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Mike is a nationally-acclaimed NBA Fantasy expert, both season-long and DFS, who uses in-depth knowledge of every roster to find betting advantages. Over the past five seasons at SportsLine, Mike went 470-406 against the spread, returning $2,329 to $100 bettors (every play 1 unit). Twice recently, Mike was nominated for Basketball Writer of the Year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Mike's work has appeared in Sports Illustrated as well as on Yahoo and RotoWire. Mike appears regularly on "Early Edge," SportsLine's popular daily betting show. For Mike Barner media inquiries, contact SportsLine@CBSInteractive.com.
@rotomikebarnerNaz Reid averaged a career-high 6.0 rebounds per game during the regular season. In the first two rounds of the playoffs against the Lakers and Warriors, he averaged just 3.6 rebounds. However, this is a much better matchup for him against the Thunder. Not only did the Thunder allow the 11th-most rebounds per game during the regular season, but they have allowed the most rebounds per game in the playoffs. Reid has grabbed at least six rebounds in all four games against them and he even had eight rebounds in three of the games. Look for him to be productive on the boards again.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not only scored 40 points in Game 4, but he also had 10 assists. He only played 28 minutes in Game 3 because of the lopsided score, but he still had six assists. He has produced at least eight assists in each of the other three games in this series. During the regular season, he had at least eight assists in three of four games against the Timberwolves. I don’t think the Timberwolves will go down without a fight, so Gilgeous-Alexander should play enough to have a favorable opportunity to reach this over.
T.J. McConnell hasn’t played more than 15 minutes in any of the three games of the Eastern Conference Finals. However, he combined for at least 12 points and rebounds in each game. In Game 3, he recorded 12 points and three rebounds. He is instant energy off the bench and feeds off the home crowd. He shot 54.3% from the field at home during the regular season, compared to 49.8% on the road. In the playoffs, he has combined for at least 11 points and rebounds in all six games at home. I like his chances to hit that threshold again as the Pacers try to bounce back from a disappointing loss in Game 3.
Karl-Anthony Towns battled foul trouble in Game 3 and struggled to score in the first half. However, he came alive in the fourth quarter and finished with 24 points as the Knicks pulled off a comeback victory. He scored 35 points in Game 1. Although he only played 28 minutes in Game 2, he still scored 20 points. Across his last eight games, Towns has scored at least 21 points six times. In the two games that he didn’t, he had 19 and 20 points. Avoiding foul trouble will be key, but as long as Towns plays around 30 minutes, he has a favorable opportunity to hit this over.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander only played 28 minutes with the Thunder getting blown out in Game 3. Still, he finished with six assists. He had nine assists in Game 1 and eight assists in Game 2. During the regular season, he had at least eight assists in three of four games against the Timberwolves. Expect the Thunder to put up a better fight in Game 4 and keep things close, which should put Gilgeous-Alexander in a favorable spot to hit this over.
When was the last time the Thunder lost two games in a row? Go all the way back to the beginning of April when they lost consecutive games to the Rockets and Lakers. The only other time they lost two consecutive games this season was in November. The Thunder looked like the vastly superior team in this series before getting absolutely trounced in Game 3. Don’t expect the Timberwolves to make 20 three-pointers and shoot 57.3% from the field again like they did in Game 3. I like the Thunder to bounce back in Game 4 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Karl-Anthony Towns dominated Game 1, posting 35 points and 12 rebounds across 39 minutes. However, he played just 28 minutes in Game 2. That was his fewest minutes in any playoff game for the Knicks. Still, he finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. In the playoffs, he has averaged 20.9 points and 11.1 rebounds. I expect him to play more than 30 minutes in Game 3 as the Knicks try to finally get a win in the series, so I like this over.
Andrew Nembhard followed up his 15 points in Game 1 by scoring 12 points in Game 2. He has logged at least 35 minutes in both games against the Knicks, boosting his average to 33 minutes per game in the playoffs. Across 12 playoff games, he has scored at least 12 points nine times. With the expectation that he plays upwards of 35 minutes again, I like his chances to hit this over.
Rudy Gobert has struggled in the first two games against the Thunder. He had two points and three rebounds in Game 1. He was a little better in Game 2, but still had just five points and nine rebounds. Over 12 playoff games, he has combined for 16 or fewer points, rebounds and assists eight times. After averaging 33 minutes per game during the regular season, he has averaged just 28 minutes in the playoffs. Given his struggles, he could see limited minutes again in Game 3.
Andrew Nembhard scored 15 points in Game 1, shooting 6-for-10 from the field over 35 minutes. He only averaged 29 minutes per game during the regular season, but he has averaged 33 minutes per game in the playoffs. That has helped him average 14.6 points per game in the playoffs. With regards to this prop, he has scored at least 12 points in eight of 11 playoff games. The Knicks will likely focus their defensive efforts on slowing down Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith, which should afford Nembhard with enough quality open looks to hit this over.
The Pacers stormed back to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in dramatic fashion. Aaron Nesmith hit a bevy of key three-pointers down the stretch, Tyrese Haliburton tied the game at the buzzer in the fourth quarter and the Pacers completed the comeback by winning in overtime. With all of that in mind, they have somehow been made an even bigger underdog heading into Game 2. The Pacers have won five of six road games during the playoffs. They have shown that they can come back from big deficits multiple times. I think the Knicks win, but this is a lot of points. Look for the Pacers to keep things close enough to cover.
Chet Holmgren scored 15 points across 26 minutes in Game 1 against the Timberwolves. He is now averaging 15.7 points per game in the playoffs. In 12 playoff games, he scored at least 14 points eight times. Helping his cause is that he is averaging 30 minutes per game in the playoffs, which is up from 27 minutes per game during the regular season. I think the Timberwolves keep Game 2 close into the fourth quarter, which should result in Holmgren playing around 30 minutes again.
The Thunder held the Timberwolves to 88 points in Game 1. However, they didn’t slow down Julius Randle, who hit five three-pointers on his way to scoring 28 points. Randle has averaged 24.3 points in the playoffs, scoring at least 20 points in nine of 11 games. During the regular season, he averaged 32 minutes and 13.6 shot attempts per game. In the playoffs, he has averaged 38 minutes and 16.5 shot attempts per game. With plenty of minutes and shot attempts likely coming his way in Game 2, I like his chances to score at least 20 points again.
Karl-Anthony Towns dominated the Pacers during the regular season. He played them three times and had at least 36 combined points and rebounds in each game. Myles Turner helps the Pacers stretch the floor on offense, but he only averaged 6.5 rebounds per game during the regular season. That contributed to the Pacers allowing the ninth-most rebounds per game in the league. In the playoffs, they have allowed the third-most rebounds per game. Look for Towns to start off this series on a high note and hit this over.
The Pacers have been locked in on the road in the playoffs. They lost Game 3 against the Bucks in Milwaukee, but have won four straight road games since. That included winning all three games against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The Pacers have a depth advantage in this series and it would not be a surprise if they advanced to the NBA Finals. I think they could win Game 1, so I’ll at least take the points.