The NBA Playoffs have been absolutely incredible thus far, and we’re working hard to make them as profitable as possible for all of our VSiN subscribers. So, make sure you head over to the VSiN NBA Playoffs Betting Hub for all of our postseason content. I’ll continue giving out NBA best bets and player props here throughout the playoffs, and I’ll also occasionally write up features on anything big that shakes up the league. So, make sure you check out my work over the next couple of weeks. With that out of the way, let’s get into some NBA best bets and NBA player props for Thursday, May 8th. Also, make sure you check out the picks page (linked right below) before games tip off. I occasionally add picks throughout the day.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on May 8th
NBA Best Bets Today – May 8
Game 2: Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves – 8:30 pm ET
While I generally try to dish out a side and a prop every night, I can’t do that this evening. I like Minnesota to win this game, but will they do it by 11 points? It’s too hard to say without knowing what Golden State will look like without Stephen Curry. The one thing I’m certain about is that the Timberwolves aren’t going to shoot 5 for 29 from three again. After the All-Star break, Minnesota was one of the best three-point shooting teams in basketball, and I thought the Timberwolves got some great looks in Game 1. So, I’m expecting a bit of a bounce-back performance from the Minnesota offense, even against a good Golden State defense.
I’ll also note that I still think there’s value on the Timberwolves to win the series. Being down 1-0 is obviously a bit of a bummer, but Minnesota is favored by double digits in Game 2. And the Timberwolves should be able to regain home-court advantage by splitting wins against a Curry-less Warriors team in The Bay.
Pick: Nothing
NBA Player Props Today – May 8
Game 2: Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves – 8:30 pm ET
The Warriors aren’t going to abandon the three-ball with Curry out. They’re just going to hope that Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield can get hot and steal a game. All Golden State really needs is one of the next three to have a shot when Curry returns, and it isn’t crazy to think that either of those two players can rise to the occasion. However, losing Curry means losing a player that shot 11.2 threes per game during the regular season. And he’s up at 10.0 threes per game during the postseason. That said, Golden State probably won’t get up the same number of attempts without the star guard. Also, no Curry means that the Warriors will likely put the ball in the hands of Butler and hope for the best. Doing that likely means Golden State’s shots near the rim will go up, as Butler isn’t going to be shy about driving. And whether he’s looking to finish at the basket or just taking short mid-range shots, Rudy Gobert is going to have a shot at blocking those. And while Gobert had a down year as a shot blocker, he had three blocks in Game 1. He also had two blocks in Game 5 of the series against the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s still plenty capable of having multi-block games. In fact, he had two of them against the Warriors during the regular season, meaning he has had at least two blocks in three of the five games he has played against Golden State. So, at +130 odds, I’m taking a shot on this play.
Pick: Gobert Over 1.5 Blocks (+130)
Additional Plays
This is where I’ll include any late added plays, teasers/parlays or in-season futures. Come back before tip if you don’t want to miss anything. It’s always possible I’ll add something to my card.
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2024-25 NBA Record: 408-412-2 (+13.74 units)
