NBA Betting Guide: Odds, Best Bets For Saturday's NBA Playoff Games

NBA Playoffs: Betting Odds, Best Bets

It's NBA playoff time! The first round of the postseason begins Saturday and I've got you covered with my favorite betting angles to target in each of the four games taking place to kick off the weekend. As you make your picks, remember, our BetQL is here to help you make smart, informed bets with live NBA betting odds, best bets from our model, sharp picks, public bets, line movement data, exclusive NBA articles and much more to help you cash tonight.

BetQL subscribers can see all of today's best bets, including NBA player props, plus game projections, betting trends and more! Try us out for FREE for three days!

Nets at Sixers Prediction

Game 1 in Philly? Yeah, we're going to fade the Sixers in this one. I like taking the points with Brooklyn at +8.5, but I also think they have a great shot to win this game outright. It's the first game of the day to kick off the NBA playoffs and an early 1 p.m. ET tip feels like a sleepy spot for a series favorite of -900. Philly will win this series outright, but the Nets have more talent than people give them credit for. Mikal Bridges has shown that he can be a massive scoring threat since being traded to Brooklyn and Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith can both knock down shots from deep.

Defensively, the Nets rank 13th in the league since the All-Star break, and while that might not sound super impressive, but the Sixers rank just 17th. Bridges was also the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year last year, so he's going to make James Harden work for everything he gets.

I've also mentioned this in various previews, but teams that are playing with nothing to lose are extremely dangerous. There are absolutely zero expectations for the Nets in this game, while the expectations for the Sixers are tenfold. And if past performances are any indication of what might happen on Saturday, a Game 1 let-down from Philly isn't too crazy. FanDuel has the best odds on +8.5 at -106, so head over there to lock this in!

My pick: Nets +8.5, ML (+290, FanDuel)

Hawks at Celtics Prediction

The Hawks played one of their most complete games of the season in their play-in game against the Heat earlier in the week. I don't think we'll get that same performance against a much better Celtics team, but Atlanta can certainly find success early, which is why I'm targeting them to cover +3 in the first quarter. The Hawks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games, while the Celtics are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games and 18-22-1 ATS at home on the season. Atlanta has also led after the first 12 minutes in two of their three meetings with Boston this season.

The Hawks know that if they get down to Boston early, climbing their way out of a hole is going to be extremely difficult. I expect Trae Young and Co. to come out with a bit more urgency than the Celtics, who know that they're the better team and won't be as concerned about getting off to a fast start. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will ease into their offense, while Young will come out firing on all cylinders from the jump. Ultimately, Boston wins this game and advances in the series, but Atlanta covers +3 in the first quarter.

My pick: Hawks 1Q +3

Knicks at Cavaliers Prediction

The dogs are going to be barking early on Saturday because I'm taking the Knicks +5.5 in Game 1 against the Cavs. There are a few different paths to success for the Knicks in this series. The first is to continue their dominance on the boards. New York ranked third in the league in offensive rebounding with 12.6 per game. That success led them to a top-three ranking in second-chance points as well. Now, you might be thinking that the Cavs have Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to combat that. That's true, but the Knicks out-rebounded Cleveland on the offensive glass in all but one game this season, and the league's leading O-rebounder, Mitchell Robinson, was absent in the one game they failed to do so.

Since the All-Star break, the Cavs lead the league in points off of turnovers, but the Knicks take incredible care of the basketball, finishing fifth in turnover rate on the year. If they can limit turnovers, maximizing possessions within their already potent offense is going to be huge in New York having success.

These are matchups to watch and monitor from game to game, but in terms of Game 1, the Knicks also have the advantage with players like Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle having postseason experience. This is uncharted territory for the majority of Cleveland's rosters, which is why laying 5.5 points is way too many for me.

My pick: Knicks +5.5

Warriors at Kings Prediction

Our BetQL model and I both agree on this pick, so listen up! We're going to take the over 238 in this game to open the series. Sacramento is going to come into this game jacked up. And for good reason being this is its first playoff appearance in 16 years! Maybe nerves and jitters cause the Kings to miss their first couple of shots, but the high-powered offense that we've seen from Mike Brown's squad all season will eventually show itself.

We know that the Warriors are capable of putting up huge numbers, too, with five players averaging double figures on the road this year. Record-wise, it's no secret that the Warriors have been terrible away from home and a lot of that has to do with them ranking 28th in defensive rating. However, it's the opposite for the Kings. Their defense is actually decent on the road but on their home floor, they rank 29th in defensive rating. If these trends hold true, we're looking at two offenses that have the ability to explode against two very poor defenses.

Our model also has the total at 248.5 points, which is a 10.5-point difference from the best number on the market of 238 at FanDuel. Jump on this quickly though because it's moved up to 238.5 at most other books!

My picks: Over 238

MORE: TOP NBA PLAYER PROPS

Take advantage of BetQL's free trial and see all of today's best NBA bets, including player props, plus what the model is projecting for every NHL, soccer and NCAA basketball game this week! Start your free trial today!