The NBA Playoffs resume with an excellent trio of Game 2s on Wednesday night, with Magic vs. Celtics and Heat vs. Cavaliers set to tipoff in the early window, and then Warriors vs. Rockets will take center stage later in the evening.
Our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified 5 NBA picks for tonight's contests. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Wednesday, April 23.
NBA Best Bets for First Round Playoff Games: Wednesday, April 23
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 p.m. | |
| 7 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Magic vs. Celtics
By Joe Dellera
The Boston Celtics are likely without Jayson Tatum tonight as he’s been listed as doubtful. It’s entirely possible that they do not need him in order to be successful in the series.
One player that definitely sees a bump without him is Derrick White. His scoring jumps from 15.8 ppg to 20.8, and his assists climb from 4.6 to 5.8. We just saw him torch this Magic team as well in Game 1 for 32 Points + Assists.
There’s tremendous upside here if Tatum does sit, but it’s a line he can cash regardless. Couple that with Jaylen Brown having had to deal with the knee issues, and there may be plenty of runway for White to be the primary engine of this Celtics’ offense.
Pick: Derrick White Over 21.5 Points + Assists (-120)
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Heat vs. Cavaliers
This number is too low. The Heat only took 31 threes in Game 1, and considering they hoisted up 80 shots, they didn't give themselves a true opportunity at stealing a win, despite hanging around into the fourth quarter.
To award themselves a real shot moving forward, they need to shoot a ton of threes. That's where Tyler Herro comes in.
For better or worse, he's largely the Heat's offense right now. Bam Adebayo will get his, and as of late, Davion Mitchell as well, but Herro is the engine. He is listed at plus-money to hit 3+ three-pointers in Game 2, and I think he could shred on volume alone. Last game he only took six threes (and still made three).
It's in Cleveland's best interest to lure Herro into taking twos, but it's in Erik Spoelstra's interest to create variance. Last year, Miami shot 43 threes out of 75 field goal attempts against Boston in Game 2 and stunned the Celtics — they made 23.
I'm not necessarily anticipating the same result, but I'd be surprised if the same playbook wasn't followed tonight.
Pick: Tyler Herro Over 2.5 Three-Pointers Made (+100)
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Heat vs. Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are a system play for NBA First Round Favorites. It has a 62% hit rate, a 19% ROI going back to 2003 on a large sample size, and is blindly profitable each of the last three seasons I have been backing it, and has started 4-0 in these playoffs.
The system plays 1 or 2 seeds, in the first round, as a favorite of -4 or greater (Houston -1.5 did not qualify in Game 1, but CLE/OKC 2x/BOS did).
Back to the well on the Cavaliers here, and probably every game this series for them. The system I am referring to can be found in Action Network's PRO Systems and it is called NBA: First Round Favorites.
Pick: Cavaliers -12 (-110)
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Warriors vs. Rockets
By Joe Dellera
Steph Curry and the Warriors look to build off of their Game 1 victory and steal both games on the road. Curry has played extended minutes in the last three games with clear postseason implications with 38, 39, and 40 minutes. The Warriors need him on the floor.
