Tonight’s three-game NBA playoff slate is a bit of a mishmash as the Philadelphia 76ers will try to be the first team to win three games when they head north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors. The 76ers have dominated the first two games, but they hit the road without the services of defensive stalwart Matisse Thybulle (ineligible). Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics will attempt to take 2-0 leads before hitting the road their next time out.
This daily NBA article will examine the best betting picks and NBA player prop bets today. With OddsShopper, bettors can maximize their profits and see the best chances with the highest expected return on investment. OddsShopper can find which sportsbooks offer the best prices for these prop bets. The following are the best NBA bets today for April 20.
Best NBA Bets Today: Player Props & Expert Betting
Nets Spread (+4) Over Celtics
The big question heading into this affair is how will Brooklyn bounce back from their heartbreaking loss in Game 1? Trailing 96-85 heading into the fourth quarter, the Nets held the Celtics to 40% (eight for 20) shooting in the fourth quarter and led by 3 points with 45 seconds remaining. But the Nets’ difficulty in defending the paint proved costly as Jaylen Brown scored on a driving layup to cut the deficit to one, and Jayson Tatum scored at the rim off a feed from Marcus Smart as time expired. Boston outscored Brooklyn 56-32 in the paint.
Expect tonight’s game to be terrific once again as this series features the two most dynamic offensive duos in the league with Brown and Tatum, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Brown and Tatum have been terrific all season long and that continued on Sunday, combining for 54 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Meanwhile, the Nets’ sensational twosome finished with 62 points, nine assists and nine rebounds despite Durant’s shooting woes (nine for 23) and turnover issues (six).
The Celtics have won four of five games against the Nets this year but Durant has only played in three of those contests and Irving has appeared in just two games. Brooklyn is 1-2 against Boston in games Durant has played with a plus-4 scoring margin. The two losses were by a combined 7 points, with each of those contests decided late in the fourth quarter. Plus, Durant generally does not have two subpar games in a row. Moreover, the Nets have been fabulous on the road this year with a plus 3.2 scoring margin and they are 15-5 following a loss in games that Durant has played in. In addition, they are 10-5 with a plus 2.3 scoring margin following two days off.
The key for Brooklyn will be to limit Smart’s productivity. Smart averaged 17.8 points and 6.5 against the Nets in the regular season while contributing 20 points and eight assists in Game 1.
76ers (-1.5) Spread Over Raptors: Over 216.5 Points
Philadelphia has absolutely dominated the first two games of the series. So, the big question is can Raptors coach Nick Nurse come up with a magic solution to slow the 76ers’ offensive mojo? The short answer appears to be no as the 76ers just have too many offensive weapons clicking at once. The Raptors also might not have Scottie Barnes (ankle) for a second straight game or Gary Trent Jr. (illness), who was ineffective in his 10 minutes of action on Monday. Officially, Barnes is doubtful for the game and Trent is questionable.
Philadelphia has looked like a well-oiled machine offensively as the Sixers have continued to thrive with James Harden at the controls. The 76ers, 16-7 with Harden in the lineup, have produced an incredible effective field goal percentage of 61.4% and averaged 121.5 points through the first two games. While Harden has not shot the ball well overall through the first two games, he has knocked down five of 11 (45.5%) shots from beyond the arc and gotten to the line quite a bit. Harden is averaging 18 points, 10 assists, 5.5 rebounds, two steals and 1.5 blocks in the series. Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris have thrived as they combined for 53.5 points through the first two contests and Joel Embiid reasserted himself offensively in Game 2 after taking a backseat in the opener.
Philadelphia did a much better job defensively in Game 2, but more importantly, the Sixers kept the Raptors off the foul line. Toronto was just 10 of 12 from the charity stripe on Monday after going 19 for 23 in Game 1. So, another key question is will Nurse’s complaining about the Raptors’ lack of getting to the foul line become a storyline tonight?
In all reality, Toronto will likely have to outscore Philadelphia to have any chance of getting back into the series. But in order for that to happen, the Raptors will need more consistency from Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam as well as someone else to get untracked. O.G. Anunoby has played well in both games.
OddsShopper gives Philadelphia a 54% chance of winning the game.
Danny Green Under 3.5 Rebounds
Green is not a good rebounder overall and did his worst work on the boards this year, grabbing just 6.2% of all available boards. He has grabbed just four caroms in 60 minutes of action in the series. Moreover, Green registered 2.7 rebounds per game against the Raptors this year and has failed to haul in at least four rebounds in 15 of his last 21 appearances. He is projected for 3.10 rebounds tonight. OddsShopper gives the over a 62% chance of hitting and an expected ROI of 29% as this is a plus-money prop (+105).
Other Top NBA Bets Today
- Bucks vs. Bulls Over 225.5 Points
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