NBA Best Bets Today, 4/25: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - NBA Playoffs
Zach Edey was able to get off the hook last night as the Memphis Grizzlies lost their third game of the series. He scored 9 points but it wasn’t enough for Memphis to win, although they had a great first half.
Things drastically changed when their best player, Ja Morant, had to leave the game due to injury. It was a bizarre action by Lugentz Dort that caused Morant to fall with force to the ground, and the Oklahoma City Thunder appear to be headed to the second round.
Russell Westbrook was also injured and only played 9 minutes, destroying any hope of him going over 4.5 rebounds. Although he had one in his first 25 seconds in the match. It was a terrible night all the way around for the Denver Nuggets who are now down 2 - 1 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Detroit Pistons played a great game, but Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks played better. The Knicks held on to get the road win for game three, and they did so by two points. 0.5 points more than the projected win. The sportsbooks are dialed in on the NBA playoffs, oftentimes with pinpoint accuracy of 0.5 within the projection. It is treacherous waters at times for NBA predictions.
NBA Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 4/25
There are three games with two Eastern Conference games and the Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves representing the Western Conference.
The first game today is the Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic, and for a more in-depth look at that match, make sure to check out our Celtics vs. Magic Predictions article.
There is a winning wager in that article, but our first of all NBA best bets today looks at a player proposition in the same game.
Celtics vs. Magic Prediction: Paolo Banchero To Score 30+ Points (+144 on FanDuel) *BET OF THE NIGHT
The Magic host the Celtics at the Kia Center in what is a pivotal game for Orlando. The Celtics are up 2 - 0 against the Magic, and have an opportunity to push this series to elimination. The Magic are clinging to the hopes of evening the series on their homecourt and surprise the basketball world.
If they are going to get a win, it will start with Paolo Banchero, as does almost everything offensively for this team. Despite two losses Banchero has scored over 30 points in each game. In game one he played 42 minutes and scored 36 points, and in game two he played 43 minutes and scored 32 points.
For some reason his point line is set at 27.5, but instead of taking a juiced line look at his alternate line with fantastic odds on FanDuel. Banchero is so big that neither guards nor centers really affect his field goals. With Boston’s size and great defense, Banchero has to score over 33% of Orlando’s points as one of the few that can attack their rim defense.
Even if he gets a few more assists he has taken 25 and 27 field goals in this series. He can be more efficient with scoring, improve his free throw points, and get assists while on his home court. Banchero will play with everything he has to prevent the fatal 0 - 3 designation. Put a unit on him to continue to score well and for those new to FanDuel make sure to take advantage of the promotional offer from Fantasy Alarm.
Pacers vs. Bucks Prediction: Indiana Moneyline (+175 on Bet365)
The Indiana Pacers have absolutely dominated the Milwaukee Bucks, and in the style they wanted to play. Up and down the court, fast paced, trash talking, and Head Coach Rick Carlisle yelling at anyone who prevents it. Be it his coaching staff, the starters, second unit players, and/or officials.
Game 1 was won by the Pacers 117 - 98, and game 2 was a closer contest but they were in control for most of the game. It finished 123 - 115 in favor of the Pacers, and now the expectation is for Milwaukee to win game three at the Fiserv Forum. The 17,000 plus people will be doing their best to give the Pacers grief, but will the Bucks roster be able to deliver a much needed win?
Giannis Antetokounmpo has put the team on his back, and is doing everything he can to will the Bucks to victory, but it hasn’t been enough. Tyrese Haliburton has played like the elite All-Star that he is, and has a double double in each game of the series. He has 12 assists in both games but scored 10 points in game one, while scoring 21 in game two.
The Pacers had six players score 14 or more points in game two. Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard are all benefiting from Haliburton’s vision and Carlisle’s offensive minded philosophy. Milwaukee does not have the backcourt defense to prevent Haliburton from leading another 115 plus point night.
Put a unit on the Pacers to ‘upset’ the Bucks and with fantastic odds at Bet365. For those new to Bet365 make sure to take advantage of the $150 bonus bet offer at the end of this article.
Best NBA Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 4/25
The last of our NBA best bets today comes from the series tied 1 - 1, as the old Minnesota team plays the current Minnesota team.
Lakers vs. Timberwolves Prediction: Anthony Edwards O4.5 Assists (-130 on BetMGM)
The Target Center takes center stage for the evening as the Timberwolves host the Lakers in a pivotal game three. The case can be made for either team to win the game, and Minnesota is currently a -3 point favorite on the spread.
They lost game two as Luka Doncic dominated with twice as many rebounds as Minnesota’s leading rebounder. The Timberwolves are at home and went 25 - 16 at the Target Center this season. They should make the adjustments to replicate their game one victory, and it starts with Anthony Edwards.
Edwards played 35 minutes and scored 22 points in game one. They key factor to the victory was he had 9 assists. In game two he played 40 minutes, scored 25 points but had zero assists, hence a loss. For Minnesota to win Edwards has to be a playmaker, particularly if he is double teamed.
He averaged 4.5 assists this season, but was an efficient passer in most games this season. He has the capability of being an excellent play maker and with the game tape to display the need for him to do so, the expectation is for his assists to go up.
The Lakers are much smaller and playing small ball lineup against Minnesota. Gobert and Randle should get several looks from Edwards. It’s up to them to make the field goals, but five assists is not an impossible number to obtain. He had five or more assists in three consecutive games prior to the dud in game two.
Put a unit for him to earn five or more at BetMGM and for those new to the sports betting app, make sure to take advantage of Fantasy Alarm’s offer for $1,500 in bonus bets.
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Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy
*All NBA odds accurate at time of writing and NBA best bets today to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise
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Aaron Gordon had a quiet night, finishing with 13 points (6-of-13 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one three-pointer in the Nuggets’ loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
Gordon was mostly held in check on the offensive end, finishing with his fewest three-point makes of the series, the second-lowest scoring output, and no production from the free throw line. While Gordon has made several big plays down the stretch of games this postseason, he was notably quiet in Game 5, making his line feel even less spectacular. He’s performed well in Denver’s two home games this series and will need to empty the tank on Thursday in Game 6 to help the Nuggets keep their season alive.
Jamal Murray scored 28 points (10-of-27 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), four rebounds, three assists, one block and three three-pointers in 42 minutes for the Nuggets in their loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
Murray registered his third 20-plus-point game of the series on Tuesday, but did so on rather inefficient shooting. A monster 13-point third quarter is where much of his production came from, which gave Denver a decent lead going into the final quarter. However, Murray cooled off down the stretch, scoring five of Denver’s 19 points in the fourth quarter. Both he and the rest of the Nuggets will want a better close to Thursday’s Game 6 if they hope to extend their season.
Nikola Jokic was dominant in the Nuggets’ loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, posting 44 points (17-of-25 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and 5 three-pointers.
Jokic bounced back in a big way on Tuesday after a few inefficient shooting performances in Games 2, 3 and 4. The three-time MVP had his fingerprints all over the game on the offensive side, regaining his shooting touch and being particularly dangerous from beyond the arc. He made some contributions as a passer, but still hasn’t found a way to dominate in this series as a facilitator, not yet tallying more than six assists in any game. Even with the Nuggets receiving the inevitable bounce-back game for Jokic, it wasn’t enough for them to take control of the series. Denver will need everything it can get from Jokic in Thursday’s Game 6 if it wants to extend the season.
Luguentz Dort came up big for the Thunder in their win over the Nuggets on Tuesday, finishing with 12 points (4-of-8 FGs), three rebounds, one assist and four three-pointers.
Well-known for his prowess on the defensive end, Dort’s offensive eruption in the fourth quarter helped the Thunder climb from out of a big hole to secure a come-from-behind win and move Oklahoma City one win closer to a trip to the conference finals. His three triples in the final frame were huge, but a late assist on a Jalen Williams three might have been the play that delivered the Thunder the victory. Dort’s double-digit outing marked his third of the series, and Oklahoma City would welcome another as it tries to close out the series on Thursday in Game 6.
Jalen Williams was impressive for the Thunder on Tuesday, posting 18 points (5-of-14 FGs, 6-8 FTs), nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers in the win over the Nuggets.
Williams landed in double figures in scoring for the fifth time in as many games this series. And while he continued to struggle with shooting efficiency, he remained impactful as a facilitator. The fourth-year wing also delivered one of the biggest shots of Game 5 as he sank a corner three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give Oklahoma City a lead it wouldn’t surrender the rest of the way. Williams will continue to be relied upon when the Thunder head to Denver for a chance to close out the Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points (12-of-23 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in the Thunder’s win over the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander did it all for the Thunder on Tuesday, taking on the roles of scorer and facilitator while remaining active on the defensive end along the way. Most importantly, he was key in the final handful of blows that Oklahoma City dealt Denver down the stretch in what ended up being a dominant 34-19 fourth quarter for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist, delivered his third 30-point game of the series and will have a chance on Thursday to produce his fourth as the Thunder try to eliminate the Nuggets.