The Golden State Warriors have the daunting task of going back on the road after just defeating the Rockets forty eight hours ago. Jimmy Butler during the Rockets series did not make more then seven field goals from game two on. That makes it hard to clear a points prop, but Butler also has had a knack for setting the tone in a new series in game one. He also gets the edge as Minnesota has not seen him in a Warriors uniform. All four regular season matchups were played before January 15th, when he was a Miami Heat. Take his prop over in game one.

Certain players raise their game in the postseason versus the regular season. Aaron Gordon since his put back dunk to win game four over the Clippers, has surged in the points department. He scored 23, 19, and 22 to close out the series against the Clippers. Look for his confidence to continue in game one against the Thunder, as he goes over his points prop for a fourth straight postseason game.

Veteran players have that ability to preserve their energy for an expected long series. James Harden had been held in check from a scoring stand point in games two through five, averaging just sixteen points. His shot attempts were down, but in game six he took twenty shots his most since game one. Expect Harden to be ready for another big game tonight in a must win game seven. Take his points over.

For the first time since game one the Denver Nuggets are favored in their series against the LA Clippers. Typically, the home court edge pays off for the home team in game seven, but I’ll side with the Clippers here. Look for the Clippers to not make the same mistake as game five when they came out flat at Denver. Just like the Nuggets last playoff series when they were up 3-2 against Minnesota, they fall short in game seven. Take the Clippers.

Jabari Smith Jr. role has changed significantly from being a starter for the Houston Rockets. On the road in this series he has warranted an uptick in minutes where he is averaging 24 minutes. Expect his offense to be needed and the possibility of Smith finishing out the finally 4-5 minutes if a blowout does occur. Take his over in the points department tonight.

In game five the Denver Nuggets had so much success offensively that they got by with Nikola Jokic having an off game. The thirteen points he scored were the second fewest from Jokic since mid January. With the surging offense of Denver, the Clippers will be forced to make full team adjustments in particular on Jamal Murray. Look for Jokic to bounce back in the points department and clear his points prop tonight.

Franz Wagner was fifteenth in the NBA this season averaging twenty four points per game. He has raised that in the first round by two points to an average of twenty six. With Orlando’s issues on having a third scoring option, it has raised Wagner’s volume shooting to twenty three shot attempts per game. Wagner also has room for improvement from beyond the arc where he is just twenty one percent in the series. Take his over in game five.

The Jimmy Butler effect is in play once again for game four now that he has been cleared. In game three I went the other way on the market reacting to Butler being out, and now will do so with him being cleared. As strong as Golden State’s overall record is with Butler in the lineup, Houston did go into Golden State and defeat them on April 6th. This is also the first time in the postseason Steph Curry has to step back on the court in a forty eight hour turn around, which has been troublesome for Curry during the regular season. Back the Rockets for the cover in game four.

In game three the New York Knicks had four players score over twenty points, including OG Anunoby. Being aggressive in first quarters has sparked Anunoby’s success on cashing over in two of the three playoff games thus far. In game one he scored twelve first quarter points, and game three ten. Expect a more balanced effort for four quarters from Anunoby, as he eclipses his points prop for the third time in this series.

The Golden State Warriors are one of the few teams prepared for a postseason injury. They’ve had role players and star players in and out of the lineup, and Jimmy Butler was a late add pre- trade deadline. At home, their role players excel and expect Steve Kerr to adjust the defense off the Rockets excellent game two. Golden State prepared for game three without Jimmy Butler and gets by on the over reaction line drop.

The Denver Nuggets likely should be down three games in their series against the Clippers. They were fortunate to win game one in overtime, and have had less points in each game so far. Offensively Christian Braun is averaging seven points fewer then his regular season average. Look for Braun to take on a bigger role offensively as the Nuggets need to re-adjust their offense. Braun has his best game in the series from a points stand point.

In both games one and two we saw defense be a catalyst between Denver and the Clippers. In game three look for the two days rest to be a boost for Denver’s Jamal Murray. Murray has had a knack of being a rising scorer in the postseason, and has scored just enough to clear his points props in games one and two. Volume shots and high minutes continue his over trend in this series. Play Murray over in game three.

A player that has blossomed for the Miami Heat in the play-in and postseason has been Davion Mitchell. He has put up performances of 16, 15, and 18, but this will be his first instance facing an opponent that can adjust. Expect the Cavaliers to do a better job with their perimeter defense on Mitchell. Additionally, Coach Spoelstra has been known for vastly changing his lineups when he is trailing in a series. Take Mitchell to cool off in the points department and go under his points prop.

A move that was questioned by some was the Timberwolves decision to trade KAT and bring in Julius Randle. It took some time to mesh but Randle has adapted to playing within the Timberwolves system. He had a quiet sixteen points in game one, and flourished from beyond the arc where he went four of six. Expect Randle to continue to knock down threes, but also work the paint more. Take Randle’s over in game two.

The LA Clippers had their moments in game one but could not generate enough offense after an explosive first quarter of 35 points. Defensively though they limited Denver to 44 percent shooting, in a game that saw Jamal Murray play a season high forty eight minutes. Look for Tyronn Lue to have the necessary adjustments for the Clippers to earn a split before heading back home for game three.