May 5, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) makes the basket against Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) in overtime during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

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NBA Best Bets Today | Top Picks & Predictions for 05/07/2025

The Away teams have given multiple jolts to the favorites in the Semi-Finals! How exciting it must be for the betting enthusiasts right now! On that note, in this piece, you can access the predictions related to spreads, totals, and player props for the May 07, 2025, action.

NBA Best Bets Today – 05/07/2025

It is a blockbuster double-header day in the NBA! First, the heralded Boston Celtics take on the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Knicks turned the tables on the Celtics in Game 1 and won by three points. Can the Celtics get even here?

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The Nuggets sneaked in a two-point win in Game 1 on a game-winning buzzer-beater by Aaron Gordon. Can the Thunder recover from the shock defeat?

Go through your NBA best picks for 05/07/2025 on BetMGM.

Best NBA Bets for 05/07/2025

Bet #1: Player Points: OG Anunoby O 17.5 points (-105 at BetMGM)

Anunoby was on fire in Game 1, scoring 29 points. He has scored 19 or more points in five of the last seven games. Despite that, the bookmakers have reservations about the high-caliber two-way Wing going past 20 here.

The forward has repeatedly gone “over” the mark in the second half of the season. He made 6 triples in Game 1 and was huge during clutch moments. Thus, I back him to go “over” the mark here despite defensive adjustments from the Celtics.

Bet #2: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Denver Nuggets: Under 227.5 (+115 at BetMGM)

Game 1 between OKC and Denver produced 240 points. It was 17 points above the projected score. The Thunder scored just a point above the stipulated mark, whereas the Nuggets went almost 10 points better than that.

It sets the tone for a high-scoring series. But I think there will be major defensive adjustments from both sides here. I see both teams scoring below 115 points, and the overall scoring going below the stipulated mark of 229.

Bet #3: Player Assists: Nikola Jokic: 10+ (+110 at BetMGM)

Jokic had 6 assists in Game 1, as he preferred more of a scoring role with 29 field goal attempts and 13 free-throw attempts. I expect him to reduce his scoring output here and focus more on playmaking.

He dished 10 or more assists in four of the seven games during the last series, but he has gone “Under” the stipulated mark for three straight games. But I have the buoyed Joker on the “Triple-Double Watch” here, so expecting him to touch the 10-assist mark.

NBA Betting Trends to Know:

The underdogs (all road teams, too) have won all five games in the Semi-Finals.
Jayson Tatum grabbed 16 rebounds in the last game. He has gone “Over” in three of the five games.
The Nuggets have covered the spread in four straight games.

Final Picks Recap

Points: OG Anunoby O 17.5 (-105)
Thunder vs Nuggets: Total U 227.5: (+115)
Nikola Jokic: Assists: 10+ (+110)

Betting Tips of the Day

Bookmakers are usually spot on about their projections. Some values can be here and there, but going against projections can often cost a lot. However, you have to take risks sometimes, which has proven fruitful in the current playoffs.

The home court advantage can be overestimated in many cases, and in such cases, look for patterns from the away team. Apart from that, the player props bets can have some obvious wagers as bookmakers tend to be a bit conservative towards the “over” mark.

Photo Credit: David Butler II- Imagn Images

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Jayson Tatum

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New York Knicks

Nikola Jokic

OG Anunoby

Oklahoma City Thunder

Shubham Singh

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Hi, I am Shubham. I am currently an NBA Predictions Writer on The Playoffs. I enjoy this job because it helps keep me in the loop about the game I love while fulfilling the pleasure I derive from stats. I got into NBA writing through social media interactions in the mid-2010s as I shared my takes on young talents such as D’Angelo Russell. I hope you enjoy reading my pieces as much as Dennis Rodman loved rebounding the basketball!