On Wednesday, April 23, three more NBA postseason games are here with series that have only played one game apiece:
- Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat
- Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Leading these respective series are the Celtics, Cavaliers, and the Warriors. The Warriors 1-0 series lead comes as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. They beat Houston 95-85 in Game 1 on April 20.
All that being said, I'll be examining the best bets tonight for this slate. See them below.
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- Celtics -10.5 (-110) at FanDuel Sportsbook
- Warriors +3.5 (-112) at FanDuel Sportsbook
- Heat +12 (-110) at FanDuel Sportsbook
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Celtics -10.5
The Magic made it an interesting game in Game 1 against the Celtics at first, but it was only a matter of time before the Celtics stormed away and got the 103-86 win. The Magic led 49-48 at halftime, but the Magic were outscored 55-37 in the second half.
That right there tells the story of not only this game, but this series—the Magic have a strong defense, but their offense simply doesn't have it, especially against a team like the Celtics.
The Magic offense has struggled all season.
They're averaging 105.4 points per game this season (28th).
That average is even lower over their last three games at 103.7.
Additionally, they're shooting just 44.5% from the floor (27th), 31.8% from the 3-point arc (30th), and 53.3% on 2-point shots (22nd) this season.
When you look at their defense, you'd think these games would be a lot closer.
After all, the Magic hold teams to just 105.4 points per game, which is the best in the league.
As for shooting percentages, teams shoot 36.4% from 3-point range (tied for 7th) and 46.7% from the floor (tied for 10th).
So, while they're holding teams down points-wise, they are vulnerable against teams that can shoot well, especially from beyond the arc.
The Celtics are shooting 36.9% from there this season (9th). Over their last three games, that's up to 39.8% (second in that stretch).
There's also just a plethora of weapons on this Celtics squad, including Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and even Payton Pritchard.
The Magic have Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but they need more help. The team put up just 86 points in Game 1—Banchero had 36 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.
He did all that, and they still lost by 17 points.
The Celtics will win this series 4-0 or 4-1.
Warriors +3.5
The Warriors may be a No. 7 seed, but this is a much different team than how they started the season.
However, since acquiring Jimmy Butler on Feb. 6, 2025, the Warriors are 24-8, including the playoffs.
They finished the season 48-34, including a road record of 24-17. So, before Butler, they were 25-26.
Yeah, it's been a massive turnaround.
Now, the Rockets, who finished the regular season 52-30 and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, find themselves down 1-0 and a potential first-round exit.
Over their last three games, the Warriors are shooting 38.9% from 3-point range (tied for fourth), 49.2% from the floor (fourth), and 57.6% on 2-point shots (fifth).
They're also averaging 111.7 points per game over that stretch (11th), which is actually a bit lower than their season average of 113.7 points per game (17th).
While the Rockets have a stellar record, their defense has been vulnerable lately.
Over their last three games, they're allowing 120.3 points per game (fifth). They're also allowing teams to shoot 53.4% from the floor (first), 41.8% from 3-point range (first), and 60.8% on 2-point shots (fourth) over that same stretch.
That's simply not sustainable against a team with Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and other role players like Brandin Podziemski.
The Rockets defense is too vulnerable right now against some excellent shooters.
The Rockets are favored because this is a must-win game, but I think the Warriors are in a good spot to snag another game to go up 2-0.
Heat +12
Finally, I'm taking the Heat +12.
Yes, they're playing the Cavaliers on the road. They're a team that's fantastic at home, posting a regular season record of 34-7 there and a record of 23-17-1 against the spread as a home favorite.
The Heat have been a solid defense this season.
Looking at their past three games, they're allowing 108.3 points per game (tied for 22nd).
Teams are also shooting 44.7% from the floor (22nd), 34.6% from 3-point range (20th), and 53.4% on 2-point shots (18th).
So, lately, they haven't been a lock-down defense by any means, but they're not allowing an exorbitant amount of production.
In Game 1, they lost by 21 points, 121-100, but I think they can be a bit more competitive here.
In that game, they got production from Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Herro, and Davion Mitchell. They all had double-digit points.
However, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome played exceptionally, scoring 28 points in 26 minutes.
For context, he averages just 12.5 points per game.
I don't think the Heat have a fantastic offense, but I expect their defense to do enough to keep this one closer than Game 1.
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