Three pivotal 2022 NBA playoff games are scheduled for Saturday, April 23. Emphasis on pivotal.
The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to complete a sweep of the Toronto Raptors and the league's first semifinals berth that comes with it. The Brooklyn Nets, a once-upon-a-time title favorite, are hoping to avoid a 3-0 hole against the Boston Celtics. And the Memphis Grizzlies are hoping to seize a command 3-1 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves after a rousing comeback in Game 3.
This is all to say: It's a great time to put your online NBA betting hats on. There are 2022 NBA playoff picks to make and money to be had. We'll start off by going over the latest NBA betting odds for all of Saturday's games:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers | -144 | +122 | Toronto Raptors |
| Brooklyn Nets | -164 | +138 | Boston Celtics |
| Memphis Grizzlies | -146 | +124 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
As ever, you'll want to double-check these betting odds on the NBA prior to making any picks. Our basketball betting lines are accurate as of Friday, April 22, so there's still plenty of time for them to shift in the lead up to the opening tips.
You should also consider making it a priority to dig through our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. With our information on website interfaces and promotional programs, you'll have no issue finding the best betting sites for the 2022 NBA playoffs.
Philadelphia will Bid Farewell to Toronto
Let's go ahead and just call this series.
Toronto is incredibly banged up. Star rookie Scottie Barnes is dealing with a sprained ankle and has missed each of the past two games. It doesn't make sense to bring him back with the Raptors down 3-0.
Fred VanVleet, meanwhile, looks hobbled by a bum knee. He's trying to play through it, but he very clearly isn't himself. Thaddeus Young is hurt, as well. Gary Trent Jr. looked a little healthier in Game 3, but the offensive burden upon Pascal Siakam's shoulders right now is still too much.
The Raptors don't appear to be catching a break from Philadelphia, either. The Sixers have yet to get a full on megastar performance from James Harden, which is apparently okay, because they haven't needed it. Joel Embiid is having a fantastic series after a rocky Game 1, and Tyrese Maxey has been straight killing it since this best-of-seven set tipped off. Philly has even gotten big-time contributions from Tobias Harris and Danny Green.
Maybe Toronto has some fight left. Their defense remains frenetic, and they'll be playing in front of the home crowd. But after getting sunk by a Joel Embiid game-winner on Wednesday, it's hard to imagine them regrouping by the start of Game 4.
OSB Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers (-144)
Can the Nets Get Their First Victory vs. the Celtics?
Linemakers are clearly placing stock in the Nets playing at home by billing them as the favorite. "The series doesn't start until the home team loses," is how the adage goes.
There's some truth to that. You could also come away from Games 1 and 2 encouraged by the fact Brooklyn held fourth-quarter leads on both occasions. Here's the thing: They lost. Both times.
Almost winning two games doesn't necessarily mean you'll get over the hump posthaste. On the contrary, the Celtics are uniquely built to make life difficult on the Nets offense. They can throw two and three bodies on Kevin Durant while still having the length and athleticism to make their other rotations if he gets rid of the ball.
Given how uninventive the Nets are on offense, and also given how they need to play two non-shooters around Durant and Kyrie Irving basically at all times, we can't simply pencil this in as Brooklyn victory. You can and should argue just opposite: that the Nets already gave the Celtics their best shot—twice—and still didn't win.
OSB Prediction: Boston Celtics (+138)
Do the Timberwolves Have Any Fight Left Against the Grizzlies?
The Timberwolves desperately need a pick-me-up after a disparaging Game 3 loss. Despite leading by as many as 26 points, they allowed the Grizzlies to come back and win. It's not like this happened on the road, either. The Timberwolves squandered their massive lead in Minnesota, with their entire home crowd watching on.
Scour the internet, and you'll see most analysts are counting out the Wolves in Game 4—and for the rest of this series. We get it. Karl-Anthony Towns has been maddeningly inconsistent, and there's always going to be high variance caked into performances from teams that rely heavily on threes and transition opportunities.
Still, the Timberwolves have been on to something defensively. Their hyper-aggressive schemes have made the Grizzlies look uncomfortable and forced them into some tough rotation decisions.
This isn't to say Minnesota should be favored for the series. But the recipe they followed to build a 20-plus-point lead in Game 3 continues to hold merit. If Towns is more aggressive and stays out of foul trouble and they follow that same defensive gameplan they started with, they should be able to bounce back in Game 4.
OSB Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves (+124)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your 2022 NBA playoff betting:
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