🏀 Celtics Are Even Money...

We're on to the second round of the NBA playoffs, and for the top seeds in the East and West, the first round didn't offer much adversity. But the Celtics and Thunder should both face tougher tests this time around, although Boston's title odds are all the way down to even money...👀 (3 min read)

Author

Kyle Trapp
May 07, 2024

Tuesday NBA Preview

First off, how about them Knicks!? This team never quits, and came back from down 9 in the fourth to take a 1-0 on the Pacers. Brunson is making history in the process 👇

For tonight, the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder both won their respective conferences this season, but that doesn’t mean they entered the playoffs with the same level of expectations. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a starker contrast in the narrative surrounding the two top seeds 👀

  • Let’s start off with the Celtics, who oddsmakers were about ready to send straight to the NBA Finals right from the jump. After a regular season that saw them win the East by a whopping 14 games, they entered the postseason as the consensus title favorites (you can now find them all the way down at +100)

  • They then got their revenge from last year’s disappointing playoff exit, breezing past the shorthanded Heat in five games in a series they were -8000 to win in the first place 😳

Next up is the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston is once again very heavily favored (-3000) to advance. After a grueling 7-game series against the Magic, can Donovan Mitchell and company offer any resistance? 🤔

  • The prolific postseason scorer notched 89 combined points over his last two games, so any hopes of a Cleveland upset this series likely rest on his shoulders 🕷

He’s not without help; Jarrett Allen is a walking double-double, Evan Mobley’s versatile defense has been on full display lately, and although he struggled a bit in the first round, Darius Garland is one heck of a second option out of the backcourt. But this team couldn’t win away from home against the Magic, and it’s tough to see that changing against a team as deep and dangerous as the Celtics 😤

  • The loss of Kristaps Porzingis for the series is certainly significant, but this team has more than enough star power to pick up the slack. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown get most of the attention (and deservedly so), but how about some serious love for Derrick White?

Game 1 is set to go down in front of the Boston faithful at TD Garden tonight, check out how the lines are shaping up 👇

  • Spread: Celtics -11.5

  • Moneyline: Celtics -650, Cavaliers +480

  • Over/Under: 208.5

  • When: 7PM on TNT

Next there’s the OKC Thunder, a team that hasn’t been given nearly the same level of respect as their counterpart from the East, despite coming out on top in one of the most loaded Western Conferences we’ve ever seen 🤔

  • I mean, we’ve got guys getting paid good money by ESPN to come on live television and say that the Thunder were gonna lose to the Zion-less Pelicans. C’mon now 😂

Instead, we got a four-game sweep. And although they’re all just 25-years-old or younger, SGA (27.3/6/5), J-Dub (21.3/7/5.5) and Chet (15.3/8.8/2.8 blocks) are out here looking like seasoned vets 💪

Awaiting them in the second round is the Dallas Mavericks, who really found their groove in the second half of the season. The Luka-Kyrie pairing is well past its adjustment period, and add in some improving young players and a couple savvy deadline additions, and you’ve got a pretty serious threat. Just ask the Clippers 😎

Oddsmakers are expecting this series to be a tight one, and with an MVP candidate on each side, can you blame them? SGA vs. Luka should be quite the nightly battle…but it sounds like recently named COTY Mark Daigneault at least has a plan to slow down the Slovenian superstar 😅

Here’s how the lines are looking for Game 1 tonight in Oklahoma City 👇

  • Spread: Thunder -3.5

  • Moneyline: Thunder -158, Mavericks +136

  • Over/Under: 218

  • When: 9:30PM on TNT

Trivia Question: Before this year, when was the last time the Thunder won a playoff series?

For My Parlay Gurus

An 11.5-point underdog in the second round of the playoffs? Don’t get me wrong, I definitely expect the Celtics to handle the Cavs this series, but I feel like I gotta take the points on this one. But I’ll back the home team in the late game; check out this parlay 👇

  • Cavaliers +11.5 @ Celtics: -110

  • Thunder ML vs. Mavericks: -158

$100 on this bet would win you $212 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win an Overtime hoodie*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: The Thunder last won a playoff series in 2016, when they reached the WCF before losing to the Warriors in 7 games. You likely don’t need a reminder what happened after…

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Many will enter, one (1) will win. Void where prohibited. Open to legal US & DC residents 18 years or older. Prize is one Overtime hoodie. Approximate retail value (“ARV”): $65. Entries are accepted until 11:59 pm EST on the day after the bet hits. See Campaign Terms for additional terms. ©2023 Overtime Sports, Inc. All rights reserved.