Best Betting Picks for Saturday’s NBA Playoff Matchups

The tension between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves is already high with this being their third playoff battle in a four-season span. But a Minnesota victory on Saturday would really make things interesting.

That would give the Timberwolves a 3-1 lead and this version of the Nuggets doesn’t really look like the team that can dig out of such a hole. So Game 4 rates as nearly a must-win for Denver if it wants to win the best-of-seven series.

The Atlanta Hawks are also vying to take a 3-1 lead over the New York Knicks and that would rate as a stunning development. The Detroit Pistons are tied with the Magic after two games and an Orlando win on Saturday would be another interesting development.

DENVER NUGGETS AT MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Minnesota delivered a first-half knockout blow in the Game 3 victory (113-96), limiting Denver to 11 first-quarter points and holding a 61-39 halftime advantage. The Nuggets can’t afford another tepid start and their poor showing was summed up by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic going 7-of-26 from the field and posting only three assists. Can’t win that way.

Jokic, who still scored 27 points, will be counted on to find his usual form and the same goes for Jamal Murray (12 points on 5-of-17 shooting). Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels regularly earns raves for his defense but he contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds on the same night in which reserve Ayo Dosunmu produced 25 points on a night in which star Anthony Edwards had just 17 points.

Motivated Minnesota won a Game 7 over Denver two seasons ago to reach the Western Conference finals for the first of two straight seasons. However, a bounce-back Jokic performance could be a series-changer and return the momentum to the Nuggets.

Nikola Jokic to score 31-plus points, -116 (DraftKings)

NEW YORK KNICKS AT ATLANTA HAWKS

The Hawks have taken the series lead with back-to-back one-point wins and they can increase the pressure on New York with a Game 4 victory. Atlanta led by as many as 18 points in Game 3 but still needed CJ McCollum’s winning jumper to leave victorious. McCollum also stood out with 32 points in the Hawks’ Game 2 victory.

Atlanta has won 15 of its past 16 home games with the lone blemish coming against the Knicks on April 6. New York would surely like to even the series before going home and Jalen Brunson (27.7 average in the series) will be counted on to forget an 0-for-5 from 3-point range performance and show the form of the first two games when he made 7 of 14.

OG Anunbody stood out with 29 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks in Game 3 and a repeat showing would help New York’s chance. Meanwhile, Jalen Johnson is coming off a stellar performance for the Hawks with 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and New York needs to clamp down on him and McCollum down the stretch.

Knicks minus 2.5-point spread, -102 (DraftKings)

DETROIT PISTONS AT ORLANDO MAGIC

The Pistons ceded homecourt advantage to Orlando with their Game 1 setback and now have their sights on returning serve. Detroit was much sharper with a 98-83 victory in Game 2, a contest it led by as many as 27 points.

Pistons star Cade Cunningham had 27 points and 11 assists in Game 2 after pouring in 39 points in the opener. Orlando has yet to show it can contain Cunningham so coach J.B. Bickerstaff knows exactly what to do – continually feed the ball to Cunningham until the Magic show some resistance.

Jalen Suggs (19 points) was Orlando’s leading scorer in Game 2 and that’s not a good thing when you have Paolo Banchero (18), Franz Wagner (12) and Desmond Bane (12) on the roster. Bane is just 9-of-31 shooting in the series and Orlando can’t win this series – or Game 3 – without Bane shooting significantly better.

Pistons minus 2.5-point spread, -110 (DraftKings)