Hopefully you don't find yourself in need of a break from postseason basketball. Because betting odds on the NBA are starting to get really good.
Tuesday night will mark Day No. 4 of the 2022 NBA playoffs, which have already been a doozy. No first-round series is more than two games old, and yet the betting odds to win the 2022 NBA Finals have already needed to shift based on the results.
The next spate of games, on April 19, will see three teams trying to stave off what would be devastating 2-0 holes. Naturally, that's going to be the theme for our next round of 2022 NBA playoff picks: Can the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves or New Orleans Pelicans salvage their postseason?
First, here are the latest NBA playoff betting odds:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | -295 | +240 | Atlanta Hawks |
| Memphis Grizzlies | -310 | +250 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Phoenix Suns | -510 | +390 | New Orleans Pelicans |
As usual, make sure to double-check these odds on the NBA playoffs before committing to any wagers. All NBA playoff betting lines are subject to shift right up until the opening tip.
Now is also a fantastic time to peruse our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. They're loaded with all the intel you need to find the best 2022 NBA playoffs betting sites in the business.
Don't Bet on the Hawks Overtaking the Heat
Hawks fans can take solace in knowing Trae Young won't score just eight points in Game 2 like he did in Game 1. They can also hang their hat on John Collins looking okay in his return from injury, and that Bogdan Bogdanovic has to be better.
But they can't take solace in much else.
Miami didn't even get good offensive outings from Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo in Game 1 yet still demolished Atlanta. All year, the Hawks have struggled to defend after missing their own shot, and the Heat are specifically built to slaughter squads that don't get back in transition.
What's more, Atlanta just doesn't have the firepower on the perimeter to keep pace with Miami's motion shooters. Duncan Robinson had a field day in Game 1, and it wouldn't surprise us if both he and Tyler Herro went kaboom for the Heat in Game 2.
With all that said, we do think the Hawks will steal a game. The offense is that good. Trae Young is that good. But it won't be Game 2. Miami is at home once more, and Atlanta still hasn't adjusted to playing without the injured Clint Capela.
OSB Prediction: Miami Heat (-295)
Will the Grizzlies Exact Revenge on the Timberwolves?
Our thoughts on this series between the Grizzlies and Timberwolves have completely flipped since Game 1. We entered thinking Memphis would handle business rather quickly. We are now tilting toward Minnesota advancing to Round 2.
People have questioned all year whether the Grizzlies' offense could hang in the playoffs. They are built to get out in transition and crash the offensive glass. Though the Timberwolves aren't great in either of those areas, they have a way of forcing opponents into bad three-pointers. Memphis doesn't have the shooters necessary to withstand that type of defensive model.
Furthermore, the Grizzlies like to play two bigs at once, in Steve Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr. That seems to be untenable against the Grizzlies, who have a unicorn mismatch in Karl-Anthony Towns at the 5 and two very wing-like options at the 4 in Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden McDaniels.
On the bright side, Memphis has time to adjust. And head coach Taylor Jenkins has shown he'll tweak his rotations in the past. Expect to see more of Jackson-at-the-5 lineups in Game 2, as well as more liberal volume from the entire team on threes. We don't know if that's enough to get them back the series advantage, but they're at home in Game 2. We'll take those odds.
OSB Prediction: Memphis Grizzlies (-310)
Phoenix Should Beat New Orleans without Issue
The Pelicans are facing a wholesale dilemma against the Suns in the first round: What the heck should they do with their frontcourt?
Playing Jaxson Hayes at power forward isn't going to fly anymore. He's essentially a center, so there's no way to hide him on defense, where he has to guard Jae Crowder or Mikal Bridges. Complicated still, the Pelicans' actual 5, in Jonas Valanciunas, is getting torched by the much twitchier Deandre Ayton.
Should the Pelicans bench Hayes and play one-big lineups? Should they downsize even further, send Valanciunas to the bench and run out Larry Nance Jr. at the 5? Head coach Willie Green has some decisions to make.
Granted, anything the Pelicans do will probably be for naught. The Suns won 64 games during the regular season for a reason: because they're the NBA's most dominant, well-rounded team this year. New Orleans doesn't have a prayer in this series, let alone in Game 2.
OSB Prediction: Phoenix Suns (-510)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your NBA playoff betting:
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