Another successful day for Fantasy Alarm, as three of four bets cashed in yesterday’s NBA predictions article. Jonas Valanciunas and Payton Pritchard delivered on their props before halftime, and although Jayson Tatum had a hot start, he was more of a passer in the second half; a possibility that was mentioned as one avenue to under 27 points. 

 

 

 

Tatum did have a triple-double though. Over two units were gained on the day, and were it not for Daniel Gafford being injured, it would have likely been a sweep. It is fun winning, but that is last week's news, and the NBA is entering its 27th week of the season. Every home team won the opening game of the playoffs, the first time in over 11 years that has happened.

*Editor's Note: Explore the best NBA odds and lines on BettorEdge, the leading social sports betting platform! With coverage in over 40 states, by using the code ALARM, you can claim a $10 bonus when you join. Use this link to unlock your exclusive offer!

 

 

NBA Picks & Predictions: Monday, 4/22

Today, Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets has a plus odds wager in each game: three player props with action on the home team players. The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Orlando Magic at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to begin the day, and the Denver Nuggets play the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena to close the night.

The Bet of the Night comes from the middle game, the Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. It is a wager on one of the hottest players in the league, Josh Hart.

 

 

 

76ers vs. Knicks Prediction: Josh Hart Under 4.5 Assists (+130 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Josh Hart is experiencing the best season of his young career. He really made a name for himself in the game two days ago, too: a double-double and the most Knicks minutes in a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Hart pairing up with Jalen Brunson has been a big boost to his career.

Although Hart is capable of a triple-double on any given night, his assists are usually lower than his points and rebounds. He averaged 4.1 per game this season, and recorded only two against the 76ers on the 20th. Yet, somehow, his assists line is set at 4.5 for the second game of this series. 

Jalen Brunson is without question the facilitator of the New York Knicks offense, and that leaves less opportunities for Hart to earn assists. Hart does have five or more assists in six of his last 10 games, but has not recorded more than four in his last three games. He is being asked to crash the boards on the backside of field goal attempts, and be a game closer. 

The 76ers left him open on several deep threes in their modified zone, and paid the price. Hart drained some long threes late in the fourth quarter to put the game away. The question becomes how do the 76ers respond? If they choose to play others tightly, Hart could see more pressure himself, or they could anticipate more swing passes and force other Knick players to score. 

Philadelphia will play with better defense as their season is essentially on the line tonight. They could force Hart into a worse performance across the board. Either way, it seems unlikely that Hart’s assists exceed his season average in what should be a close game. Our NBA picks Bet of the Night will side with the under regarding his assist total.

 

 

 

NBA Props & Best Bets Today, 4/22

Although the Magic are expected to have a better field goal percentage than their 32.6 of game one, there will be several missed baskets. First up will be Jarret Allen, who earned 18 rebounds in 35 minutes of court time last time around. 

Plus, the Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles Lakers for game two between this rivalry. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been a Laker slayer in his time with Denver, and that continued in game one. 

 

 

 

Magic vs. Cavaliers Prediction: Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 Rebounds (+105 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Game one between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers was pure domination by the Cavs. They held Orlando to a combined 32 points in the second and third quarter. A large part of that was their rebounding. 

Cleveland outrebounded Orlando 54 to 40 in game one, and Jarrett Allen was a large reason why. This game was more or less over before the fourth quarter began. Allen controlled the paint and easily out played the front court of the Magic.

He has 12 or more rebounds in three of his last six games, and even with Evan Mobley competing and grabbing 11 rebounds, Allen was the best rebounder on the floor. Tonight should be more of the same as Orlando does not have a person who can compete with Allen's size and length. 

If this game is a closer contest than the previous, it only benefits this bet. Allen will play more minutes, particularly deep into the fourth where field goal percentages usually drop. Cleveland essentially used an eight-man rotation, implying that if it is a closer game, Allen could see over 40 minutes. 

If the game is a blowout it’s likely an indication that Cleveland, once again, controlled the rebounding and limited second chance opportunities. If that happens, Allen would once again have over a dozen rebounds. His rebounding line opened at +120, moved to +114, and has since moved to +105. It’s clear why this has landed on today’s NBA best bets list, so hop on it before it moves to negative or the line is moved up.

 

 

 

Lakers vs. Nuggets Prediction: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Over 2.5 Threes Made (+130 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Fantasy Alarm mentioned him in the NBA predictions column two days ago, and we are back on him again, this time at plus odds. Caldwell-Pope’s defense is always top notch, and if he does not make the All-NBA defensive team, it would be a true shame. He had three steals in game one, but it is his three-point scoring we have been betting on. 

His betting line was over 1.5 threes made with negative odds in game one. He made four in the third quarter, and those were his only field goals of the game. He attempted 11 field goals in game one, and 10 of them were from behind the arc. 

Since injuring his finger, he does not take as many drives to the rim and has settled on mostly wide open three attempts. That is perfectly suited for this bet as eight or more three-point attempts could be in line for Caldwell-Pope tonight. Teammates Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are two of the best scorers and passers in the Association. This benefits Caldwell-Pope, specifically this bet. 

Murray and Jokic’s scoring ability forces several teams to double-team them. When this happens, Caldwell-Pope is often left open, behind the three-point line. He has a 40.6% success rate this season, and that is why eight attempts were mentioned. If he attempts eight threes, this bet should be a ticket that cashes. Of course, he could make three threes in just three attempts and cash as well.

 

 

 

With the above NBA odds, a possible 3.8-unit gain is on deck for tonight, and should we Meat Loaf it, a profitable night would take place. 

Thank you for reviewing my NBA picks for today! Be sure to stop by Fantasy Alarm for all of your fantasy sports and betting needs.

Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy

*All NBA odds accurate at time of writing and bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise