Thursday has 2 games on the NBA slate as the first full week of May 2026 ramps up. It's a pair of Game 2's in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Can the Pistons cover the 3.5-point spread as home favorites against the Cavaliers? Can the Lakers hang tough, avoid a blowout, and cover on the road in Game 2 against the Thunder?
I'll make picks for both contests below. Read on for our Thursday NBA Best Bets May 7 article.
CAVALIERS VS PISTONS DATE, TIME & HOW TO WATCH | |
|---|---|
| Where | LITTLE CAESARS ARENA, DETROIT, MI |
| When | MAY 7, 7 PM ET |
| TV | PRIME VIDEO |
Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 2, Detroit leads the series, 1-0
Detroit won Game 1 of this series at home on Tuesday night, 111-101. Cleveland will look to win Game 2 of this series against their Central Division rivals on Thursday. This line is tight at 3.5 points, so Cleveland will likely have to win outright to cover the number.
A few stats point toward Cleveland rebounding with a cover or even an outright victory on Thursday night. To wit, the Cavaliers are 9-8 ATS as an underdog and 8-6 ATS as a road underdog this season. What's more, the Cavs are 6-4 straight up and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games against the Pistons. They'll likely have to draw on that success to get this series back to even on Thursday.
CAVALIERS VS PISTONS ODDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
| CAVALIERS | 3.5 (-115) | +134 | U 215.5 (-110) |
| PISTONS | -3.5 (-110) | -161 | O 215.5 (-110) |
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Why the public likes the Pistons
Detroit has all the makings of a public favorite. They are the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference and won the first game of this series by double-digits, 111-101. But Cleveland turned the ball over 20 times in Game 1 of this series, conceding 31 points off of those turnovers.
The Pistons also benefited from a large free-throw disparity, shooting 35 foul shots to the Cavaliers' 16. I think the turnovers and free throws normalize, and the Cavs win Game 2 of this series outright, covering the 3.5-point spread with relative ease.
CAVALIERS VS PISTONS WHO IS THE PUBLIC BETTING? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CAVALIERS | 44% | 56% | PISTONS |
Our Cavaliers vs. Pistons NBA Playoffs Prediction
Any time I can grab points with a proven playoff performer like Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell and fade the public at the same time, I'm going to do that. The Cavs are the pick.
Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers +3.5
See the latest NBA Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
LAKERS VS THUNDER DATE, TIME & HOW TO WATCH | |
|---|---|
| Where | PAYCOM CENTER, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK |
| When | MAY 7, 9:30 PM ET |
| TV | PRIME VIDEO |
Western Conference Semifinals, Game 2, Oklahoma City leads the series 1-0
The Thunder took Game 1 of this series in blowout fashion at home on Tuesday night, 108-90. The Lakers may be a bit outmanned against the #1 seed in the West, as L.A. star point guard Luka Doncic will sit for Thursday's contest. Lakers guard Luke Kennard (neck) is questionable, and forward Jarred Vanderbilt (finger) is doubtful to play. But Los Angeles does still have LeBron James and Austin Reaves, and the Lakers are catching 15.5 points.
A few numbers point toward L.A. keeping this one respectable. The Lakers are 33-26 ATS in conference games, 4-3 ATS in playoff games, 19-12 ATS after a loss, and 30-23 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest this year. What's more, L.A. is 7-3 straight up and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
LAKERS VS THUNDER ODDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
| LAKERS | 15.5 (-110) | +625 | U 210 (-110) |
| THUNDER | -15.5 (-110) | -769 | O 210 (-110) |
Why the public likes the Lakers
Likely a combination of the large spread (15.5 points) and a healthy LeBron James heading up the Lakers' offense. James is still going strong at 41 years old and dropped 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 12 of 17 from the field in Game 1 of this series on Tuesday. His presence, the thinking goes, should give the Lakers at least a fighting chance.
LAKERS VS THUNDER WHO IS THE PUBLIC BETTING? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| LAKERS | 60% | 40% | THUNDER |
Our Lakers vs. Thunder NBA Playoffs Prediction
Oklahoma City might be the best team in the NBA, but they're probably not going to steamroll every team they face by 20+ points on their way to an NBA title. They are actually 3-4 ATS in their last 7 games overall, and I can see the LeBron James-led Lakers keeping this one somewhat respectable until the final buzzer.
Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +15.5
Today's NBA Playoff Picks
- Cleveland Cavaliers +3.5
- Los Angeles Lakers +15.5