2023 NBA Apr 25 Betting Predictions
The NBA playoffs continue on Thursday with both #1 seeds in action. The Celtics will look to build on their 20-point win in Game 1 against the Heat. Meanwhile, the Thunder will be looking to hold off the gutsy Pels in Game 2.
Miami Heat (46-36) at Boston Celtics (64-18)
The Heat came out swinging in Game 1, keeping the score tight early on against the Celtics. But once the second quarter rolled around, the Celtics started to pull away, leaving the Heat struggling to keep up. With only a measly 14 points in the third quarter, the Heat's hopes of snatching a win were dashed. Defensively, they just couldn't seem to contain the Celtics' barrage of three-pointers. Boston's shooting game was on fire, hitting 22 outta 49 attempts from beyond the arc. Coach Spoelstra's got his work cut out for him trying to figure out how to stop those deep shots from raining down. It's gonna be a tough ask, but if the Heat wanna stand a chance, they gotta match the Celtics' rhythm from deep.
In Game 1, the Celtics were up by a whopping 30 points late in the game and kinda took their foot off the gas after that. They still snagged a win by 20 points, but let in 35 points in the 4th quarter alone. Now, we all know the Heat ain't the type to throw in the towel – they'll keep grinding for the full 48, win or lose. Boston's gonna need a bigger lead, like 25 points or more, to feel safe about covering it. Every single player who hit the court in the first game sank at least one three-pointer, except Tatum hit more than one. Speaking of Tatum, he didn't have the best night, but he still notched his first playoff triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Now, if the Celtics come out firing from beyond the arc like they did before, they might just breeze to a win in Game 2 and cover that spread without breaking a sweat.
Like the chances of a high-scoring affair in Game 2 if the Heat can hit their shots. The Over is 10-3 in their last 13 and 6-1 on the road too.
Stadium Record
Boston are 8-2 in their last 10 at home. Miami are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston.
Head to Head Record
The Celtics are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
New Orleans Pelicans (49-33) at Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25)
The Pelicans are holding it down on the defensive end this season, showing more strength there than on offence. They're sitting pretty at eighth in scoring defence, letting opponents average just 110.7 points per game. Plus, they're seventh in field goal percentage defence, keeping it tight at 46.4%, and they're second in three-point percentage defence, only letting teams hit 34.9% from downtown. In the playoffs, their defensive game's still strong, only giving up 94 points in Game 1. So yeah, defence is definitely their strong suit and they gotta keep it up in Game 2 if they wanna pull off an upset. As for their offense, it's been solid this season. They're puttin' up 115.1 points per game and their shooting's looking good too. They've got six players scoring double digits, with Brandon Ingram leading the charge at 20.8 points per game, especially with Zion Williamson out due to injury. In Game 1, Murphy III was the top scorer, dropping 21 points, while McCollum was the playmaker, dishing out six assists. Losing Zion hurt, no doubt, but they've still got firepower; they just gotta find some consistency.
The Thunder really made some noise this year, mainly because of their offense. They're up there at third in scoring offence, dropping an average of 120.1 points per game. They've got five guys putting up double digits, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge at 30.1 points per game. They kinda hit a roadblock in Game 1, only managing 94 points, so they gotta step it up in Game 2. What they really need is balance and efficiency, which should be easier in Game 2. Now, their defence ain't too shabby either, letting opponents average 112.7 points per game. Their defence came up big in Game 1, especially with McCollum missing that last shot. Everyone talks about their offence, but their defence's gonna be the real game-changer in this series, especially in Game 2.
I think this series will continue to be close and I like the chances of the Pels covering in Game 2. They're also 6-2 ATS at this venue and didn't play too badly in Game 1 despite missing Zion.
Stadium Record
Oklahoma City are 8-2 in their last 10 at home. New Orleans are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City.
Head to Head Record
In the last 10, the Thunder have won 6 games against the Pels.
Best Bet
