On Monday, April 21, the NBA postseason continues with two games.
These include the Detroit Pistons at the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets hosting the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Knicks hold a 1-0 series lead after beating Detroit 123-112 on Saturday.
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Denver holds a 1-0 series lead against the Clippers after beating them 112-110 in overtime.
Below, I’ll be examining the best bets tonight for this slate as the NBA playoffs continue.
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NBA Best Bets Today:
- Knicks ML (-240) at FanDuel Sportsbook
- Clippers -1 (-112) at DraftKings Sportsbook
- Nuggets vs. Clippers: Under 218.5 (-108) at FanDuel Sportsbook
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Knicks Moneyline (-240)
Kicking things off for my best NBA bets tonight is the Knicks moneyline at -240. I will say, though, that this is a hard series to pick. I think both teams are playing well, but the Knicks have a bit more experience.
Looking at the injury report, the Knicks are healthy, while the Pistons have listed Isaiah Stewart as questionable.
Stewart isn’t the greatest scorer in the world (6.0 points per game), but he averages 5.5 rebounds per game, helping the Pistons crash the boards.
The Pistons were in the driver’s seat heading into the fourth quarter on Saturday. They led 91-83, but they couldn’t slow down this Knicks offense that’s equipped with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby. They all had 23 points or more, with Brunson leading the way with 34.
Over their last three games, the Pistons are allowing opponents to shoot 52.0% from the floor (second), 56.1% on 2-point shots (11th), and 45.9% on 3-point shots (first).
The Knicks have been shooting the 3-point shot well lately, posting a 38.5% shooting percentage, which is eighth in the NBA over their last three games.
Brunson is arguably the Knicks’ best 3-point shooter. He’s shot 40% or better from back there in three of his last five games and 38.3% from there on the season.
Where it gets a little uneasy is the Knicks’ defense recently hasn’t exactly been shutting teams down.
Over their last three games, these are the shooting percentages they’re allowing: 49.4% from the floor (8th), 38.8% from 3-point range (7th), 56.8% on 2-point shots (9th).
Fortunately for the Knicks, the Pistons are middle-of-the-road on 2-point shots lately (53.2% over their last three games).
The Pistons want to shoot 3-point shots (they've averaged 43.3 per game over their last three), which could become a death knell for the Knicks.
Ultimately, though, I’m siding with the Knicks at home. I think this series will end with the home team winning, and it could go seven games.
The point spread is tough to call because the Pistons were in control of the game heading into the fourth quarter on Saturday.
Take the Knicks at home in a nail-biter.
Clippers -1
After losing 112-110 in overtime to the Nuggets, it’s telling that the Clippers are slight favorites on the road against them in Game 2.
In that game, the Nuggets outscored them 26-23 in the fourth quarter to force overtime and barely got by them in overtime.
The Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic (29 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds), Aaron Gordon (25 points and eight rebounds), and Jamal Murray (21 points, seven assists, and nine rebounds).
Murray and Jokic can potentially go for a triple-double every night, while Aaron Gordon has the potential for a double-double.
Well, now, heading into Game 2, Gordon is listed as questionable with a calf injury.
Do I think he’ll miss the game? Absolutely not, but it’s worth mentioning in a game that could be decided by a basket or two.
Over their last three games, the Clippers lead the NBA in shooting percentage from the floor at 52.4%.
They have shot 39.3% from 3-point range (fifth) and 59.0% on 2-point shots (third) over their last three games.
The Nuggets and Clippers have allowed similar shooting percentages over their last three games, with the Nuggets at 46.6% and the Clippers at 46.9%.
Denver is excelling against 3-point shots at 34.5% compared to the Clippers’ 37.4% over their last three games.
I truly believe this game could come down to one bucket, and I’ll take the Clippers thanks to how well they’ve been shooting and Gordon's appearance on the injury report.
Nuggets vs. Clippers: Under 218.5
This game went well under this number with a total of 222 in Game 1, which went to overtime.
Yes, the Clippers have been shooting extremely well lately, but it's partially because they've picked their shots a bit better.
Over their last three games, they're averaging 83.3 field goals per game (third-least) and 28 3-point shots (second-least).
The only team with fewer 3-point shot attempts than the Clippers over the last three games? The Nuggets with 26.7.
As for pace, the Nuggets are averaging 103.9 (13th) and the Clippers are at 99.6 (21st) over their last three games.
Also, over their last three games, the Nuggets have shot just 30.0% from 3-point range (third-lowest).
In Game 1, they shot just 47.8% from the floor.
This total is going under.
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