Best NBA Bets Today: Free Expert Picks, Player Props & Predictions 4/22

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and the Friday night slate has the potential to be great. With all three games having point spreads of 2.5 or less, tonight’s games should be highly competitive. Thursday night did not disappoint, and looking ahead to tonight’s matchups, we will focus in on one total and two player props. OddsShopper has up-to-the-minute odds for tonight’s games that range from game lines to NBA player props, so be sure to stay tuned throughout the day to lock in the best odds for the best NBA bets today.

Best NBA Bets & Player Props Picks Today

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Hawks vs. Heat

The first game of the night features an Atlanta Hawks team in a 2-0 hole to the Miami Heat. This game is slated for 7 p.m. ET and carries a small spread of Heat -1.5 with an over/under of 221.5. Although the Hawks did struggle in Miami, they are a different team at home, going 20-3 down the stretch of the regular season. This Hawks team led by Trae Young finished the season as the No. 6 scoring offense and an even stronger No. 2 scoring offense at home. With that being said, their team as a whole will feel a level of comfort playing at home, and they should look to push the pace and attack the Heat defense before they are set. The Heat have been an elite defensive team all year and have shown it thus far in the series. Although they have been locked in defensively, they do have some key defensive pieces dealing with nagging injuries, including Bam Adebayo and P.J. Tucker, who are both questionable but expected to go tonight.

The Heat offense, on the other hand, has been phenomenal scoring 115 points in both Games 1 and 2. This offense has been propelled by Jimmy Butler, who is coming off of a 45-point game where he finished 10-for-15 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3. Without really getting a ton of scoring from Kyle Lowry, Adebayo or even Tyler Herro as of yet, this Heat offense is in a great position to continue to score, and their league-leading 37.9% 3-point field goal percentage will definitely travel. In a game that will see a consistent Heat team do their thing and Young getting a friendlier whistle at home, the strongest look for this game is the over 221.5 points at -110 odds. In what should be a closely contested matchup with a lot of scoring, if the game remains close at the end, these are the fourth- and fifth-best free-throw shooting teams in the NBA, so they should be able to secure those final minute free throws and take this total over.

Best NBA Bet Today: Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat Over 221.5 (-110)

Suns vs. Pelicans: Brandon Ingram Prop Bets

The New Orleans Pelicans are hosting the Phoenix Suns in a series that has seen a complete turnaround. After Game 1, the Pelicans were essentially written off but just a few days later they are headed home with a tied series and no worry of having to defend Devin Booker. Booker went down with a hamstring strain and is now expected to miss two to three weeks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In a series that now has a completely new outlook, the Suns are a small 1.5-point favorite on the road and the game has a total of 216. Although the Suns are a deep team, it remains to be seen how they will play without their best player, and because of that, it’s much better to stay away from both the spread and the total in this matchup.

The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds

Instead, turn to the player prop market, where Brandon Ingram has a points, assists and rebounds prop coming in at 36.5 with -115 odds to the over. Coming off an almost triple-double of 37-11-9, Ingram should continue to be the main focus of the Pelicans and should see close to 40 minutes of action. In what is going to be his first ever home playoff game, Ingram will look to carry over his tremendous play from a hostile environment in Phoenix. Alongside the over 36.5 points/rebounds/assists, also lock in over 11.5 rebounds and assists for him, as he has surpassed this number in eight of his last 10, including 20 rebounds/assists in Game 2. Ingram ranks second in the NBA playoffs in potential assists per game, and with the Pelicans’ young shooters feeling more comfortable shooting at home, his assist number should see a slight uptick. In what should be an electric atmosphere in New Orleans, this game should be highly competitive. And if the Pelicans want to get up 2-1 in the series, Ingram is going to have to repeat his Game 2 efforts, which will in turn cash these player props.

Best NBA Bets Today: Brandon Ingram Over 36.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115) & Brandon Ingram Over 11.5 Rebounds + Assists (-110)

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