Those online betting sites from the NBA are now seeing even more shifts Thursday night. In this article, we have our early NBA Thursday Playoff Picks for two Game 6’s Will the home teams hold serve, or will they get eliminated?
| NBA Thursday Night Picks 5/12/22 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | +120 | +115 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | -140 | -135 |
| Golden State Warriors | -130 | -130 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +110 | +110 |
The fourth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers are slight favorites over the Miami Heat in Game 6, a top NBA Finals betting opportunity. Yes, the scene moves back to Philadelphia. Game 5 felt like a dagger for the 76ers. Not only did they lose by 35 points, but Philadelphia also took an even bigger hit with another injury to Joel Embiid. Miami has been the better team throughout this series. However, Embiid and James Harden found a way to lift Philadelphia to a series tie before the Game 5 debacle.
A deeper look showed that when Miami plays its brand of intense defense, they will not be stopped. They were able to just outscore the 76ers early. Are they going to score 120 points every game? Certainly not. On the other hand, the Heat showed a balance that Philadelphia just could not match. That fourth quarter was a 20-point demolition that felt so much, much worse.
So, Philadelphia did have that urgency of being down 2-0 after getting blown out in Miami the first two games. After that, Embiid magically came back and sparked the 76ers. Again, even James Harden and the Philadelphia frontcourt found a way to find their scoring touch. That did not happen in Game 5 as that “want to” disappeared. The 76ers were slowed down to just 36% shooting and 28% from distance.
Now, NBA Thursday Playoff Picks focuses on the following question. Does Philadelphia stave off elimination or does Miami deliver the final blow?
It is amazing how the Miami Heat has betting value in the odds. The teams are close to even but without a 100% Embiid and consistency from Philadelphia, Miami just can display their overall balance and might. There is a reason why the Heat was the number one team in the conference. They are a team! It does not hurt to have Jimmy Butler, who has been elite or near-elite in every single game this postseason.
Now, the key for Miami is to keep up that defensive intensity with the timely offence. Again, few, if anyone, expects Miami to unload 120 points on Thursday. That 40-point fourth quarter was a postseason high but was just a clinic as the Heat turned every 76ers’ mistake into a fast-break going the other way. It was downright frightening for Philadelphia. Butler led the balanced effort of 23,9.and 6 in the Game 5 rout.
This has the makings of being a series that could functionally end tonight. Miami has the potential of winning on the road as they did in the last round. Yes, they are 0-2 so far this round but the feeling is with Joel Embiid suffering from a multitude of maladies (orbital fracture, undisclosed, and more). The other problem is that Philadelphia’s frontcourt may not be able to put up the 48-minute effort needed to force a Game 7.
Miami again has that balance. This is far from an automatic here, and that is why the Heat is underdogs on Thursday night. For one, the under at just 207 points could be considered low-hanging fruit, the moneyline is interesting, and lastly, that two-point spread all may go Miami’s way. This NBA Thursday playoff picks is worth a two-legged parlay possibly.
The NBA Thursday Playoff Picks for this Western Conference clash did get the forecast of a long series right. That’s correct. The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns fight it out in Game 6 that expects to come down to an exciting finish. After what happened in Game 5 (Phoenix blew out Dallas by 30), the likelihood Dallas just lays down and gives up is not likely.
Out of the five games, this was the most lopsided one by far. Games 1 and 2 were easy Phoenix wins, and Games 3 and 4 saw Dallas bounce back. Then, Phoenix just threw the gauntlet down in Game 5. Dallas was held to 25% shooting from three-point range and 38% overall. They were killed on the boards (50-38) and doubled on the offensive glass (12-6). It is a trend that could continue in Game 6 even in Dallas.
Phoenix still feels some mild pressure. There’s no question. Though they have been here before, the Suns do not want to see a Game 7 ideally. After all, Devin Booker and Chris Paul led the way. Paul had ten assists and Booker chipped in with 28 points and nine rebounds. Combine that with 38 bench points and Dallas has little chance in Game 5.
For this NBA Thursday Playoff pick, our best bet is to now take the Phoenix Suns and the near-even moneyline. After all, both picks come in at a good number that might dip from -130. Plus, Booker, Deandre Ayton, and company can slow down Luka Doncic just enough.
Thankfully, sports betting sites like MyBookie expected the Phoenix-Dallas series to be long. The series has seen some offensive clunkers from the losing teams. Despite this, the over/under here is still 212 points. That is a bit of a surprise. The pace could exceed 212, but that losing total could drag the number under.
Fortunately, both teams will live and die by the three-pointer. Take the Under at 212 points as another Thursday night pick.
See some quality online betting sportsbooks where you can make a little more coin Thursday night:
