Free NBA Expert and Computer Picks For Every Game May 20, 2026
SA
@
OKC
Wed, May 20 • 8:30 PM ET
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander o28.5 Points Scored (-105)
The Thunder are deep. It is one of their greatest assets. They have the personnel to better stagger Gilgeous-Alexander into the minutes Wembanyama rests, and there should be more minutes without Wembanyama after that double-overtime effort on Monday. Such a stagger will immediately boost Gilgeous-Alexander’s shooting; his 7-of-23 showing in Game 1 was ugly yet still yielded 24 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander o28.5 Points Scored (+104)
I really don’t think we should overthink this one. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a back-to-back MVP and one of the best scorers in basketball, and the Oklahoma City Thunder need him more than ever down 0-1 in the series. This total is sitting at 28.5 points, well below the 30.5–32.5 range we usually see for SGA, largely because Oklahoma City didn’t need his scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers in the previous round. In Game 1, he shot just 7-for-23 but still consistently got to his mid-range spots. He simply missed shots he normally makes. I also expect Mark Daigneault to run actions that pull Victor Wembanyama away from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a help defender. I price the Over 28.5 points at -155.
CLE
@
NY
Thu, May 21 • 8:00 PM ET
Jarrett Allen o19.5 Points and Rebounds (-112)
New York is susceptible inside, as we saw versus Joel Embiid in Round 2, and Cleveland must make a focused effort on getting Allen touches – especially against smaller forwards. Allen can also put up points from offensive rebounds and snatched six of his seven boards on that end. He generated 17 rebounding chances in Game 1 yet walked away with only one defensive rebound. Projections call for 13+ points and 10+ boards Thursday.
The Cavaliers can crush the Knicks inside with Jared Allen. He’s often drawing smaller forwards and projections for Game 2 call for 13+ points and 10+ rebounds. With Evan Mobley guarding Karl-Anthony Towns in the high post, Allen is free to protect the paint and send shots back.
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