Betting The NBA Playoffs: Picks, Odds and Predictions For Today (4/18/22)

ScoresAndOdds betting expert Derek Farnsworth provides in-depth analysis and best bets for the NBA playoffs! Use our Caesars welcome offer to get $1100 first-bet insurance today!

Watching basketball is one of my favorite pastimes, but it has gotten tougher to watch the regular season over the last few years (unless I have a sweat, obviously). Between injuries, COVID protocols, and teams tanking, there have been a lot of unwatchable games. However, the grind of the regular season makes the playoffs that much better. I fully plan to watch as much basketball as possible over the next two months. 

Anyone can sit here and hand out picks, but owning up to the results whether they win or lose is extremely important in this industry. I try to be as transparent as possible, even during the cold streaks. For this daily article, I will keep a running tab of where we stand on our quest to finish the NBA playoffs with a profit while betting on every game and every series. Let’s dive into Monday’s three-game slate. 

Free NBA Betting Picks For Today

Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia Sixers (Series: PHI 1-0)

The first game of this series did not go as I expected. The Sixers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. They outscored the Raptors in all four quarters and looked like the better team on both ends of the floor. It’s hard to believe that they won by 20 points and only got 41 points combined from James Harden and Joel Embiid. We shouldn’t expect repeat performances from Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, but their play is certainly encouraging for Sixers fans. 

We can’t expect teams to be at their best in every game of the series and the Raptors put themselves behind the eight ball early in Game 1. The main red flag for Toronto heading into the playoffs was their depth and that’s already being put into question with Scottie Barnes having to be helped off the floor with an ankle injury. He’s listed as doubtful for Game 2, as are Gary Trent and Thaddeus Young. 

Game 2 is tough because as bettors, we tend to remember the most recent outings for teams and we just saw the Sixers beat up on the Raptors. We also have the depth issue to worry about with Toronto. I would typically hold steady to my pre-series thoughts, but this will be a very tough game for the Raptors to win. They’ll obviously do everything in their power to try to pull off the upset, but in the back of their minds they know that they’ll be at home for Game 3 with potentially all five of their starters. 

Give me Philly to cover the 7-point spread at home. 

• PICK: Philadelphia -7.5, Multiple Sportsbooks

Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks (Series: UTA 1-0)

Bad habits tend to be the hardest ones to kick. The Jazz nearly blew another four quarter lead on Saturday against the Mavericks, but they held on to steal home-court advantage in the series. You should always take what I say about the Jazz with a grain of salt, but I didn’t think they played particularly well. They didn’t shoot the ball well from the floor and they committed 14 turnovers. The fact that they won and covered the spread bodes well for them in this series. 

The Mavericks are a much different team without Luka Doncic. They have two solid playmakers in Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson, but those two don’t command the attention of the entire defense like Doncic. The Mavericks originally listed him as questionable for Game 2, but he has since been downgraded to doubtful. I personally don’t think we see Doncic in this series unless it gets to Game 6 or Game 7. 

If you are planning to bet this game with the current spread, you should assume that Doncic is going to miss a second consecutive game. The positives for the Jazz are that they should shoot the ball better, that they should take better care of the ball, and that they have a massive edge on the glass in this series. The positive for the Mavericks is that they nearly completed the comeback in Game 1 despite shooting only 38% from the floor. 

I hate taking all favorites, but I love the Jazz to cover the 5-point spread.

• PICK: Utah -5, DraftKings

Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors (Series: GSW 1-0)

The Warriors were the only bet that I didn’t have to sweat much on Saturday. They built a lead heading into half-time and never looked back. They haven’t played many games with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green on the floor together this season, so we haven’t seen much of what this team is truly capable of. When you have two of the best shooters of all-time, one of the best defenders in the league, and an incredibly sharp coach, you have what it takes to contend for a title. 

The Nuggets are a resilient bunch, so I’m not worried about a poor performance in Game 1. They can beat anyone in the NBA at their best and have one of the game’s biggest superstars in Nikola Jokic. During the regular season, they were great at keeping game competitive. This is evident in the numbers, as they were 14 games above .500 despite having a point differential of only +2.3 per game. 

There are three reasons to bet the Warriors again in Game 2. They have been one of the league’s best teams at home this season (31-10), Stephen Curry is healthy, and the Warriors are 35-12 in games that Draymond Green has been active. There are certainly scenarios where the Nuggets keep this close, but I am hoping for another blowout for the Warriors. This will give us a better number on the Nuggets in Game 3. 

• PICK: Golden State -7, Multiple Sportsbooks