The Celtics kicked off the week by completing the series sweep over the Nets in Brooklyn, shocking folks around the league. The Raptors force a Game 6 against Philadelphia after going down 3-0 to start the series. The Mavericks capped off the night by smashing the Utah Jazz 102-77 to take the 3-2 lead in the series. There are three more NBA playoff games in action today. Let’s dive into the best NBA bets today, picks and NBA betting tips for Tuesday, April 26.
Best NBA Bets Today: Game Tips & Betting Predictions
Pelicans vs. Suns Best Bet
New Orleans will travel back to Phoenix for Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2. The Pelicans and Suns have alternated wins in each of the first four games of this season. The momentum turned when All-Star Devin Booker went down with a hamstring injury suffered in Game 2. Tonight is a big game for the Suns in order for them to hold homecourt advantage. Tipoff will be at 10 p.m. ET on TNT.
Lots of NBA fans were counting out the Pelicans before the series even began. New Orleans has surprised many as they have been playing some of their best basketball of the season. They have the momentum coming off a 118-103 win over Phoenix on Sunday. Brandon Ingram went off in Game 4 with a 30-point performance on 11 for 23 shooting from the field. Jonas Valanciunas dominated down low, posting 26 points and 15 rebounds. C.J. McCollum‘s presence cannot be forgotten. Since McCollum has joined the lineup, New Orleans has scored 115.2 points per game on 49% shooting. His presence has opened up the floor for Ingram and allowed him more floor spacing. The Pelicans are crushing the Suns on the glass this series with a plus-49-rebound differential. New Orleans continues to win the contest on the offensive glass, leading to easy second-chance opportunities. In addition to their rebounding advantages, the Pelicans shot an absurd 42 free throw attempts in Game 4. The Suns will need to adjust their defense to avoid letting the Pelicans get to the line as often in this one.
The Phoenix Suns are in desperate need of a win in Game 5 to gain momentum and force a potential Game 7 on their home court. Chris Paul had a night to forget on Sunday, finishing the game with just 4 points on two for eight shooting after coming off a dominant 30-point performance. Paul was getting pressed by Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarez all night which looked to take a toll on his energy towards the fourth quarter. With Booker out for the next several weeks, the Suns will need their other starters to step up on the offensive side of the floor if they wish to avoid a first round exit. If it were not for Paul’s performance in Game 3, the Suns could easily be down 3-1 in this series. Deandre Ayton led the team in Game 4 with 23 points, but the rest of the starters struggled to find their rhythm. Monty Williams and the Suns know this cannot happen again if they want to defend their home court and take the 3-2 series lead on Tuesday.
Look for Williams to have his team come out aggressive by attacking the rim in efforts to get to the free throw line early. Pelicans will continue to attack as they rank seventh in free throw attempts on the season. High free throw attempts on both sides of the ball lead to more opportunities for points without the clock ticking. Both teams rank top six in offensive rating and bottom six in defensive rating in the playoffs thus far. The over is 3-1 in this series and 10-4 in their last 14 matchups. In eight matchups this season the total is averaging 225.5 points. Anticipate a better shooting nights from Phoenix and for this game to finish over 215 points. McCollum and Ingram should continue to get their attempts and have proven to be efficient. Back the over in this Western Conference battle.
Best NBA Bet for Today’s Game: Total Over 215 Points
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Hawks vs. Heat Best Bet
The Hawks and Heat meet Tuesday in Miami for Game 5. Atlanta looks to avoid elimination and force a Game 6 on Thursday. The Miami Heat will look to give their fans something to celebrate about with a win to advance to the conference semifinals and look for a few extra days of rest. Miami has dominated the Hawks on the season going 6-2 in eight meetings.
The Hawks look lost out on the court with their All-Star Trae Young getting shut down by Miami through their first four games. Young is averaging 16.5 points in the series while being held to single-digit performances in two of the four games. Atlanta was able to get Clint Capela back after playing 21 minutes in his return, but he did not make much of an impact, shooting one for four from the field and collecting seven rebounds. Capela enters Game 5 with a questionable tag. His minutes will be something to monitor given it is a do-or-die situation for the Hawks. Bogdan Bogdanovic is questionable dealing with knee soreness. If he is unable to go, expect Danilo Gallinari and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to see an increase in minutes. Atlanta has struggled to start these playoffs, ranking 15th out of 16 teams in offensive rating and 13th in defensive rating. They will need to step up their shooting from beyond the arc if they wish to keep their season alive in Game 5.
The Heat hold all the momentum after dominating Game 4. Their win on Sunday was more about their defense as they controlled the game from start to finish. Miami held the Hawks to just 15 points in the second quarter which open up a double-digit lead for the Heat and they never looked back. Miami is in position to seal the first round series with a victory tonight to advance to the second round of the playoffs. They will be without Kyle Lowry for a second straight game as he has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. P.J. Tucker (calf) and Caleb Martin (ankle) are questionable. Miami’s success has been shutting down the Hawks from beyond the arc. Miami has allowed Atlanta to shoot 32% from deep in the first four games of the series, down 5% from their season average. As long as Miami can continue to hold Young in check, they should have no problems closing out the series tonight.
The Hawks have not had much success covering the spread away from home, going 8-20 against the spread in their last 28 road games. The Heat are 5-0 against the spread in their last five home games and 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 games. The Hawks are 2-6 against the spread in their 8 matchups this season. Young has been shut down all series by Miami’s top defenders being thrown his way all game. The Hawks continue to lose by double digits to the Heat outside of their Game 3 performance. The Heat just proved they have no issues defeating the Hawks without Lowry, even with Capela back in the Hawks rotation. Miami performs well at home and if they can come out the gate strong, this game could get out of hand quickly. Lay the points with Miami in a series-clinching chance on their home court.
Best NBA Bet for Today’s Game: Miami Heat -6.5
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