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

Two teams have a chance to advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs on Wednesday night, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic hold 3-1 series leads heading into Game 5 matchups.

Orlando – the No. 8 seed in the East – has completely outplayed the Detroit Pistons in the first round, though it could be short-handed on Wednesday with Franz Wagner dealing with a calf strain. Still, Orlando has held the Pistons under 100 points in two games in this series, taking Games 3 and 4 at home. Oddsmakers have the Pistons favored to extend things to a Game 6, but only 13 times in NBA history (4.4 percent) has a team come back and won the series after facing a 3-1 deficit.

Sticking in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers play a crucial Game 5, and oddsmakers are favoring the Cavs by multiple possessions. The home team has won every game in this series, and the Raptors remain without starting guard Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) after he suffered a setback earlier this month.

Finally, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to clinch their second-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder with a win on Wednesday. L.A. had a 3-0 series lead over Houston before losing Game 4, but it could get Austin Reaves (oblique) back in the lineup tonight. That would be a massive boost for the Lakers, who are favored for the first time in this series.

This year, I’m betting on every single NBA playoff game as part of a new challenge: Road to the NBA Finals. 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!

On Wednesday, I’m eyeing one side and a player prop for LeBron to headline these three picks.

Here’s a breakdown of my favorite bet for each playoff matchup, as the Lakers and Magic look to advance to the conference semifinals.

Orlando Magic +9.5 (-108) vs. Detroit Pistons

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Orlando can cover this number, even if Wagner sits:

Orlando has simply outplayed the Pistons in the first four games of this series, holding Detroit to an NBA-worst offensive rating in the playoffs while covering the spread in three of four games.

Even with Franz Wagner (calf) up in the air for Game 5, the Magic still have Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs to rely on for offensive prediction. That group has been a major reason why Orlando has found it much easier to score than the Pistons, who lack any shot creation outside of Cade Cunningham.

Detroit is averaging just 8.3 made 3-pointers per game in the playoffs and is shooting 27.5 percent from beyond the arc. On top of that, the Pistons have scored under 100 points in two of the four games in this series. So, I don’t feel comfortable laying 9.5 points with them – even at home.

Orlando already pulled off a road upset in this series, and it’s worth noting that Detroit is just 18-19 against the spread when favored at home in the 2025-26 season.

Collin Murray-Boyles OVER 19.5 Points and Rebounds (-106)

Who would’ve thought that rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles would make an appearance as part of the best bets for any day during this playoff run?

Well, CMB has been huge for the Raptors in this series, helping them even things up over the weekend.

Murray-Boyles is averaging 17.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game, shooting 65.9 percent from the field in the process. In this series, CMB has 17, 24, 30 and 25 combined rebounds and assists, and his defensive ability has given him even more playing time for Toronto.

I think this number is a little low on Wednesday, especially since the rookie has played more than half of the game in three straight matchups.

LeBron James OVER 7.5 Assists (-136)

Another pick from today’s Peter’s Points, I shared why James is a great prop target in Game 5:

James is coming off his worst game of the series in Game 4, finishing with just 10 points (on nine shots) while turning the ball over eight times.

Still, LeBron is averaging 8.8 assists per game (on 13.5 potential assists), clearing this number in Games 1 and 4. Now, I think James could have an even bigger game as a passer in Game 5 if Austin Reaves returns and takes some of the pressure off the 41-year-old on offense.

Houston’s defensive scheme has been tailored to slow James down, but Reaves would give the Lakers an elite on-ball scorer to take some pressure off the four-time champion.

James has put together several games with eight or more dimes without Luka Doncic in the lineup this season, and I believe he’s undervalued at this number in Game 5.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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