The NBA Playoffs haven’t disappointed so far with several interesting twists and turns for bettors throughout the first few days of competition. There are a pair of Game 2s on the slate Wednesday for bettors to handicap, with the Miami Heat visiting the Boston Celtics in the early game and the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the New Orleans Pelicans in the late game.
Here are five NBA wagers you should consider Wednesday:
Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics – 7:00 p.m. ET
The Boston Celtics decisively defeated the Miami Heat, 114-94, in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series. The Heat, missing key players Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, found it challenging to match the Celtics’ pace. Jayson Tatum shined for Boston, securing his first career playoff triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Bam Adebayo stood out for Miami, being the only player on his team to score over 20 points, finishing with 24 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Jayson Tatum to record a double-double: +100 (BetMGM)
In this season’s matchups with the Heat, Tatum has demonstrated remarkable consistency. In three of their four encounters, Tatum showcased his scoring, rebounding, and passing abilities. Notably, he achieved double-doubles in his last two games against Miami, including Game 1 where he effectively rebounded 10 of the 12 rebounding opportunities he had. In the game played in February, he had a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, narrowly missing a triple-double with nine assists. Although he fell just two rebounds short of double-doubles in the two previous games, his track record is strong. Over his last 10 games against the Heat, Tatum has recorded double-doubles in eight. Based on this trend, it’s likely he will secure another double-double in Game 2.
Jayson Tatum to record a double-double
+100
Over 202.5 total points: -110 (DraftKings)
Throughout this season’s four matchups, including Game 1, every game between the Celtics and Heat has exceeded the total, with scores of 230, 253, 116, and 208, respectively. Extending the timeframe to the past 10 games between these teams, dating back to the 2023 playoffs, the over has hit in nine of those contests. Despite the absence of key players like Butler and Rozier, which could potentially impact scoring, the Celtics’ starters each logged over 30 minutes in Game 1. Additionally, despite Tyler Herro’s poor shooting performance in Game 1, going 4-of-13 from the field, the game still exceeded the point total. Given these patterns, it wouldn’t be surprising if the total goes over again Wednesday.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 1 between the Thunder and Pelicans was a nail-biter, with the game hanging in the balance until the final buzzer. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, continuing his MVP-calibre season, led the Thunder’s victory with 28 points, six rebounds, and four assists. For the Pelicans, Trey Murphy III was the standout performer, leading his team with 21 points, which included five three-pointers, alongside a steal and three blocks.
Jalen Williams over 23.5 points + rebounds: -120 (bet365)
Williams had a strong showing in Game 1, finishing with a combined total of 26 points and rebounds, including 19 points and seven rebounds over 40 minutes of play. He shot 8-of-18 from the field and capitalized on seven out of his nine rebounding opportunities. Throughout the season, Williams has consistently performed well against the Pelicans, surpassing 23.5 combined points and rebounds in three of the four matchups between the Thunder and Pelicans. Given his recent form and significant playing time, Williams is well-positioned to reach or exceed this mark again in Game 2.
Jalen Williams over 23.5 points + rebounds
-110
In Game 1, Chet Holmgren and Jonas Valančiūnas were dominant on the boards, combining for a total of 31 rebounds from 44 rebounding opportunities. Specifically, Holmgren secured 11 rebounds from 17 chances, while Valančiūnas impressively grabbed 20 rebounds from 27 opportunities. During the regular season, when Valančiūnas played around 20 minutes per game, the pair still managed to combine for substantial totals of 20 and 21 rebounds. With Valančiūnas seeing an increased role in Game 1, logging 29 minutes, it’s likely he will continue to receive significant playing time in Game 2. This suggests that both Holmgren and Valančiūnas could once again be major factors in rebounding, potentially dominating the boards as they did in the previous game.
Pelicans over 34.5 three-point shots attempted: -133 (Betano)
Throughout the season, in their four matchups against the Thunder, the Pelicans have consistently taken a high volume of three-point shots, surpassing 34.5 attempts in each game with totals of 42, 36, 38, and 39 three-point attempts, respectively. Given this pattern, it’s likely that the Pelicans will continue this approach, attempting a similar number of three-pointers in Game 2.
