TST Best Bets: May 7, 2026

The first round of the NBA playoffs was the round of underdogs like the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers. However, the Conference Semifinals have shown flashes of predictability thus far. Despite pulling off the upset over the No. 2 Boston Celtics, the 76ers are currently down 2-0 to the lesser New York Knicks as Joel Embiid was sidelined once again due to injuries.

Out West, the San Antonio Spurs came out with vengeance last night against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2, knotting the series at 1-1 as guard Stephon Castle logged 21 points. Victor Wembanyama also made his mark on with 19 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. De'Aaron Fox contributed as well with 16 points, going 5-for-10 from the field.

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First Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -15.5

Rundown: The No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) will maintain their pursuit of a sweep over the No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers (0-1) in Game 2 at Paycom Center.

The Thunder enter Thursday with a lot going their way. Most notably, the Lakers are still without their cornerstone contributor in Luka Dončić, who is unexpected to return this series due to a hamstring injury. Furthermore, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren combined for 42 points on Tuesday. Additionally, Holmgren recorded 12 boards and three rebounds, which proved effective in limiting the Lakers' offense to 37 second-half points. 

As for Los Angeles, LeBron James led the way on Tuesday with 27 points, four rebounds and six assists. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves struggled heavily as he only mustered 8 points and went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc. Even though the Lakers have Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to provide hustle on the other side of the ball, neither can hold a candle to the fortress of Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort and Cason Wallace.

With the Thunder's overwhelming advantage in size and defense, bettors can expect another lopsided matchup.

Second Pick: Detroit Pistons -3.5

Rundown: The No. 1 Detroit Pistons (1-0) continue their quest for their second-consecutive playoff series win in Game 2 against the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1).

The pair of Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris dominated once again on Tuesday, tallying a respective 23 and 20 points. Duncan Robinson had himself a night as well with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting while Jalen Duren made two blocks and controlled the glass with 12 boards. Now, Detroit will aim to defend home court once more after having only lost nine games at Little Caesar's Arena.

Meanwhile for the Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden scored 23 and 22 points each. Guard Max Strus ignited a spark off the bench with 19 points, five rebounds and one steal. Nonetheless, the difference maker in Game 1 was the Cavaliers' 20 turnovers in comparison to Detroit's 12. Consequently, taking better care of the basketball is key to avoiding an early multi-game deficit.

With the Pistons having both youth and talent on their side, expect them to keep delivering.