The second round of the NBA playoffs is in full swing, and one road team that is in action on Tuesday, May 6, already has pulled off an upset in its series.

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers despite being set as eight-point underdogs, and they find themselves as dogs once again in a must-win Game 2 for the Cavs.

Cleveland didn’t have Darius Garland in the series opener, and there’s no doubt it hopes that the All-Star guard can return after the team had a down shooting game on Sunday evening.

In the Western Conference, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are set to open their second-round series with Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves after defeating the Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday night.

This is a quick turnaround for Golden State, and it’s actually set as an underdog in this series – the first time in over 10 years the Warriors have been dogs in a playoff series.  

There’s a ton of star power in action tonight, as Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Edwards, Curry and Jimmy Butler will all be on the floor. 

Here’s how to bet on this conference semifinal action! 

NBA Best Bets Record to Date2024-25 season record: 245-236-4 (-4.27 units)OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1255-1181-26 (+33.82 units)

NBA Best Bets Today

Indiana Pacers +9.5 (-110) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – 0.5 unitTyrese Haliburton OVER 9.5 Assists (-135) – 0.5 unitGolden State Warriors-Minnesota Timberwolves OVER 208.5 (-110) – 0.5 unitIndiana Pacers +9.5 (-110) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – 0.5 unit

Are oddsmakers completely undervaluing this Pacers team in this series?

Indiana won 50 games during the regular season, and it has the fifth-best net rating of any team in the playoffs so far. After pulling off an upset – albeit with Garland out – in Game 1, I’m shocked to see the Pacers set as even bigger underdogs in Game 2.

That’s not to say that Cleveland can’t win this game, but getting over three possessions with Indiana? That’s too much value to pass up.

These are the two top offenses in the playoffs so far, and the Cavs really struggled to get out to shooters – and deal with the Pacers in transition – in Game 1. Haliburton racked a whopping 13 assists, and the Pacers turned the Cavs into a one-dimensional offense with Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome taking over half of the team’s shots.

I’d be a little surprised to see Cleveland fall down 0-2 in this series, but it feels like oddsmakers are valuing the Cavs’ blowout over the Miami Heat in the first round a little too much.

Indiana is 14-10 against the spread as a road underdog and now has four wins in five meetings with the Cavs this season. All of those games didn’t have high stakes, but it’s still notable.

Rick Carlisle’s group shocked everyone by making the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and I expect the Pacers to keep this game close in Cleveland. 

Tyrese Haliburton OVER 9.5 Assists (-135) – 0.5 unit

Golden State Warriors-Minnesota Timberwolves OVER 208.5 (-110) – 0.5 unit

This is going to be an interesting Game 1, as the Warriors have beaten the Timberwolves in three of the four meetings between these teams, but none of them came with Jimmy Butler in Golden State. 

Rather than betting a side – since Golden State is on short rest after a Game 7 – I’m looking to the total in this series opener.

Minnesota has been one of the best OVER teams in the NBA at home, going 26-17 this season. On top of that, three of the four meetings between these squads in the regular season went over this total. 

Golden State’s offense struggled in the first round, but Minnesota doesn’t possess as many elite wing defenders as Houston to deal with Steph Curry. While there are some, Curry has shown he’s pretty much matchup proof this postseason.

The Wolves also finished with a top-five offensive rating in the first round of the playoffs, and I think they’ll be able to take advantage of the Warriors’ lack of rim protection and rebounding.

This number is a little too low for two teams that have a lot of offensive firepower, something Houston lacked against the Warriors in the first round.