Betting The NBA Playoffs: Picks, Odds and Predictions For Today (4/23/22)

ScoresAndOdds betting expert Derek Farnsworth provides in-depth analysis and best bets for the NBA playoffs! Be sure to check out all of our FREE articles under our news section.

Happy Saturday everyone!

I started writing this article in the fourth quarter of the Suns and Pelicans game and had my Dumb and Dumber GIF cued up and ready to go – “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any dumber, you go and do something like this… and totally redeem yourself!” After missing all three bets on Thursday, I had a good chance of hitting all three on Friday. Unfortunately, Chris Paul unlocked god mode and dominated the entire fourth quarter. On a positive note, two wins are better than none. 

I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the fewer things I look forward to in life. It may have something to do with having fewer plans than in my 20s or perhaps having a kid changes your priorities to the point where you are just as happy being at home as you are being out with friends. However, I have been looking forward to this Saturday for a couple of weeks. I will be attending the Jazz game and will be sweating all four games on this glorious NBA slate. 

Free NBA Betting Picks For Today

Philadelphia Sixers at Toronto Raptors (Series: PHI 3-0)

I am still feeling the pain of betting on the Raptors in Game 3, as Joel Embiid hit an incredible game-winning three-pointer in overtime. The Raptors had every chance to win that game, but they ultimately fell short. They now face elimination in Game 4 at home. The big question is whether they close up shop and start making vacation plans or whether they go down swinging and give it their all in an effort to extend this series. 

Perhaps this is confirmation bias (the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior beliefs or values.), but I like the fight that the Raptors showed in Game 3. Everyone seems to be writing them off, yet they are only 3-point underdogs. This is a team that was great in the second half of the season and that should get better shooting from their star point guard Fred VanVleet. 

I mean, isn’t it wild that the Sixers are on the verge of sweeping this series despite subpar performances from both James Harden and Joel Embiid? Depending on how you look at it, this could be viewed as a positive or a negative heading into the second round. I can’t abandon the sinking ship of the Raptors just yet – a captain always goes down with the ship. 

• PICK: Toronto +3, PointsBet

Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz (Series: DAL 2-1)

In case you skipped the intro and scrolled down to the picks (not recommended by the way, this is meant to be more entertaining than anything else), I will be in attendance at this game. The Jazz are coming off of two rough losses in a row and will now have to face the Mavericks with Luka Doncic back in the lineup. It will be interesting to see if he’s limited, if he’s as effective, and if he’s able to shake off the rust, but he’s expected to be out there for Game 4. 

The Jazz are likely headed for a blowup of some sort in the offseason, but that could all change if they are able to make a deep postseason run. For that to happen, they absolutely have to win this game and then they’ll need to win two of the next three games. We all like to look at trends and statistics, so let me throw this one out there – the Jazz have never lost a playoff game when myself and a specific group of five friends have been in attendance. The sample size is irrelevant.

Kidding aside, the Mavericks have committed a total of 11 turnovers in the last two games combined. This is almost unheard of, especially in playoff games against an above-average defensive team. Regression is bound to hit in that department and the Jazz are eventually going to have a better outing on the defensive end of the floor. 

• PICK: Utah -5.5, FanDuel

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets (Series: BOS 2-0)

We have been spoiled by the first two games of this series. Each game could have gone either way, yet the Celtics head to Brooklyn with a two-game lead in the series. The two teams have nearly identical statistics through the first two games. With no rooting interest, I am hoping we get a seven-game battle between these two teams. 

There’s a strong case for betting the Celtics in this one. They had the best net rating of any team in basketball over the last two months of the regular season and have to be confident about where they are sitting in the series. Additionally, they were solid on the road (23-18) this season, while the Nets had a losing record (20-21) at home. 

With that said, how do we not bet the home team in this one? Doesn’t it feel like we could see the home team win the first six games of the series and then we get a winner-take-all Game 7? For me, it’s as simple as this – Kevin Durant looked nothing like himself in Game 1 and the Nets almost won. Kyrie Irving looked nothing like himself in Game 2 and the Nets almost won. The two superstars will get some home cooking and both play well in Game 3. 

• PICK: Brooklyn -3 , DraftKings

Memphis Grizzlies at Minnesota Wolves (Series: MEM 2-1)

Cue your favorite hands up in the air in a confused manner GIF. 

The Wolves had a 20+ point lead in the first half and a 20+ point lead in the second half and lost the game. They were outscored 37-12 in the fourth quarter and wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead in this series. Inside the NBA is one of my favorite shows to watch during the playoffs and while I usually watch for entertainment more than the takes, I had to agree with Charles Barkley – the Wolves could be great if they didn’t make so many bone-headed mistakes. Bad shots, turnovers, and silly fouls have been the story of their losses in the postseason. 

At this point, I’m not sure what to do heading into Game 4. The Grizzlies have decided to bench Steven Adams the rest of the way and Karl-Anthony Towns couldn’t take advantage of his matchup against Kyle Anderson. Yes, Anderson was on him for a large portion of the game. You would think the Wolves would be able to get him the ball in good situations in this matchup, but that wasn’t the case in Game 3. D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards are both incredibly talented, but they can disappear for a quarter at a time. 

The Grizzlies didn’t look particularly good themselves in Game 3, but got a huge performance from Desmond Bane and eventually won the game thanks to the Wolves not being able to make any shots down the stretch. I am tempted to go back to the Wolves, but I see more negatives than positives. The Grizzlies won Game 3 despite a bad outing from Ja Morant and the team shooting 42% from the field. 

• PICK: Memphis -3, Multiple Sportsbooks