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Best Bets
Kelly Oubre over 1.5 steals (-122) at Knicks
FanDuel, 4:27 PM CT
Alex Barutha: Oubre isn't exactly known for his defensive prowess, but he averaged a solid 1.1 steals during the regular season. In Game 1 against the Knicks, he had five steals. Those came on nine total deflections -- the most of anyone in the playoffs so far. It could be a one-game blip, but he was undoubtedly active, and this is a fairly soft number.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope over 2.5 threes (+140) vs. Lakers
FanDuel, 4:30 PM CT
Alex Barutha: Caldwell-Pope went 4-for-10 from deep in Game 1. Six of those attempts were classified as "wide open". The Lakers might tighten up their gameplan to stop KCP from getting so many free looks, but I'm fine at significant plus money assuming he can knock down a trio of longballs.
Austin Reaves O18.5 PTS+AST at Nuggets (-122)
DraftKings Sportsbook, 2pm CT
Nick Whalen: Reaves was quiet in Game 1, taking only nine shots in 37 minutes, but this number feels a bit low considering Reaves has averaged well over this total for the season, as well as in last season's Western Conference Finals against Denver. I'm expecting a more aggressive version of Reaves in Game 2. Over his final 20 regular-season contests, Reaves posted 16.5 points and 5.3 assists per game, and in his final two matchups against Denver he went for 15 points and 10 assists and 19 points and 14 assists, respectively.
Max Strus Over 13.5 Pts+Reb (-122) versus Orlando Magic
DraftKings 11:45 AM CT
Kirien Sprecher: Strus struggled with his shot in Game 1, going 3-for-8 from the field and 1-for-5 from deep. However, he salvaged his production by grabbing nine rebounds and finished with a team-high plus-13 point differential. I expect a better offensive performance from the sharpshooter in Game 2, and if he can remain active on the glass, Strus should easily clear his mark. In three home matchups against the Magic this season, Strus has averaged 14.0 points and 6.0 boards per game.
