
It's Friday, and the NBA Playoffs continue!
(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).
Bettors, buckle up! There are three games on the NBA slate today, and we've seen quite a big uptick in altercations and physicality.
The Boston Celtics took care of business without Jayson Tatum and hold a 2-0 series lead over the Magic. 4.5 point spread favorites on the road, can Boston extend the lead? The Magic have their backs against the wall, although Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday are all listed as questionable.
Damian Lillard's return wasn't enough, and the Pacers are up 2-0 in the series against the Bucks. 5.5 point spread favorites at home, can the Bucks get off life support?
For the late night showdown, the series between the Lakers and Timberwolves is tied 1-1. A low scoring affair the last two matchups, can the Lakers offense come alive? The Lakers are 3.5 point underdogs on the road!
TEAM VS TEAM | MONEYLINE | SPREAD | TOTALS |
---|---|---|---|
Celtics vs Magic | -200 / +165 | -4.5 / +4.5 | O/U 197.5 |
Pacers vs Bucks | +180 / -220 | +5.5 / -5.5 | O/U 230.5 |
Lakers vs Timberwolves | +125 / -155 | +3.5 / -3.5 | O/U 206.5 |
If you're a bettor, NBA fan, or both welcome once again!
With a 33-22 NBA betting record this month, let's continue to cash out in the playoffs!
The first matchup featuring the Celtics and Magic will tip-off at 7 p.m. ET. The Eastern Conference showdown between the Pacers and Bucks will begin at 8 p.m. ET, and the Lakers and Timberwolves will matchup at 9:30 p.m. ET.
With all games set to air on ESPN, here are my three favorite player prop bets and predictions for the April 25 NBA Playoffs!
Are you looking to bet on NBA player props all playoffs long? Here at Ballislife Bets, we've gathered a complete list of the best sports betting offers here.
PPG: 34 | FG: 50 % | FT: 58.8 % | 3PT : 46.2 % | REB: 10 | AST: 5.5 | STL: 0.5 | BLK: 1.5
My first best bet for today, I placed one unit on Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero to record over 27.5 points against the Celtics.
The Magic have their backs against the wall, down 2-0 in the series. If there's been a bright spot for the Magic, it's been Banchero.
There's no doubt the Celtics defense has been suffocating, limiting the Magic to a league low 93 points in the playoffs.
Now with a chance to take a game at home, Banchero will face a Celtics team who's likely to be without Jayson Tatum again. In addition, Jrue Holiday is questionable.
Even without Tatum, Banchero is giving Orlando everything he has. With back to back 32+ point games, this is a player that's spent an average of 42.5 minutes on the hardwood!
The Magic's leading scorer in the playoffs (34 PPG), Banchero hasn't received much help on the offensive end aside from Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr.
This isn't new, it's been Orlando's mantra all season. Averaging the third least points in the NBA (105.4), they've let the defense do the talking.
They may sound corporate and cliche, however, the Magic will need Banchero at his best to win.
In a must win game, can I fade someone who's averaging 43 minutes and 26 field goal attempts? The volume and minutes alone should make this player prop golden.
Not to mention, Banchero has shot 50 percnet from the field, and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc!
I can't help to say Wagner and Banchero are responsible for the majority of the Magic's offense. With that said, the Celtics haven't been able to stop Banchero, who's scored at all levels.
In three career games without Tatum on the court, Bachero had scored 30+ point in two of those three outings. His usage remains high (33.5), and we all remember that two handed slam on Porzingis.
PPG: 24.5 | FG: 58.1 % | FT: 100 % | 3PT : 50 % | REB: 9.0 | AST: 2.5 | STL: 2.0 | BLK: 0.5
My second best bet for today, I placed one unit on Pacers forward Pascal Siakam to record over 19.5 points today.
It's hard to ignore how well Siakam has performed, especially in the playoffs. The Pacers leading scorer in the postseason with 24.5 points per game, Siakam is coming off back-to-back 20+ point games.
Siakam doesn't need to be the leading scorer, the Pacers have a ton of scoring options and deep threats. However, we have to look at the trajectory.
This is perplexing even though the Bucks allow the sixth fewest points to power forwards with Giannis on the court.
With a high +36 plus/minus in the playoffs, can I really fade Siakam here? Not to mention he's been an x-factor on both sides of the ball!
There's no doubt the Pacers are putting up a ton of offense in the playoffs (120), and boast the second best field goal (50.3 %) and 3-point percentage (41.1 %) in the NBA.
This is a offense that's clicking on all cylinders, and the Pacers continue to attack the Bucks inside. I mean, we are talking about a player who scores 5.5 points off turnovers alone!
The Pacers continue to play at a fast pace, which is in Siakam's favor. This is the reason why the Pacers traded for Siakam in the first place. A threat from anyone on the court, he's lit the Bucks defense up, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field, and 50 percent from beyond the arc.
In four regular season outings against the Bucks, Siakam was massive for the Pacers. Scoring 20+ points in all four outings, the forward averaged 24 points, and shot 55.2 percent from the field.
Coming off a double-double, Siakam gets a shot on the road, where he's been equally effective. Averaging 21 points in 37 road games, he's shot nearly 40 percent from deep.
I expect the Bucks to give the Pacers everything today. With that said, Siakam is averaging 15.5 field goal attempts and 34.5 minutes in this series.
PPG: 35 | FG: 65.1 % | FT: 56 % | 3PT : 0 % | REB: 15 | AST: 4.0 | STL: 0.5 | BLK: 1.5
My third best bet of today may be a little corporate, but it's the right pick. I placed one unit on Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo to record over 32.5 points today.
Sure, 32.5 points is a bit inflated, however, Antetokounmpo is averaging 35 points in the playoffs! Even with Damian Lillard back in the lineup, he's coming back from an injury, and conditioning has been limited.
The Bucks have struggled offensively, putting up the 10th worst offensive rating (96) in the playoffs.
There's no doubt Lillard struggled last game, putting up 14 points. However, can you blame him? Coming off a month's long absence would be challenging for any player.
With that said, I expect Lillard to return for tonight. However, the Bucks will need Giannis to continue to lead the way if they want to stay in this series.
Don't overthink this bet, there's no one on the Pacers that can stop Giannis.
In addition, Giannis is averaging 21.5 field goal attempts which beats out Bobby Portis Jr. by a mile.
Of the Bucks 213 total post season points, Giannis has scored 70 of them. And mind you, that's without making a three-point shot.
With Lillard not at full strength, the Bucks don't have the fire power on offense aside from their depth. Kyle Kuzma, who was traded to the Bucks mid season, is averaging a mere 6.0 points per game.
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