The opening day of the conference semis was terrific. We had the two road teams prevailing, and we’re back to those four teams here!

We’re in the thick of it now! The road teams took down Game 1 of these conference semis, and it has these home teams with their backs against the wall. Boston and Memphis are both in must-win spots because going on the road down 0-2 is a nearly impossible task. The good news is that we don’t have many injuries to worry about. With that in mind, let’s start with the schedule, odds, and injuries!

Schedule and Odds

MIL at BOS (BOS -4.5) O/U: 214.5
Milwaukee pulled off a shocking win in Game 1, dominating Boston, 101-89. They led by at least five points for the entirety of the second half in that victory.

GSW at MEM (GSW -2) O/U: 226.5
Golden State pulled off a narrow, 117-116 victory in Game 1.

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• Khris Middleton (knee) OUT
• James Wiseman (knee) OUT
• Steven Adams (COVID) OUT
• Desmond Bane (back) Questionable
• Marcus Smart (quad) Questionable
• George Hill (abdomen) OUT

Core Plays

Ja Morant (PG – MEM): $10,100 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel
Morant fell out of the MVP running late in the season, but this guy is playing like an MVP right now. Ja has at least 46 DraftKings points in all seven playoff games, averaging 52 DK points per game in that span. Golden State has had one of the best defenses all year, but Ja has at least 51 fantasy points in three of their four meetings. Tallying 34 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals in Game 1 makes him the easiest play out there.

Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $9,100 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
Curry struggled in Game 1, but we’re encouraged by his role. The former MVP played 37 minutes and took 20 shots in that Game 1 dub. That’s huge since he was limited this time last week, and it’s just a matter of time before he drops 50 DK points with this sort of workload. He did more than that in his first three meetings with the Griz, averaging 36.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals against them in the regular season.

Cash Game Considerations

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF – MIL): $11,400 DraftKings, $11,200 FanDuel
Now that Nikola Jokic is out of the picture, Giannis is the best cash game player left. The former MVP has at least 31 DraftKings points in every game this season, dropping 39 or more in all but three games. He’s been even better in the postseason, collecting 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in Game 1. He did that damage despite shooting 9-of-25 from the field, and it’s scary to think what he could post if he shoots the 60 percent we’ve become accustomed to.

Brandon Clarke (PF/C – MEM): $6,000 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
With Adams out for the foreseeable future, Clarke is getting all the run he can handle. BC has at least 31 DraftKings points in seven of his last eight games, averaging 36 fantasy points per game in that span. More importantly, he’s playing nearly 30 minutes a night! As long as he gets that playing time, Clarks should be an $7K player on both sites.

GPP Targets

Draymond Green (PF/C – GSW): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Green posted a massive dud in Game 1, but that will happen when you get ejected in the first half. He was well on his way to a monster game, though, amassing six points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Those stat-stuffing ways are what make him so valuable, averaging 43 DK points per game in his two meetings with the Griz this season. He did that damage despite scoring six points per game, and he’s probably the second-best bet for a triple-double on this slate.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF/C – MEM): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
JJJ was in this section on Sunday, and he rewarded us with one of his ceiling games. What allowed him to do that was that he finally stayed out of foul trouble. That’s the only thing holding this guy back because Jackson averages about 1.3 DK points per minute. The good news is that Golden State doesn’t have any big men to put JJJ into foul trouble, with Jackson scoring at least 31 DK points in all four of their matchups this year. The 33 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1 is what has us encouraged, though!

Value Plays

Brook Lopez (C – MIL): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
It’s hard to understand why Lopez has remained so cheap. This guy has been a $7,000 player in the past, and he’s playing close to that level right now. The big man is averaging 28 DK points per game across 26 minutes a night over his last 10 outings. Many people were worried about him facing Boston, but six points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks are really all you can ask for from such a cheap player.

Robert Williams (PF/C – BOS): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
Williams just returned from knee surgery, but he’s got too much upside to be this cheap. Rob-Will was an $8K player at times, averaging 33 DK points per game across 30 minutes a night in the regular season. His per-minute numbers were even better in previous years, and he’s one of the only guys that could provide 10X value in this $5K price range. He showed glimpses of that in Game 1, dropping 24 DK points across 22 minutes. Those 22 minutes are the most encouraging thing because he should get closer to 30 here. If he does that, Williams should be $2,000 more on both sites.

Advantageous Pricing

• Stephen Curry (PG – GSW): $9,100 DraftKings, $9,700 FanDuel
• Jaren Jackson Jr.(PF/C – MEM): $6,100 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel
• Robert Williams (PF/C – BOS): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
• De’Anthony Melton (PG/SG – MEM): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel

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