Categories: Sports

2022 NBA playoffs — Betting suggestions for Wednesday’s first-round matchups

[ad_1]

Bounce forward: Game of the night | Picks and props | Analytics edge

All odds are offered by Caesars Sportsbook.

What you should know for Wednesday’s playoff video games

Rousing Rivalry: Can Kevin Durant surpass his level prop of 29.5 towards a stingy Celtics protection? In spite of everything, he has topped this quantity simply as soon as in three conferences with Boston in the course of the common season. Defensive Participant of the 12 months Marcus Smart could possibly be a sensible guess for 2 turnovers created after producing at the least two shares in 4 of 5 conferences with Brooklyn this season. The Celtics are 24-14 towards the unfold when taking part in a workforce with a successful report this season, together with Sunday’s thrilling last-second win. The Nets, in the meantime, are 14-6 ATS when searching for to avenge a loss to an opponent on the highway.

Slick Nic: Whereas Recreation 1 of the Nets-Celtics collection was an prompt traditional with star gamers making play after play, Nic Claxton was additionally a strong contributor. Nothing he does is flashy, however on his 23rd birthday, he transformed 6 of eight pictures and pulled down a team-best eight rebounds in 31 minutes. Claxton’s minutes rely is encouraging towards a Celtics protection with out Robert Williams III. Effectivity is one thing we will rely on for Claxton as he has made 51 of 65 pictures (78.5%) over the previous month. It is not thrilling, however Claxton is a dwell DFS play and value a glance within the varied prop markets on this spot.

Financial institution On Boucher: With Scottie Barnes at the moment questionable, Chris Boucher ought to see a rise in utilization. He put up 17 factors and eight rebounds (with a pair of blocks) in 30 minutes Monday, and an identical stat line is predicted Wednesday night time. He performed 30 minutes 14 instances in the course of the common season and averaged 17.2 PPG with 10.6 RPG over that span. His double-double prop is value a glance as soon as Barnes’ standing is official. Boucher’s expanded function additionally seems to be good for these taking part in the three-game DFS slate as effectively.

Collaborative Creation: With Lonzo Ball out for the season, the Bulls nonetheless haven’t got a conventional creator of their rotation. Distribution duties are inclined to shift between a number of key Chicago contributors. In Recreation 1 towards the Bucks, the Bulls noticed 4 gamers put up at the least 10 potential assists. DeMar DeRozan led the pack with 14 potential assists in Sunday’s loss to Milwaukee. DeRozan’s help prop at the moment sits at 5.5, proof there may be untapped upside in his betting prop market.

— Jim McCormick and Kyle Soppe

Recreation of the night time

Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics
7 p.m. ET, Barclays Heart, Brooklyn

Line: Celtics (-3.5)
Cash line: Celtics (-160), Nets (+140)
Whole: 226 factors
BPI Projected Whole: 219.Four factors
BPI Win%: Celtics (87.4%)

Key gamers dominated out: Ben Simmons

Greatest guess: Nets ML (+140). Kevin Durant is healthier than how he performed Sunday, and the Nets nonetheless scored 114 factors on the very best protection within the league, regardless of his struggles. Nevertheless, Brooklyn’s supporting solid should step up after Seth Curry, Patty Mills and Bruce Brown have been comparatively ineffective in Recreation 1. Kyrie Irving feeds off the Boston crowd and with out Robert Williams III on the courtroom, he’ll proceed to remain scorching. The Nets’ protection has improved over the previous month, holding the C’s to simply 19 factors within the fourth quarter of Sunday’s sport. It isn’t corresponding to the Celtics? Completely not, however I nonetheless like Brooklyn to win Recreation 2 outright. — Erin Dolan

play

0:28

Doug Kezirian seems to be at the very best guess for the primary quarter of Recreation Three of the 76ers-Raptors collection on Wednesday.

Greatest guess: Durant over 29.5 factors. Durant had one in every of his worst scoring video games of the season in Recreation 1, requiring 24 area objective makes an attempt to attain 23 factors and shedding six turnovers. Whereas the Celtics have a wonderful protection, Durant was visibly out of rhythm, lacking a whole lot of pictures that he usually makes. He shot 50% or higher from the ground in his two video games towards the Celtics in the course of the common season, and dropped 37 factors on 21 pictures in his final regular-season outing. I absolutely anticipate an enormous bounce-back sport from Durant, who is aware of the Nets want this sport to have an opportunity to win the collection. — André Snellings

Greatest guess: Durant over 29.5 factors. Durant has averaged almost 39 factors in his first sport following a loss. The one exception was an 11-point efficiency in 2019 when he ruptured an Achilles. All the strain is on Durant tonight. He is aware of that he should play higher in Recreation 2 if the Nets need to win the collection. — Eric Moody

Breaking down the remainder of the slate

Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks
9:30 p.m. ET, Fiserv Discussion board, Milwaukee

Line: Bucks (-10)
Cash line: Bucks (-550), Bulls (+400)
Whole: 225 factors
BPI Projected Whole: 221.2 factors
BPI Win%: Bucks (88.5%)

Key gamers dominated out: none

Greatest guess: Bucks (-10). The Bucks are 5-Zero towards the Bulls this season and gained their final two regular-season matchups by a mixed 49 factors, and dominated the early a part of Recreation 1 earlier than the Bulls have been capable of battle their means again within the second half. The Bucks scored 34 factors within the first quarter of Recreation 1, then managed solely 59 factors over the subsequent three quarters, which is extraordinarily out of character for a Bucks workforce that was third within the NBA with 115.5 factors scored per sport. Search for them to revert to their norm and put an enormous quantity on the board Wednesday. — Snellings

Greatest guess: Bulls (+10). The Bulls’ taking pictures woes have been effectively documented in Recreation 1. It is simple to imagine Chicago had issues with Milwaukee’s protection, nevertheless it’s additionally value noting that the Bucks’ defensive philosophy is to remove the within and pressure opponents to shoot jumpers. The Bulls ought to shoot higher and canopy the unfold in Recreation 2. — Moody

Greatest guess: DeMar DeRozan over 27.5 factors. DeRozan made solely six out of 25 pictures from the sphere Sunday as a result of Bucks’ wings harassing him. Milwaukee prefers opponents to shoot jumpers, and after the sport DeRozan vowed he would by no means have a taking pictures night time like that once more. I imagine him. Throughout the common season, DeRozan averaged 28 PPG and shot 50.2% from the sphere, so it is secure to anticipate a bounce-back efficiency.

Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors
eight p.m. ET, Scotiabank Enviornment, Toronto

Line: 76ers (-1.5)
Cash line: 76ers (-125), Raptors (+105)
Whole: 216.5 factors
BPI Projected Whole: 218.9 factors
BPI Win%: Raptors (60.2%)

Key gamers dominated out: Matisse Thybulle

Questionable: Gary Trent Jr., Scottie Barnes

Doug Kezirian seems to be at the very best guess for the primary quarter of Recreation Three of the 76ers-Raptors collection on Wednesday.

Greatest guess: 76ers -1.5. The Raptors have proven they don’t have any means of stopping Joel Embiid. This pattern ought to proceed for the 76ers on the highway as effectively. The 76ers have been a stronger workforce on the highway than at house all season, ending with a 27-14 highway report and 24-17 house report. The unfold for this sport is just too small, particularly with Philadelphia on a roll. — Moody