Road to the NBA Finals: NBA Playoff Predictions, Picks for Every Game 2 on Monday

Monday’s NBA playoff action features a trio of Game 2 matchups, starting with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the Toronto Raptors and ending with the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road against the Denver Nuggets.

In between those matchups, the New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks after an exciting Game 1 on Saturday where Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 53 points.

New York, Cleveland and Denver all remain favored on Monday after winning and covering as favorites in Game 1. So, should bettors expect more of the same on Monday?

This year, I’m betting on every NBA playoff game in this “Road to the NBA Finals” challenge, and the rules are pretty simple:

Bet on every game through the play-in tournament and playoffs
Bet can be a spread, total, moneyline, player prop or game prop
ENJOY POSTSEASON BASKETBALL!

Here’s a breakdown of my favorite bet for each playoff game on Monday, April 20.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Cavs Team Total OVER 116.5 (-108)

The Cavs are just 16-23 against the spread when favored at home in the 2025-26 season, so I don’t love laying the points in Game 2 – even though betting on Toronto to cover backfired in Game 1.

Instead, I’m going to trust this Cleveland offense, which finished sixth in the league in offensive rating in the regular season and fourth in points per game, averaging over 119 per night. The Cavs’ team total is set at 116.5, and I think the OVER is in play after how easily they scored in the half court in Game 1.

Toronto was fifth in the league in defensive rating in the regular season, but it allowed at least 26 points in each quarter in Game 1. The Cavs finished with 126 points, shooting 16-for-32 from beyond the arc. In fact, Cleveland needed just two fast-break points to reach 126 points in Game 1.

The Raptors allowed just under 112 points per game in the regular season, but the Cavs offense is clearly the best unit in this series.

Jalen Brunson OVER 2.5 3-Pointers Made (-125)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Brunson is a great prop target in Game 2:

Jalen Brunson put on a clinic scoring the ball in Game 1 against the Hawks, dropping 19 points in the first quarter and finishing with 28 points overall.

Brunson only took four 3-pointers in the game, but he made 3 of them. He’s now cleared 2.5 3-pointers in three of his four meetings against the Hawks, taking at least eight shots from deep in three of those games.

Atlanta was 13th in the league in opponent 3s made per game in the regular season, and Brunson has such a big responsibility in the New York offense that he’s worth a look at this number.

During the regular season, Brunson shot 36.9 percent from deep on over seven attempts per game, and he has averaged 2.4 3-pointers made per game in his Knicks playoff career.

Nikola Jokic OVER 9.5 Assists (-141)

Jokic had 11 dimes in Game 1 of this series, and he finished the regular season averaging 10.7 assists per game.

I’m surprised to see this line set below 10.5, as Jokic has 10 or more assists in 15 of his last 22 games (including playoffs), and he averaged 11.2 assists per game from March 1 through the end of the regular season.

In his four meetings with the Wolves during the regular season, Jokic had nine, 15, 11 and 10 dimes, so it’s certainly in the cards for him to reach double-digit dimes in Game 2.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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