X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

Free NBA Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (4/19/23)

Hey, RotoBallers! It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, but I’m excited to talk NBA playoffs. In my short time writing NBA betting content here, I managed to finish the season with a 10-6 record. I’m also happy to say that moneyline parlays went 3-2 and a $100 bettor would’ve profited $490. The NBA playoffs are fully underway, and we’ve already seen teams like the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers take care of business by winning their first two games at home. Last night, the Boston Celtics won by double digits again to take a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks. Darius Garland poured in 32 points and six three-pointers to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 107-90 win over the New York Knicks to even the series. The Phoenix Suns won in the late-night matchup to even their series 1-1 with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Tonight’s slate potentially features three former MVPs, with two of them looking to take a commanding series lead. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Memphis Grizzlies with Ja Morant questionable. Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful but with the Bucks down 1-0 in the series, I would be surprised if he didn't at least give it a go to start. Nikola Jokic and the first-seeded Denver Nuggets look to build on their series lead after a dominant 29-point victory in Game 1.

In this article, I’ll be providing my favorite picks against the spread and game totals for the NBA playoff games that tip off at 7:30 PM EST on Wednesday, April 19.

Featured Promo: Get any full-season Props Premium Pass for 50% off. Win big with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

NBA Betting Picks

Los Angeles Lakers (-1) @ Memphis Grizzlies (226.5 total)

Series: Lakers lead series 1-0

There are two things that need to be talked about when rehashing Game 1 of this series:

Ja’s Injury

The first is the unfortunate injury to Grizzlies superstar point guard Ja Morant. With the Grizzlies down four with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Morant flew into the lane and landed hard on his hand. In incredible pain, Morant exited the game and his status for tonight is questionable.

Reaves & Hachimura Lead Lakers In Scoring, As Expected

The second talking point is the growing legend of Lakers guard Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura’s huge game.

Reaves started and scored 23 points on 8/13 shooting from the floor, 4/4 from the line, and 3/5 from three in his playoff debut. He really shined in the last three minutes when he went on a 9-2 run by himself to extend the Lakers' lead to 120-112. The undrafted six-foot-five guard scored 14 of his 23 in the fourth quarter in a performance that caught everyone’s attention.

Hachimura scored a team-high 29 points in 29 minutes on a ridiculously hot 11/14 shooting and 5/6 from three. The Lakers traded for Rui back in late January knowing he had big scoring abilities and reaped the benefits in Game 1.

It is a bit much to ask those two to score a combined 52 points in Game 2, but I guess it’s good to also have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James and Davis both had double-doubles, but it was a quiet night scoring the basketball. I’d look for both to bounce back in Game 2.

Memphis Roundup

For Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. had a big 31-point night. Jackson had a huge game, but I see him regressing rather than sustaining that level of play. Desmond Bane scored 22 on poor shooting and Dillon Brooks scored 15. Ja Morant had 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, and six turnovers in 30 minutes before exiting.

Lakers Shooting

The Lakers hit 49/92 field goals (53%) and 16/37 three-pointers (43%). It was a hot night from deep and they won’t shoot 40 percent every game, but it felt somewhat sustainable. Even though Hachimura isn’t likely to go 5/6 from three in Game 2, the Lakers have other players that can find their shot.

Dennis Schroder and Troy Brown Jr. both shot 1/3 from three, while Malik Beasley went 0/2 from deep in only 10 minutes. All three are players that can jump in and hit shots in any game.

Add in that LeBron (21) and Anthony Davis (22) didn’t even have big games scoring and they still won by 16.

It was a dominant team performance as Los Angeles had the edge in rebounding (45-34), second-chance points (22-10), fast break points (26-17), and points off turnovers (22-15).

Prediction

The Lakers went on a 23-9 run to end the game after Morant checked out with 5:48 left. Even if Ja plays, he won’t be close to 100 percent and the Grizzlies are still without Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. This Lakers team was peaking toward the end of the regular season, and there’s no reason to think it won’t continue tonight.

The pick: Los Angeles Lakers ML (-112 Fanduel)

 

Miami Heat (+6) @ Milwaukee Bucks (219.5 total)

 Series: Heat leads series 1-0

The Miami Heat got a huge gift in Game 1 when Giannis Antetokounmpo had to exit after only 10 minutes. Miami did look incredibly impressive in the opening stanza and led 33-24 after one. With under a minute left in the half, the Heat suffered a major blow when Tyler Herro broke his hand. It's been announced that Herro is obviously done for this series and likely the rest of the playoffs should the Heat make a run.

 

Without Herro, the Heat had others step up with Kevin Love (18), Caleb Martin (15), and Gabe Vincent (15) combining for 48 points on 10/15 shooting from deep. It was a good sign to see Bam Adebayo score 22 points after two quiet scoring games in the play-in. Playoff Jimmy also had 35 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds. It's the kind of absurd performance we've come to expect from Mr. Butler this time of year.

Milwaukee would try its best to win Game 1 without their fearless leader but it wasn't enough. Jrue Holiday had a playoff career-high 16 assists and Khris Middleton scored 33 points.

Over/Under Observations

The number of points scored in this game was pretty eye-opening. The closing over/under in Game 1 was 221.5. We see a 219 total for Game 2, and I don't blame oddsmakers for being skeptical that we see another 240+ point outburst.

Miami knocked down 15/25 three-pointers in Game 1 (60%). In the regular season, the Heat were a below-average team in three-pointers made per game with around 12 makes per game. They were also 27th in the NBA in three-point percentage. To say they had a hot night shooting would be an understatement.

In their two play-in games, they shot 11/34 (34%) and 10/30 (33%) from deep. The absence of Tyler Herro should only negatively impact Miami's shooting as he led the team with three three-pointers per game in the regular season. Scoring 130 points was uncharacteristic for a team that finished last in the NBA in points per game with 109.5.

Gabe Vincent shot 33.4 percent from three this season, Cody Martin came in at 35.6 percent, and Kevin Love finished at 29.7 percent.

Milwaukee shot 50 percent from the floor, which was higher than the 47.3 they shot in the regular season. The 11/45 (24%) from three was terrible and I'd expect them to make more than 11 in Game 2. Even with an increase in makes from outside, I still see this game going under.

One aspect I love is Giannis potentially playing. As we all know, the 2020-21 NBA Finals MVP is not a big threat from deep. Giannis playing and playing heavy minutes should only help the under as the Bucks substitute threes for twos with him on the floor. It wouldn't be surprising to see Milwaukee slow things down to help pace their superstar and his assortment of ailing injuries. I'm aware he is doubtful but as I said in the intro, I could see him starting the game and seeing how he feels.

The Bucks also had the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA this season and it is expected they will tighten it up. When it came to opponent three-point percentage this season, the Bucks were the eighth-stingiest in the NBA. Even if Giannis doesn't play, the Bucks still have to find their offense and the Heat likely won't shoot the cover off the ball again.

The pick: Under 219.5 (-110 Fanduel)

 

Sports Betting Promo Offers

All new sign-ups also get a free year of RotoBaller's all sports Premium Pass ($450 value)!

Sportsbook Bonus Offer Promo Eligible States
Caesars Risk-Free First Bet Up To $1,500 AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, and WY + ONT (CDN)
BetMGM Risk-Free First Bet Up To $1,000 AZ CO IN IA LA MI NJ NY PA TN VA WV WY
DraftKings Deposit Bonus Booster Up To $1,000 AZ CO CT IL IN IA LA MI NJ NY PA TN VA WV WY
 



 

Featured Promo

Offer is only valid for new users

All new sportsbook sign-ups get a free year of RotoBaller Premium access ($450 value)!

1. Just sign up for a new account
2. Make a minimum deposit of $20 and place any bet
3. Be sure to claim your bonus offer from the sportsbook
4. Email us at [email protected] with your new account details
5. Boom - that's it! We'll email you with your year-long RotoBaller Premium Pass

CLAIM NOW!

 


 

Minnesota Timberwolves (+8.5) @ Denver Nuggets (223.5 total)

Series: Nuggets lead series 1-0

The Nuggets made a statement in Game 1 with a 29-point win.

As someone who likes Minnesota's roster, I was pretty disappointed with their effort in Game 1. There are reasons I can point to (allow me to make some excuses please) on why they got their butts kicked. It could've been the adjustment in altitude, jump in skill level from the Thunder to the Nuggets, or shooting 37 percent from the floor.

Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns both played poorly, combining to score 29 points on 30 shots. With Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid both out indefinitely, the Timberwolves can't afford Edwards and Towns to play badly because their depth is depleted. It is a shame because when they had McDaniels and Reid, this team looked like they had a high ceiling.

Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert each only scored eight apiece. When your top four players combine to score 45 points on 17/40 shooting, in most games you will indeed get beat in embarrassing fashion. What this does leave is a lot of room for improvement.

Denver hit 16/39 (41%) three-pointers in Game 1, which is more makes and a better percentage than they shot in the regular season. The Nuggets hitting 16 threes was a little surprising given the Timberwolves were the best three-point defense over the final 15 games of the regular season. It could've just been a nice night shooting for the Nuggets and I'll always happily bet against teams to regress back to their normal data.

One point of concern for the Wolves is Nikola Jokic only scored 13 points. Jokic, as we all know, is a super special player that can wake up today and decide he's getting 30+ points. I expect Jokic to be more aggressive in this game.

Going back and forth on what I see happening, I just don't see the Timberwolves playing that poorly again. Edwards and Towns are two players that can explode in any game and they should be better adjusted for Game 2. If Minnesota can defend the three-point line and shoot somewhat decently, they should be fine. I wouldn't advise taking them to win but 8.5 feels like a healthy amount of points to play with.

The pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +8.5 (-110 Fanduel)

Check out the RotoBaller Discord on a nightly basis for additional content - if you're not a premium member for NBA content you can change that by signing up here!

We just added a new player prop tool that is available to our NBA premium and betting premium members, too!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Luis Arraez2 hours ago

Suffers Injury On Saturday
DeAndre Hopkins3 hours ago

Expected To Play In Week 3
DK Metcalf3 hours ago

Active For Week 3
Ryan Preece4 hours ago

Will Start 25th At Texas
Chase Briscoe4 hours ago

The Top Value Play On Sunday At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr5 hours ago

.'s Struggles At Texas To Continue This Weekend
Joey Logano5 hours ago

Makes For A Nice Bounce Back Play At Texas
NASCAR6 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wins Pole At Texas Motor Speedway
Ryan Blaney6 hours ago

A Core Play At Texas
Harrison Burton6 hours ago

Still On Wood Brothers Hot Seat
Austin Cindric6 hours ago

Keeps On Struggling In Qualifying
Daniel Suarez6 hours ago

Thrives In Texas Qualifying Saturday
Jamaal Williams6 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Chase Elliott6 hours ago

Starts From Near The Back At Texas
Ross Chastain6 hours ago

Offers Less Upside At Texas
Jaylen Waddle7 hours ago

Won’t Play In Week 3 Against Denver
Ty Gibbs7 hours ago

Poised To Continue Strong Run In Texas
Aric Almirola7 hours ago

Tops Stewart-Haas In Qualifying
NASCAR7 hours ago

A.J. Allmendinger Surprises With Sixth In Qualifying
Kyle Larson7 hours ago

Starts 11th On Sunday Afternoon
Kyle Busch7 hours ago

Looks To Rebound On Sunday
Martin Truex Jr8 hours ago

. Hoping For Better Fortunes In Texas
Kenley Jansen10 hours ago

Returns From COVID List
Mike Trout11 hours ago

Hits Off Tee
Deon Jackson12 hours ago

Colts Release Deon Jackson
Yordan Alvarez12 hours ago

Doubles In A Run, Managing Elbow Issue
MLB12 hours ago

Diamondbacks-Yankees Postponed Saturday Due To Rain
MLB12 hours ago

Braves-Nationals Postponed On Saturday
Nolan Arenado13 hours ago

Cardinals Place Nolan Arenado On Injured List
Sandy Alcantara13 hours ago

Suffers Setback After Rehab Start
Clayton Keller13 hours ago

Ready To Become 100-Point Player
Nicklas Backstrom13 hours ago

Feeling At 100 Percent
Oliver Ekman-Larsson14 hours ago

Set To Get Look On Top Power-Play Unit
Carter Verhaeghe14 hours ago

Battling Muscle Tightness
Nikolaj Ehlers14 hours ago

Struggling With Neck Spasms
Logan Cooley14 hours ago

Scores Wonder Goal In Preseason Opener
14 hours ago

Chauncey Billups Backs Scoot Henderson To Become A "Star"
Josh Green14 hours ago

Aims To Become A Bigger Defensive Presence
Josh Hart15 hours ago

Set To See Minutes As Power Forward
Cade Cunningham15 hours ago

Jaden Ivey Believes Cade Cunningham Will "Shock" People
DeMar DeRozan15 hours ago

Ready To Shoot More Threes
Marcus Morris15 hours ago

Sr. Set To Remain A Starter In New Season
DK Metcalf19 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
Brandon Lowe22 hours ago

Finished For 2023 With Knee Fracture
Salvador Perez22 hours ago

On Track For Return On Sunday
Andy Dalton22 hours ago

To Start In Week 3
Triston McKenzie22 hours ago

Set To Return For Sunday's Start
Jaden McDaniels24 hours ago

Timberwolves Desire To Extend Jaden McDaniels
Boston Celtics1 day ago

Celtics Signing Lamar Stevens As Bench Piece
Frank Ntilikina1 day ago

Could Be Limited At Training Camp
Jayson Tatum1 day ago

To Play More Point Guard In 2023-24?
Randy Arozarena1 day ago

Leaves With Right Quad Tightness
Isiah Pacheco1 day ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Brandin Cooks1 day ago

Set To Return In Week 3
David Montgomery1 day ago

Doubtful To Play In Week 3
Ha-Seong Kim1 day ago

Returns To The Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.1 day ago

Rejoins The Lineup On Friday
Zay Jones1 day ago

Ruled Out For Sunday Against Houston
Luis Arraez1 day ago

Back In The Lineup On Friday
Puka Nacua1 day ago

Back At Practice On Friday
Rasmus Dahlin1 day ago

Sabres Aiming To Lock Up Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power Long-Term
Joe Burrow1 day ago

Limited In Friday's Practice
Connor Hellebuyck1 day ago

Focused On The Jets In 2023-24
DK Metcalf1 day ago

Questionable For Week 3
Trevor Zegras1 day ago

Jamie Drysdale Absent On First Day Of Camp
Jaylen Waddle1 day ago

Questionable With Concussion
Andrew Cogliano1 day ago

Hoping To Be Cleared For Season Opener
Amon-Ra St. Brown1 day ago

Listed As Questionable For Week 3
Alexander Barabanov1 day ago

Prefers To Remain In San Jose
Austin Ekeler1 day ago

Ruled Out Again
Mattias Ekholm1 day ago

Roughly A Week Away From Skating
Matt McLain1 day ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Orion Kerkering1 day ago

Phillies Promote Prospect Orion Kerkering Friday
Michael Kopech1 day ago

Undergoes Surgery, Placed On Injured List
Luke Raley1 day ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Jamaal Williams1 day ago

Ruled Out With Hamstring Issue
Royce Lewis1 day ago

Goes On Injured List
DeAndre Hopkins1 day ago

Listed As Questionable Against Browns
Christian Yelich1 day ago

Back In Brewers Lineup
Amari Cooper1 day ago

No Longer On The Injury Report
Deebo Samuel1 day ago

Considered Day-To-Day With Rib Injury
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Suns Considered Dark Horse To Facilitate Damian Lillard Deal
Donovan Mitchell1 day ago

Not Expected To Sign An Extension Next Summer
1 day ago

Amen Thompson Is Ready To Go For Training Camp
Buddy Hield1 day ago

Mavericks, 76ers, Bucks Have Shown Interest In Buddy Hield
Kelly Oubre1 day ago

Jr. Expected To Sign With 76ers
Mateusz Gamrot1 day ago

Seeking Victory In Seventh UFC Appearance
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Michelle Waterson-Gomez1 day ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Fletcher1 day ago

Set To Showcase On Main Card
Bryan Battle1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 79
Evgeny Kuznetsov2 days ago

Sees New Head Coach As "Perfect Match"
Mark Scheifele2 days ago

Open To Staying With Jets
BUF2 days ago

Buffalo Sabres Reportedly Eyeing Patrick Kane
Alexander Romanov2 days ago

100 Percent For Training Camp
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Not Close To Returning
Christian Dvorak2 days ago

Out Until November
Jusuf Nurkic2 days ago

Heading To Phoenix?
Damian Lillard2 days ago

Could Be Moved Before Training Camp
Ricardo Ramos2 days ago

Set For First Fight In Over A Year
Charles Jourdain2 days ago

Hoping To Bring UFC Record Above .500
Marina Rodriguez2 days ago

Gets A Rematch At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige2 days ago

Enters UFC Vegas 79 On Two-Fight Win Streak
Bryce Mitchell2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back After First Career Loss
VEG2 days ago

Daniil Miromanov Ruled Out Long-Term
Chris Wideman2 days ago

Out Indefinitely With Back Injury
Mason McTavish2 days ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Brooklyn Nets3 days ago

Jordan Hall Signs With Nets
Xavier Moon3 days ago

Signs With Clippers
Aleksej Pokusevski3 days ago

To Miss Next Six Weeks
Buddy Hield3 days ago

Pacers Attempting To Trade Buddy Hield
Alexa Grasso6 days ago

Retains Flyweight Title With Split Draw
Valentina Shevchenko6 days ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Recapture Title
Jack Della Maddalena6 days ago

Pulls Out Close Decision Win At Noche UFC
Kevin Holland6 days ago

Takes Close Loss In Split-Decision Showing
Raul Rosas Jr.6 days ago

Knocks Out Terrance Mitchell In 54 Seconds

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP