A lot of us have been waiting for tonight. The first round of the playoffs starts tonight. The playoffs mean we do not need to worry about players sitting or resting unless they are hurt. Which is something bettors deal with towards the end of the NBA season. Now bettors can focus on which teams have the most talent and get value out of them. Let us look into the best bets for the matchups tonight.
- 76ers (-4.5) vs. Raptors -110 at Draftkings Sportsbook
Philadelphia has some of the best defenders in the league playing tonight. They have enough scoring power between Embiid and Harden to win in a shootout. Toronto has a couple of scorers on this team, but they don’t have a defender that can lockdown Joel Embiid. Toronto will sneak away with a win in this series, but with home-court advantage for Philadelphia and Embiid trying to win the MVP, this game is not it.
- Timberwolves (+6.5) at Grizzlies -110 at Draftkings Sportsbook
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been the underdogs all year long. Throughout the second half of the season, they have been one of the best teams in the NBA. They are 15-8 since the All-Star break, which is good enough to put them at the 7th best record. The Timberwolves can keep this series closer than most think. This game is a great value play.
- Jazz (-5) vs. Mavericks -115 at Draftkings Sportsbook
The second-best team since the All-Star break has been the Dallas Mavericks; they are 17-6 since the break and trail only the 17-5 Boston Celtics. The issue with this game is that Luka Doncic is hurt, and he has been carrying the Mavs all season long. Since the All-Star break, Doncic is averaging points 30.5 and has scored under 30 points only five times. Without Doncic, the Jazz has an advantage in this matchup.
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Cameron Lynch is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Cameron, check out his archive and follow him @captron26.