NBA Playoffs Best Bets Today: Odds, predictions and picks for Sunday, April 23rd

April 23, 2023

Best Bets for Sunday’s NBA Playoff Games

We’re up to Game 4 of most of the series in this year’s NBA Playoffs, so things are really starting to heat up in the Association. With that in mind, keep reading for our NBA best bets for the four games you’ll see on Sunday, April 23rd. And make sure you stop back in for VSiN’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs. You can find everything you’ll possibly need in our NBA Playoffs Hub. We’ll hopefully have at least one pick for you on every game the rest of the way, and that includes three best bets and a future play on Sunday.

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MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on April 23

Here are our favorite NBA bets for Sunday, April 23rd (odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook):

Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (-2.5, 206) – Game 4

The Cavs shot only 38.8% from the floor and 21.2% from 3 in Game 3. That’s impressively bad for anybody and should be a performance that’s hard to replicate. Cleveland actually got some good looks in Game 3, which is especially true of Darius Garland. After scoring 32 points in a Game 2 win, Garland was 4 for 21 from the floor in Game 3. But Garland actually got nothing but good looks in Game 3, and the Cavaliers will be hoping that he continues to get some of those on Sunday. If he does, he should be able to bury them and give Cleveland a shot here.

The Cavaliers should also do a better job of hunting Jalen Brunson in this one. They were looking to that as much as possible in Game 2, but they completely got away from it in Game 3. Perhaps they were a little rattled by the crowd at Madison Square Garden. Look for them to be a little more settled in this pivotal Game 4, and don’t be surprised if they relentlessly go after Brunson here.

We’re also expecting a little more out of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen here. Knicks center Mitchell Robinson openly called them out after Game 3. That should get the two of them to at least come out with a little more fire.

Bet: Cavs +2.5 (-110)

Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors (-7.5, 238) – Game 4

When looking at this series, the best bet you can probably make right now is on Golden State to win the series. Heading into Game 1, the Warriors were nearly -300 favorites to beat the Kings and advance to the second round. However, you can now get the Warriors at -115 to win the series on DraftKings Sportsbook, which is a nice price considering they’re -325 favorites to win on Sunday and even up the series. If this thing heads back to Sacramento at 2-2, all of the pressure in the world will be on Sacramento.

If you do want something for just this game, I’d have a slight lean on the Kings with the points. I feel great about Golden State winning this one outright but asking the team to do it by eight or more is tough. This Kings team can play.

Bet: Warriors To Win Series (-115)

Boston Celtics (-6, 231.5) at Atlanta Hawks – Game 4

A lot of people will question Atlanta’s ability to replicate its Game 3 shotmaking, but what about Boston? The Celtics were 9 for 16 from deep in the first quarter of Game 3, and they weren’t exactly cold themselves the rest of the way. They just couldn’t defend the Hawks, which is ultimately why that game got away. However, Boston is due for a cold shooting night given the variance that comes with being a 3-heavy offense. And it wouldn’t be surprising if that came in Game 4.

This just feels like it has the potential to be another close game, with the Hawks even having a chance to steal it late. Quin Snyder is one of the best coaches in basketball, and he’s only going to get more comfortable with finding ways to attack this Celtics defense. Snyder came from the Western Conference, so he doesn’t know these teams as well as he does others. But the longer this series goes, the better he’ll get at dissecting the tape.

The Celtics should ultimately find a way to win this series and advance. But we’d suggest taking the points and sprinkling the moneyline on the home team here.

Bet: Hawks +6 (-110) + Hawks ML for 0.5 units (+210)

Denver Nuggets (-4, 225) at Minnesota Timberwolves – Game 4

The Timberwolves were unable to avoid going down 3-0 and that makes it hard to believe in them heading into Game 4. It can be hard to check back in and find a way to win when you know how long the road is ahead. Minnesota can’t possibly feel good about its chances of coming back and winning this series, and that’s why we’re backing the road team to put an end to this here.

Last game, the Timberwolves kept digging themselves double-digit holes, and they used a ton of energy trying to cut into them. However, every single time Minnesota made a mini-run, Denver had an answer. And the most demoralizing part about it was that the Timberwolves’ offense looked extremely chaotic, with guys driving hard to the basket with no real plan. Then, the Nuggets would get an easy couple of buckets on the other end with wide open shots and layup/dunks off back screens.

Denver is just far too good for Minnesota and now the Timberwolves have lost their purpose.

Bet: Nuggets -4 (-110)