden or Norman Powell open? That is unlikely, and will unlock Dunn for some clear seems. He is gone over this line in each Video games 1 and a pair of of the collection. Dunn has additionally hit this mark in 9 of 14 video games this season when taking part in 20+ minutes alongside Leonard, Harden and Powell. — Moody

Malik Beasley over 3.5 complete 3-pointers (-125). Beasley has averaged 3.9 3-pointers per sport on the season, however when he is on from downtown he tends to make them in bunches. Within the three video games main as much as Sport 2, Beasley dropped 20 3-pointers with a minimum of six made treys in every sport. He is obtained the same pattern in opposition to the Knicks particularly; within the 4 video games he performed in opposition to the Knicks earlier than Sport 2, Beasley had dropped 20 treys with a minimum of six in three of the 4 video games. Enjoying at dwelling, after a down effort in Sport 2, I search for Beasley to bounce again and knock down a number of from downtown in Sport 3. — Andre’ Snellings

Thunder -9.5 (-110). In some unspecified time in the future this season, it’s potential the Grizzlies could problem the Thunder in a sport, however to this point there was no proof to recommend that it is possible. These groups have now performed six instances. The Thunder have received all six video games by a minimum of 13 factors, with a mean margin of victory of 24.2 PPG. The Thunder have received the 2 playoff video games by a mixed 70 factors, and so they received the 2 common season video games performed in Memphis by a mixed 30. I am backing the Thunder and giving the factors on this matchup till one thing modifications. — Snellings

Jamal Murray over 20.5 factors (-120). Quietly, hidden by all of the fireworks within the excellent begin to the Nuggets-Clippers collection, “Playoffs Jamal Murray” has surfaced. Murray’s scoring within the postseason has at all times far outpaced his manufacturing within the common season, with a profession common of 24.1 PPG in 67 playoffs video games. Murray additionally picked up his scoring within the second half of the common season as soon as he obtained more healthy, averaging 23.6 PPG over his final 37 video games. Murray started this collection by dropping 23 and 21 in his first two video games in opposition to the Clippers, and his developments recommend he maintains that and even will increase his output as this collection progresses. — Snellings

Projections and damage reviews

Basketball Energy Index by ESPN Analytics. Damage aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET

All instances ET.

New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons
7 p.m.

Line: Knicks -1.5 (-107) | Pistons +1.5 (-107)
Cash line: Knicks -120 | Pistons +EVEN
Whole: 214.5 (-107 O, -107 U)
BPI Projection: Knicks by 0.9, straight up 53%, 220.6 complete factors.

Damage Report:
Knicks: None reported
Pistons: Isaiah Stewart, (GTD – Knee); Jaden Ivey, (OUT – Decrease Leg)

Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies
9:30 p.m.

Line: Thunder -9.5 (-115) | Grizzlies +9.5 (EVEN)
Cash line: Thunder -500 | Grizzlies +360
Whole: 227.5 (-104 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 6.2, straight up 70%, 232.7 complete factors.

Damage Report:
Thunder: Ousmane Dieng, (OUT – Calf); Nikola Subject, (OFS – Knee)
Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke, (OFS – Knee); Jaylen Wells, (OFS – Wrist)

Denver Nuggets at LA Clippers
10 p.m.

Line: Nuggets +5.5 (-110) | Clippers -5.5 (-104)
Cash line: Nuggets +180 | Clippers -215
Whole: 212.5 (-110 O, -104 U)
BPI Projection: Clippers by 2.7, straight up 59%, 221.8 complete factors.

Damage Report:
Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr., (GTD – Shoulder); DaRon Holmes II, (OFS – Achilles)
Clippers: None reported