Best bets for Thursday May 9th

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Best bets

Josh Green over 1.5 made threes (+200) for Thunder

BetMGM, 3:21 p.m. CT

Alex Barutha: Green launched eight three-pointers in Game 1 – all of which were classified as wide open – and hit three of them. He's been relatively unreliable throughout the postseason, but when he launches open threes at this volume, I'm betting they'll start to fall.

Kyrie Irving O23.5 points at Thunder (-130)

DraftKings Sportsbook, 2 p.m. CT

Nick Whalen: While the Mavs struggled offensively as a team in Game 1, Irving himself didn't necessarily have a bad game – he was just quiet, taking just 14 shots in a game that was tightly contested well into the fourth quarter. The Mavs will need Irving to increase his volume in Game 2, and I expect both he and Luka Doncic to perform with greater urgency and limit the early turnovers that crippled the Mavs in Game 1.

Daniel Gafford double-double for Thunder (+260)

DraftKings Sportsbook, 2 p.m. CT

Nick Whalen: That's +260 for a reason, but Gafford was one of the only bright spots for the Mavs in Game 1, so I'd be surprised if they moved on from him. The big man gradually worked his way into a larger role in Round 1 against the Clips, and the Mavs were just minus-2 in Gafford's 27 minutes in Game 1 on Tuesday – by far the best plus/minus of any Dallas starter. In the 29 games this season in which Gafford played at least 27 minutes, he averaged 13.0 points and 10.2 points per game. At +260 and against an OKC team that ranked 31st in DREB% during the regular season, I'm willing to take that risk.

I take the OVER for Luke Kornet, who grabs 5.5 rebounds

(BetMGM, -105, 1:45 p.m. ET)

Ken criteria: The Green Cornet had an outstanding performance in Game 1 against Cleveland with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. The absence of Kristaps Porzingis (calf) and Boston's reluctance to give Xavier Tillman big minutes has led to a two-game increase in the Vanderbilt product's production. I expect that trend to continue in Game 2 tonight. The Celtics love Al Horford's veteran know-how, but keep in mind he's 37 years old. Big Al needs rest. In Game 1, Horford played 27 minutes, Kornet played 21. That's a fairly even distribution. Horford isn't getting any younger. I doubt Kornet will see double digits again, but six certainly seems achievable. Cleveland ranked 20th in rebounds per game on the season, and that was with a healthy Jarrett Allen. I doubt Allen will play tonight (ribs). The K-Train isn't that bad at 34-26 this season, so bear with me, I'm facing some regression.