NBA Best Bets Today - Free Playoffs Picks for Tuesday, April 18

NBA Best Bets Today - Free Playoffs Picks for Tuesday, April 18

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

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Best Bets

Clippers over 9.5 threes at Phoenix (-110)

DraftKings, 3:04 PM CT

Alex Barutha: The Clippers went 10-for-31 from deep in Game 1, but I thought nearly half of those looks were wide open. I also expect more defensive pressure, and maybe double-teams, on Kawhi Leonard, forcing kick-outs and swing passes around the perimeter. If you're looking for two players to target, I like Eric Gordon over 2.5 threes at +150 and Terance Mann over 0.5 threes at -150. Both players got nice open looks in the first game -- Gordon going 3-for-7 and Mann going 0-for-3.

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Torrey Craig over 8.5 points (+100) vs. Clippers

DraftKings, 3:08 PM CT

Alex Barutha: Neither the book nor most bettors apparently think Craig will remain significantly involved, but I disagree. He won't score 22 points on 12 shots again, but the Clippers will continue to leave him open, and by my count, he got three open threes, two open mid-rangers and one free look at the rim during his 27 minutes in Game 1. If LA is making any adjustments, it won't be "stop Torrey Craig from scoring nine points."

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Darius Garland +4.5 points vs. Jalen Brunson (-115)

DraftKings, 3:13 PM CT

Alex Barutha: This line doesn't look attractive by looking at the box score of Game 1. Brunson went for 27 points on 24 shots in 30 minutes, while Garland went for 17 points on 13 shots in 43 minutes. However, Garland got way more open looks, and I think they'll look for more opportunities for him to shoot. An absurd amount of Brunson's looks were contested. I know making tough mid-rangers is a huge part of his game, but I thought it was a little too unsustainable in Game 1. Getting the 4.5-point cushion is nice.

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Robert Williams over 7.5 points (-135) vs. Hawks

DraftKings, 3:19 PM CT

Alex Barutha: All six of Williams' makes for 12 points in Game 1 were essentially wide-open dunks/layups. Atlanta was constantly losing him, and Boston's playmakers know exactly how to get him the rock for alley-oops. In the past, the Celtics have gotten into a bad habit of launching contested threes, but they did a great job driving to the basket, which opens up those opportunities for dump-off passes to Williams. He could also be better on the offensive glass for easy buckets, as he nabbed just two O-boards in his 22 minutes.

Hawks over 10.5 threes at Boston (-115)

DraftKings, 3:24 PM CT

Alex Barutha: Atlanta was a woeful 5-for-29 from distance in Game 1, but I felt like they got plenty of open looks that just didn't fall. Watching the footage back, I counted 15 three-point attempts that I'd consider open. Specifically, I like the value on De'Andre Hunter over 1.5 threes at +170 (1-for-4 in Game 1), but I'd rather just bank on the whole team shooting better.

Clippers +8.5 at Phoenix

BetMGM, 3:40 EST

Ken Crites: Phoenix has no bench and Kawhi Leonard is still amazing when he's engaged and playing 33+ minutes.  The well-rested Claw seems to suddenly have a lot of gas in the tank.  And the huge point spread is too tempting.  I thought the Suns would be favored by -4.5.  Finally, the Clipper bench is underrated. Plus, Chris Paul is 0-14 in his last 14 playoff games with Scott Foster as a referee.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Alex Barutha
Alex is RotoWire's Chief NBA Editor. He writes articles about daily fantasy, year-long fantasy and sports betting. You can hear him on the RotoWire NBA Podcast, Sirius XM, VSiN and other platforms. He firmly believes Robert Covington is the most underrated fantasy player of the past decade.
Ken
An early RotoWire contributor from the 90's, K-Train returns with the grace of Gheorghe Muresan and the wisdom of Joe Gibbs. Ken is a two-time FSWA award winner and a co-host on the RW NBA Podcast. Championships incude: 2016 RW Staff NBA Keeper, 2019 RW Staff NFL Ottoneu Keeper, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Experts, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Kamla Keeper and 2023-24 FSGA NBA Expert Champions. Ken still owns a RotoNews shirt.
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