The weekend is here and you know what that means – back-to-back days of four NBA postseason games coming our way! Saturday’s action begins as early as 1 pm ET with Game 3 of the Pistons vs Magic clash, followed by a Thunder vs Suns encounter at 9.30 pm ET. The two late games see the Knicks and Nuggets try to dig themselves out of 2-1 holes. Atlanta vs New York tips-off at 6 pm ET, followed by Denver vs Minnesota at 8.30 pm ET.
I’ve done a deep analysis of all four games so you don’t have to, you can find my expert NBA Best Bets below. Odds are courtesy of FanDuel, I also encourage you to go over our NBA Picks page for daily in-depth analysis throughout the entire NBA postseason. Let’s get into my bets for Saturday’s action!
Pistons vs Magic Best Bet: Pistons -2.5 (-110)
Order has been restored in the Pistons vs Magic series after Detroit’s convincing 98-83 win in Game 2. The defense finally stepped up and played at or close to the level it was at during the regular season and now with the next two games being played in Florida, Pistons fans are hoping their team can maintain that level of play. I am a firm believer that they definitely can do that, starting as early as Saturday. Orlando will undoubtedly come out with a ton of energy in their first home postseason game, but there’s a reason this Pistons team went 60-22 in the regular season. They’ve faced adversity at this level or even beyond in last year’s playoffs, so they have the necessary experience to answer the call. I’m surprised the line is at just 2.5 points, I’m all over Detroit in this one.
Thunder vs Suns Best Bet: Suns +9.5 (-118)
The disrespect by the oddsmakers towards this Suns team was on display in Game 2 as they were 17.5-point underdogs. For a team that’s equipped with so much offensive talent that is a tad too much, even going up against the defending champs. They were able to cover that number in a 13-point loss and now they go home down 2-0. Game 3 will be their best chance of getting a win in this series, especially after the Thunder lost Jalen Williams to a grade 1 hamstring injury. OKC was in a similar spot last season after winning the opening two games vs Memphis in the 1st Round, Game 3 was a tight one and finished with a 6-point win for the Thunder. I think the Suns will throw everything they have at the defending champs in this one, but ultimately they’ll far short in a close game.
Knicks vs Hawks Best Bet: Knicks ML (-126)
Back-to-back losses by a single point and all of a sudden the Knicks have their backs against the wall being down 2-1 against Atlanta, with Game 4 set to be played at State Farm Arena. What should concern the Knicks is the fact that the Hawks led by as many as 18 points in that game, New York spent just 11% of the game in the lead. Mikal Bridges went scoreless in 21 minutes, while Jalen Brunson failed to deliver in the clutch. Head coach Mike Brown has a lot on his plate going into Saturday’s game, but if anyone can figure how to get out of this situation it’s him. He’s got a ton of experience in moments like these, the Knicks just have to stick with what got them to this point and they’ll be fine. Atlanta has punched above its weight in the 3 games so far, escaping with two narrow wins in the last two games. I have the Knicks coming out on top here as the series shifts back to MSG for Game 5.
Nuggets vs Timberwolves Best Bet: Nuggets ML (-126)
Losing Aaron Gordon close to tip-off messed up the entire gameplan for the Nuggets, who just looked flat without their Power Forward both on offense and on defense. Nikola Jokic had one of his worst postseason games ever, going 7-for-26 from the field and dishing out just 3 assists. He and the Nuggets better snap out of it, otherwise they’ll be looking at a 3-1 deficit which is something only a handful of teams in NBA history were able to come back from. Minnesota relied on role players like Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels to get the job done in Game 3, Rudy Gobert also stepped up with key defensive plays against the Joker. Is that sustainable in the long run though? Ant Man is uncertain to play after leaving the game early in the 4th quarter with a knee issue, scoring might become an issue all of a sudden if he isn’t able to go. I am of the opinion that the Nuggets still have plenty of life in them, even if the situation isn’t looking good at the moment. I expect them to play a methodical game and slow things down substantially on Saturday. After all this is a championship contender and moments like these are what define a champion. Back Denver to win outright.
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