The postseason's semifinal round tipped off Monday night with a pair of games that went in drastically different directions, and we have another two Game 1s on tap Tuesday night. We're dealing with a very light injury report as well, certainly a welcome development due to the narrow player pool.
NBA Games Today
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, May 5 at 11:15 a.m. ET:
- Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons (-3.5) (O/U: 215.5)
- Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder (-15.5) (O/U: 213.5)
While the projected totals for the two games are nearly identical, we have two drastically different spreads. Thanks in part to their first-round struggles, the Pistons are much narrower home favorites than might be expected, while the very well-rested Thunder are unsurprisingly favored by double digits over the short-handed Lakers.
NBA Injury Report Today
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Luka Doncic, LAL (hamstring): OUT
In Doncic's ongoing absence, Marcus Smart and Austin Reaves will likely continue to form the Lakers' starting backcourt.
Jalen Williams, OKC (hamstring): DOUBTFUL
In Williams' likely absence, Ajay Mitchell should remain in the first unit.
Elite NBA DFS Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate -- Cade Cunningham ($10,800) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,400).
Cunningham averaged 49.3 FD points during the seven-game series against the Magic while shooting 39.6 percent from three-point range, and he averaged 47.1 FD points in the last three regular-season meetings against the Cavaliers.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 51.8 FD points across 35.8 minutes over the four games against the Suns while shooting 55.1 percent, and he put up 47.2 FD points across just 29.0 minutes in three regular-season meetings against the Lakers.
Expected NBA DFS Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
LeBron James, LAL ($9,400)
LeBron opens the second round without Luka Doncic on the floor and has averaged 44.9 FD points in the first six games of the postseason, factors that should keep him highly rostered.
Donovan Mitchell, CLE ($8,000)
Mitchell's production waned during the last several games of the first round, but his corresponding salary drop and popularity should keep him popular Tuesday.
James Harden, CLE ($7,900)
Harden averaged 39.1 FD points during the first-round series against the Raptors and eclipsed 41 FD points on four occasions, which should ensure his popularity at a rare sub-$8K salary.
Evan Mobley, CLE ($7,800)
Mobley offered production across the board in the first round and has scored 47.3 FD points in two of his last three games, so he should be on plenty of rosters Tuesday.
Austin Reaves, LAL ($7,700)
Reaves appears to be at full health from his oblique injury after scoring 35.8 and 28.6 FD points in his first two games back at the end of the first round, and he could therefore prove a bargain at his current salary Tuesday.
Key NBA DFS Values
Ausar Thompson, DET vs. CLE ($6,200)
Thompson always flies somewhat under the radar given the fact he shares the floor with some big names, as well as his propensity to distribute his production across the stat sheet. However, that certainly can allow him to deliver strong returns on investment in a fantasy sense, as he's amply capable of boosting his numbers through his stellar work on defense. The talented wing averaged 35.6 FD points during the first-round series against the Magic, with that number the result of a well-rounded line of 8.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.3 blocks, along with 51.0 percent shooting. Thompson also posted tallies of 23.6 to 46.2 FD points in his last three regular-season games against the Cavaliers, further making the case for rostering him at a salary he could easily justify.
Deandre Ayton, LAL at OKC ($5,200)
Ayton certainly doesn't have the easiest on-paper matchup Tuesday against the Thunder, but the big man should continue to be a beneficiary of additional opportunity due to Doncic's ongoing absence. Ayton especially boosted his production over the last three games of the first round, averaging 14.7 points, 14.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 34.4 FD points over that span while churning out a pair of double-doubles in Games 4 and 5 versus the Rockets. He also provided a 19-point, 11-rebound double-dub that netted 35.2 FD points in Game 1, and he had one double-digit rebound effort against OKC in the regular season. While we shouldn't expect the same caliber of production of the last three games Tuesday, Ayton's salary doesn't require a spectacular showing to be adequately paid off.
Duncan Robinson, DET vs. CLE ($4,400)
Robinson can certainly see his production fluctuate from time to time, but the veteran sharpshooter mostly delivered in the first round and carries upside well beyond his current salary. Robinson eclipsed 22 FD points in three of the seven games against the Magic, and that was with plenty of shooting struggles (36.5 percent from the floor overall over the seven games). He did find his way to double-digit scoring tallies in five of the seven contests, and he now faces a Cavs team that he provided tallies of 23.9 and 24.9 FD points against in two of four regular-season meetings. Cleveland has allowed 14.3 made threes per road game since the start of the regular season as well -- the seventh most in that split -- and ranks as the second most allowed of any team in this postseason's original 16-team field behind only the Thunder's 14.6 per contest.
ALSO CONSIDER: Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC vs. LAL ($5,000)
