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

The Road to the NBA Finals continues on Saturday, April 25 with a pair of Game 3s and two crucial Game 4s, as multiple title contenders are looking to improve their position this weekend.

The No. 1 Detroit Pistons are looking to take home court back as road favorites in Game 3 against the Orlando Magic after these teams split Games 1 and 2 in Detroit. That game tips at 1 p.m. EST to kick off a day filled with playoff action.

Out West, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are halfway to a sweep over the Phoenix Suns, but star forward Jalen Williams (hamstring) is out for Game 3. Still, oddsmakers have the Thunder favored on the road as they continue their road to defending their title.

Saturday night is where things get really interesting, as the No. 3 New York Knicks are down 2-1 against the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks heading into Game 4. Meanwhile, the No. 3 Denver Nuggets are road favorites against the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves after getting blown out in Game 3 to fall down 2-1 as well.

This year, I’m betting on every NBA playoff game, and the rules for the challenge 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!

With so much at stake on Saturday, here’s a breakdown of my best bet for each game, including a player prop for Cade Cunningham.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Cade Cunningham OVER 27.5 Points (-123)

The Pistons don’t have a ton of shot creation on their roster, so it makes sense that Cunningham has had a major scoring burden so far in this series.

He dropped 39 points in Game 1, taking 27 shots and 11 free throws to get there. Then, he followed that up with 19 shots and eight free throws in a 27-point game in Game 2.

The Pistons pulled away in Game 2, but Cunningham still played over 37 minutes in the win. So, bettors should expect a heavy workload for the star guard in Game 3. Cunningham didn’t average nearly as many points in the regular season, but the playoff volume for him is not uncommon.

In eight career playoff games, Cade has taken at least 20 shots six times, averaging 27.0 points per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field.

Oklahoma City Thunder -9.5 (-110) vs. Phoenix Suns

Oklahoma City has outclassed the Suns so far in this series, dominating on the defensive end.

Phoenix has an offensive rating of 99.5 (15th in the NBA through two playoff games) and an effective field goal percentage of just 47.6 percent. That simply isn’t going to cut it against this Thunder team that has shown it can win at margin on the road (+12.7 scoring margin as a road favorite in the regular season).

The Suns were 12-6 against the spread as home underdogs in the regular season, but this spread has moved too much for my liking in Game 3.

Sure, OKC is down Williams, but it has found ways to win all season with the All-Star forward sidelined. For oddsmakers to cut this line by eight points from where it was in Game 2 seems like an overreaction, even though OKC didn’t cover on Wednesday.

The Thunder have multiple 20-plus point wins over the Suns this season (regular season and playoffs), and I expect them to continue to roll in the first round.

Since the start of the 2024 playoffs, OKC has won six of 10 first-round playoff games by 10 or more points. It’s certainly capable of doing that again in Game 3.

Mikal Bridges UNDER 11.5 Points (-109)

There’s a real chance the Knicks could move away from Mikal Bridges as a major rotation piece in Game 4, as he was benched for Miles McBride down the stretch of Game 3 after failing to make a shot in 20:32 of action.

Bridges has scored 11, 10 and zero points in his three games in this series, shooting 8-for-22 from the field and 3-for-12 from beyond the arc. Bridges struggled after the All-Star break in the regular season, averaging just 11.3 points on 10.0 shots per game.

The Knicks can’t afford to play him heavy minutes if he’s going to be a zero on offense, and it’s possible Mike Brown opts for more McBride or Jordan Clarkson in Game 4.

Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves UNDER 229.5 (-110)

The first three games in this series have finished with 221, 233 and 209 combined points, and the Minnesota defense has really stepped things up since the second half of Game 2.

The Wolves held Denver – the No. 1 offense in the league in the regular season – under 100 points in Game 3, and the recipe for the Wolves making any run this season is by playing at a high level at that end.

While Anthony Edwards has not found his offense so far in this series, Denver hasn’t been able to hold up – especially without Gordon – in the last two games, giving up 119 and 113 points.

Still, I think the UNDER is the play in Game 4, as Minnesota has taken away Jokic as a passer (11 assists over the last two games) by playing him straight up with Rudy Gobert.

Even though these teams are playing at the fastest pace of any playoff series, they are 11th (Denver) and eighth (Minnesota) in offensive rating. This total is a little too high given how well the Wolves have defended in their two wins.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and get $300 in bonus bets instantly when you make your first $5 bet and that bet wins.

Add us as a preferred source on Google