NBA Playoffs 2025- First Round Picks Game 5-7 (Tuesday 29th April-Sunday 4th May)

NBA Playoffs 2025- First Round Picks Game 5-7 (April 29th-May 4th)

The post-season of any sport will have drama and controversy attached to it and every call at this time of the season can be critical.

At the end of a tough regular season, teams and Coaches want things to be decided on the field of play, or on the court in terms of NBA Basketball, but it does not always work out as planned.

My New York Knicks have been involved in the most controversy through four games of their First Round Series, but the calls have gone in favour of the Number 3 Seed and produced a 3-1 lead over the Detroit Pistons. Hearing about mistakes made in the officiating hours after the final score has been set will not do much for the Pistons right now and most of the Series have trended in the direction expected.

That does not mean the lower Seeds are all in trouble- the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors were seen as dangerous lower Seeds and both are leading their Series at the time of writing (the Warriors Game 4 with the Houston Rockets is played on Monday evening).

As expected, the tough Western Conference is where the majority of the drama now resides as we move into the back end of the First Round- the Oklahoma City Thunder swept through to the Semi Finals, but they may have to wait a while before knowing if they are going to be facing the 2023 Champions Denver Nuggets or the dangerous looking Los Angeles Clippers with that Series tied at 2-2.

Over in the East, the Number 1 Seed Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to wrap up their own place in the Semi Finals on Monday evening, although even a defeat is not expected to delay progress too long, while the Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics and aforementioned Knicks are all one win away from moving through too.

It could all mean that the Eastern Conference Semi Final Series begin this weekend even while the West is yet to wrap up the opening Round, but this will all come out in the wash over the next few days.

The opening NBA Playoff Picks have been far too inconsistent and it has been a tough start, although there is still plenty of games to get through before the next NBA Champion is crowned.

A few of the selections have narrowly failed to get over the line, which can be frustration, but it is a long Playoff run and so nothing to get too panicked over.

Tuesday 29th April

Milwaukee Bucks @ Indiana Pacers Game 5 Pick: From the opening tip of this First Round Series, it has been a real slog for the Milwaukee Bucks and they may just have run out of any real hope of turning things around.

A strong Game 3 effort halved the deficit, but the Bucks were blown out in Game 4 and that in a game where Damian Lillard picked up a serious injury that is going to rule him out for a considerable period of time. After missing the end of the regular season, Lillard's return to the lineup offered a spark to Milwaukee, but they missed his Offensive output as Game 4 got away from them and the lack of depth has left Milwaukee on the brink of another disappointing early effort.

Twelve months ago they had the excuse of not having Giannis Antetokounmpo available, but the Greek superstar has played in this Series and has simply not been offered a lot of support from those around him. Once again there are going to be questions about his future with the team and whether the Milwaukee Bucks can really create a Championship-calibre team for the second time.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to need some serious answers, while Head Coach Doc Rivers has to be under pressure with the perception of another underachieving Playoff run looking destined for his team.

The Bucks will head to Indiana to try and win here for the first time in the Series and see if they can build some pressure on the Pacers, but all of this feels like a long-shot now.

The depth of the Indiana Pacers and the willingness to let the hot hand take over games has pushed them into a dominant position in this First Round Series and it is really difficult to imagine that changing. The Pacers crushed Milwaukee in Game 1 when Damian Lillard was missing for the road team and everything is pointing to a relatively comfortable win in front of the home fans again.

All of the pressure is on the Bucks to make the adjustments needed to create some uncertainty around the First Round Series.

It should be something that helps the Pacers who have been a steady and deep rotation and one that has controlled the Series. The confidence of having reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year should be just guiding this team forward and the Indiana Pacers look set to beat the Milwaukee Bucks and cover this spread.

All three wins in the Series have been by at least 8 points, but two of those wins have been double digit blowouts and the Indiana Pacers can use the depth of their rotation to break down the Milwaukee Bucks again.

Detroit Pistons @ New York Knicks Game 5 Pick: The officials have admitted they missed a big call at the very end of Game 4 of this First Round Series.

Now while there is no telling if Tim Hardaway Jr would have made two of the three Free Throws he should have gotten, there is a definite feeling that it would have happened. And that would have meant the Detroit Pistons heading to Madison Square Garden at 2-2 and with the momentum, rather than 3-1 down and facing elimination for the first time in this First Round Series.

What will anger the Pistons most is that they feel they should have been given a call at the end of Game 3 that may have seen them find a way to win or tie that one and there is another dimension where the Pistons would be leading 3-1. It counts for nothing in this one though and the young Detroit team that have achieved so much this season have to find a way to dust themselves down and try and force one more game at home.

This is going to be a huge challenge for a Pistons team that started Game 4 really poorly and did not finish with the kind of flourish that may have just seen them edge in front of the New York Knicks. Inexperience is perhaps showing, but the failure of the officials will really have stung the entire team with just one day of rest between Game 4 and Game 5.

New York will be feeling pretty good after seeing Karl-Anthony Towns make some huge Fourth Quarter plays and just remind those watching why the Knicks traded to bring him in. Jalen Brunson picked up a worrying injury, but also came out strong in the Fourth Quarter and the two deserve a lot of credit for keeping the Knicks in touch and ultimately find a way to secure the victory that takes them to the brink of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals.

Physicality has been a real feature of the Series, but the referees may be more ready to call fouls after allowing both teams to play as hard as they have. The fact they missed a big call at the end of Game 4 may mean wanting to take control of this game immediately and that could help this Game 5 move past the total line set.

All of the games have been competitive in this Series and we may just get one more of those, which makes the spread in favour of the Detroit Pistons look appealing.

Hosts of Game 5 are only 22-24 against the spread since 2017, while teams who have suffered a close loss have found a way to bounce back and cover the spread in their next game. You have to accept that backing an inexperienced team that has suffered two very close defeats is not a great spot, but the Pistons have shown they can compete with the New York Knicks all season and may do enough to avoid the heavy defeat as they put everything out on the court.

Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics Game 5 Pick: It has been a tough, physical First Round Series and one in which a number of key Boston Celtics players have picked up ailments that have either seen them miss a Playoff game or fight through the pain to compete. They have not been completely convinced that everything that has been done to them should be legal, but the Boston Celtics are NBA Champions for a reason and the win on Sunday may just have broken the back of the Series.

Jrue Holiday is expected to miss out again, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have refused to let this Series get away from the Celtics.

A lot of credit has to be given to the Orlando Magic for making Boston play a game that suits them best- they have been able to harass the key players and simply not allowed the Celtics to get going from the three point arc as they have been accustomed to doing all season.

Doing that at home is always going to be easier though and the Magic were pretty well beaten in both opening games here in Boston. Paolo Banchero and Frank Wagner are trying to do all they can to drag this Series back in the favour of the Magic, but the role players will be challenged in a much tougher environment and it may be tough for Orlando to have the belief to keep up with the Celtics having lost Game 4 pretty late on.

The Magic will look to keep doing what they have, but the adjustments can be made by Boston to try and find a few more open lanes for the shooters. That should be easier to make at home where the fans will just help out those role players who have not really been at the races in the last couple of games.

And despite being dragged into scraps, the Boston Celtics have still looked the superior team by some distance and that may all come out to show on Tuesday as they look to close out the Series and take their place in the Semi Finals. Being set as a big favourite has tended to work out well for the Number 2 Seed in recent history and Boston could easily have covered in all four games played, even if they are 2-2 against the spread through this Series.

This is a big mark, but the feeling is that the Celtics have perhaps broken the spirit of the Number 7 Seed and they can cover a big mark set for Game 5.

LA Clippers @ Denver Nuggets Game 5 Pick: There have been so many big Playoff moments through four games of this First Round Series and that makes it very difficult to know exactly where the Series is heading. We are tied at 2-2 after the Denver Nuggets overcame blowing a huge lead, the biggest in their franchise history in the post-season, to score a bucket as time ran out to level things up.

Both teams have seen big leads whittled away within games through the Series and all but one game has been very, very competitive.

The Series shifts back to Denver and the Nuggets have been set as home underdogs with the feeling being that the LA Clippers have easier adjustments to make. Falling in love with the three point shot is not the plan for the Clippers and they showed in that Fourth Quarter of Game 4 that they have the tools to beat the Nuggets, even if they were eventually undone by an unbelievable play to end the game.

Defensively they have allowed Nikola Jokic to have his numbers, but trying to limit the damage others have done has been important for them.

Those same decisions were made by the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 as they decided to hound James Harden and Kawhi Leonard and force others to beat them. This looked to be working perfectly, but the Clippers showed their strength and why they finished the regular season as well as they did and that is going to be key for them in Game 5, which could be a vital one in this Series.

Both teams will be proud of what they have largely been able to do Defensively and this could be another game in the Series that ends with the 'under' coming out on top.

The 'under' is 4-0 and that includes in Game 1 that ended in Overtime, although the layers have dropped the total again.

However, the 'under' is on a 24-16 run in Game 5 of the First Round in the Playoffs, while this has been the play when the total line has been set below 218 total points. Overtime would prove to be an end for the selection, but the two teams may look for the Defensive efforts to secure a lead in the Series with a maximum of two games left and that is the outcome to be backed.

Wednesday 30th April

Golden State Warriors @ Houston Rockets Game 5 Pick: There has not been much love lost between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors throughout this First Round Series and the chippy attitude is set to continue with the teams moving back to Houston.

The opening win in Houston has helped push the Golden State Warriors to the edge of moving through to the Semi Finals after holding serve in both home games. The victory on Monday in Game 4 saw the Warriors come out extremely well in the Third Quarter to turn things around and the returning Jimmy Butler was key for Golden State as they narrowly won the game and took complete control of the Series.

Championship experience will mean Golden State are focused in trying to get the job done without having to return home for a Game 6 and they will also be keen to earn a few days of rest. There is every chance that the Series between Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves will also end on Wednesday evening and that will mean the Warriors will be keen on earning the same amount of rest before Game 1 of the next Series.

Draymond Green was in foul trouble on Monday so had minutes limited, but both Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler played 40 minutes and that has to be a potential factor with just a day of rest between games.

The young Rockets team have shown some of the inexperience throughout this Series and they are under pressure with one more loss ending what has been a very good season. Trying to avoid that in front of the home fans will help, even if hosts have struggled in Game 5 of the recent First Round Series that have been played.

Number 2 Seeds that are set as favourites of at least 4.5 points have a very strong recent history of covering, while those Seeds playing after a defeat are on a 20-7 run against the spread.

As much as the Warriors would love to wrap up this Series, they may have to deal with one more big swing from the Houston Rockets, even if the higher Seeded team need to overcome the disappointment of not tying up this Series following two games at Golden State. The line is considerable if the inexperience shows, but a positive start from Houston could see them take control and have Golden State mentally preparing to complete the Series win later in the week.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers Game 5 Pick: They may have players that have won NBA Championships and played in NBA Finals, but the Los Angeles Lakers will know they missed a trick by failing to win one of the two games played on the road over the last few days. Instead of returning home at least level, the Lakers are 3-1 behind and questions are being asked about the team and Head Coach JJ Redick.

He would have been given a lot of credit for making the in-game adjustments that had the Lakers motoring through the Third Quarter and moving into a position to control Game 4, but the failure to give those players any rest felt costly down the stretch. Even then, the Lakers frustration will have grown when officials admitted they had got a late call wrong, which may have given the Lakers a chance to have the last shot to win the game and tie the Series.

They had played well in Game 3 too before another late Fourth Quarter collapse and that will really disappoint a roster that has the likes of Luka Doncic and LeBron James to lead the team at critical moments.

Instead it has been Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves making the big late plays that have turned this Series in favour of the dangerous Number 6 Seed and they will be looking to close the show on Wednesday.

Doing so on the road will be challenging, but the Timberwolves can take confidence in how they have handled adversity in their last couple of games. They have also won Game 1 at Crypto.com Arena and Minnesota will be keen on extending what has been a poor covering spot for hosts in Game 5 of the First Round.

The Lakers will be grateful for an extra day of rest between Game 4 and Game 5, but the noise around the team will have been deafening as they return home looking to keep the season alive. A short rotation has meant some of the players have had to spend considerable time on the court and that will wear down any team at this time of the season and especially when dealing with an opponent like the Minnesota Timberwolves who had ended the regular season in strong form.

Teams that are looking to close out a Series before Game 7 have a very strong record when either set as a favourite of less than 3 points or when they are down as the underdog like Minnesota are on Wednesday. Those teams are 14-6 against the spread in the last twenty occasions in that situation and the Timberwolves can make use of the points being given to them in this Game 5.

Thursday 1st May

New York Knicks @ Detroit Pistons Game 6 Pick: There has to have been some feeling that the New York Knicks had gotten the hard work out of the way by winning twice on the road to move into a 3-1 lead in this First Round Series. One more big effort would have been needed, but the Series continues to be hugely competitive, as anticipated when the Playoff bracket was set, and this time it was the Detroit Pistons who edged to the win.

Twelve points- that is the combined total that has decided the last four games in this Series and those have been split with two road wins each.

Seventeen years have passed since the Detroit Pistons have won a home Playoff game and they will be frustrated with how each of the first two games have ended at the Little Caesars Arena. Better officiating may have seen the Pistons win both, but those are in the past and Head Coach JB Bickerstaff is just focusing on making sure his team is able to return to Madison Square Garden for one more game.

They found some solutions to slow down Jalen Brunson in Game 5 to bring this game back home, but they will need Ausar Thompson to make sure he is as disciplined as he was the last time out. The Pistons may also benefit from this Game 6 being played with just a day of rest, especially if Brunson and Josh Hart are both banged up.

It led to a late game situation in Game 5 where both Brunson and Hart were waiting to check back into action, but the Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau refused to call a timeout, or ask his team to foul, to bring both back in. Questions will be asked about that if the Knicks are eliminated in the First Round and so there is plenty of pressure on the Number 3 Seed who are looking to progress at the second time of asking.

They have shown a real determination to win here twice, but it may be asking a lot to do that for a third time in the Series.

New York do have a couple of historical trends in their favour- road teams have played well in Game 6, while those looking to close a Series on the road have been very strong against the spread. Small favourites, or underdogs, who are looking to close out a Series have been productive before the Game 7 decider and so there will be people ready to back the Knicks.

However, it may be tough if Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are not playing at their top level and the momentum is back with the Detroit Pistons having hung on for a road win on Tuesday.

Another competitive game has to be expected, and the Pistons may be ready to force that Game 7 later this week.

Denver Nuggets @ LA Clippers Game 6 Pick: After coming out shooting the ball as efficiently as they did, the Denver Nuggets were able to dominate Game 5 from the opening tip off and that has put them 3-2 ahead in this First Round Series.

Nikola Jokic is the best player the Nuggets have on the roster, but the LA Clippers know that too and so it was extremely important for Denver to have Jamal Murray at his peak Playoff level in the blowout win in Game 5.

Now they take aim at moving past the LA Clippers and get ready to face the top Seed Oklahoma City Thunder, but there has to be a reaction expected from the home team. James Harden struggled and the Defensive intensity was simply missing in the loss in Game 5 and the adjustments have to be made to ensure both factors are turned around when they meet back in the City of Angels.

Back to back losses will have dented the confidence of the LA Clippers, but they have plenty of Playoff experience and that is so important. Players will have suffered heavy post-season losses before and know how to handle those and you have to believe it is going to be easier for the LA Clippers to fight back in front of the home fans.

It has been a Series dominated by the underdog and that cannot be ignored when the teams meet on Thursday.

Both are familiar with what the other wants to do and it does come down to execution and the Nuggets have shown they can win games in different ways to turn this Series back in their favour.

They are in a positive spot with road teams doing really well in recent years in Game 6 of the First Round of the Playoffs, while the Nuggets are also falling into the historical trends mentioned in the New York Knicks preview of road teams having a positive record at closing Series in this situation.

The outright winner of Game 6 has dominated the spread over the last decade and the LA Clippers are very dangerous. However, it feels the momentum shift makes this number of points difficult for the home team to cover and the Denver Nuggets can backed here.

Friday 2nd May

Houston Rockets @ Golden State Warriors Game 6 Pick: Plenty of reporters have written about the blowout loss suffered by the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 and compared it with the performance in the Semi Final Series win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the exact same situation in 2022.

The Warriors not only rallied to win that Series 4-2, but they were able to move forward and win the NBA Championship and this is a veteran roster who will not be panicking about one loss.

However, the concern has to be that the likes of Draymond Green, Steph Curry are much older in 2025 compared with where they would have been in 2022 and there is a lack of rest being offered to them between games as the First Round Series winds down. Head Coach Steve Kerr was able to give his older players plenty of rest with Game 5 getting out of hand and he resisted bringing them back in after the backups helped the Warriors rally and make the final score much closer than the overall feel of that game.

There was some concern in the Houston Rockets ranks having had to bring back the starters to end the rally the Warriors had put together and yet the Series remains very chippy. Another player faced an ejection and the teams clearly are not getting on with one another, while Golden State have suggested that the Rockets are trying to injure Steph Curry by bending the rules and hitting his thumb after a shot has been released.

Houston are resisting all of that talk and instead will feel they have some momentum as the Number 2 Seed bids to avoid being eliminated in the First Round. Heading to Golden State for Game 6 is going to present a big challenge for Houston, but they have been competitive in both games hosted by the Warriors and that has to give the Rockets a huge amount of encouragement.

They know they are the younger and fresher team, although you cannot ever dismiss the value of experience that Golden State have, and Houston will look to use their legs to wear the Warriors down.

The feeling is that we are going to get one huge effort from the Warriors, but a team looking to close out a Series having failed once to do so have struggled against the spread in recent seasons. Hosting Game 6 has proven to be a tough spot in which to cover too and Houston look to be getting enough points in this one to keep this close, even if they were to be beaten and eliminated.

Opposing Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler and everything we have seen from these players in the post-season is not exactly a position in which you can feel comfortable, but the Rockets look capable of pushing all the way and this feels like enough points that can see the road underdog cover.

Saturday 3rd May

LA Clippers @ Denver Nuggets Game 7 Pick: One or two First Round Series really stood out as potentially needing all seven games to decide a winner and this would have been one of the leading contenders to do that. Big adjustments made by the LA Clippers put them in a solid position to keep control of Game 6 and at least force one more outing at the home of the Denver Nuggets for a place in the Western Conference Semi Finals.

Both teams have plenty of veteran experience to lean on, although the challenge may come in the next Round against the Number 1 Seed Oklahoma City Thunder who have been resting after sweeping past the Memphis Grizzlies. That is a story for another day and everything that has been put into the 2024/25 season will come down to this 'win or go home' setting for the Clippers and Nuggets.

Picking a winner is not easy and that is backed up by the oddsmakers who have effectively left this as a 'pick 'em' contest.

The Clippers may feel they have the momentum having won Game 6 and the adjustments they made for that victory will stand them in good stead. They will be keen for James Harden to make another fast start and the experience of Head Coach Tyronn Lue is very important as the Clippers look to avoid what would be a disappointing First Round Playoff exit.

Despite not having the same level of experience as Head Coach, David Adelman can lean on a group of players who were key in helping the Denver Nuggets win the 2023 NBA Championship. He will be looking for a cleaner game from his players with the turnovers in Game 6 proving to be a key part of the reason that the team were beaten, while Adelman will sit with the veterans and look to find a way to get Jamal Murray going again.

At this stage of the First Round, both Denver and the LA Clippers will be well aware of the capabilities of the other and there won't be too many surprises. The favourite has tended to prevail in recent First Round Game 7s and that is largely down to the fact that the layers have a pretty good idea about the capabilities of both teams by this point of the Series.

However, as mentioned, picking a winner is not easy and instead it may be wise to look for this game to follow the last two and move past the total set. The Clippers have certainly felt they need to sacrifice some Defensive work to score more points, while the Nuggets will believe they can be more efficient scoring than they were in Game 6, which finished at 216 points combined/

The total has actually slipped from Game 6 and it may be partly down to the one day between rest and the games in Denver trending towards the lower end of the total line that would be set. However, the last one here ended with both Offensive units flying and the teams are capable of combining to move past this total if both continue to believe that scoring needs to be improved.

Calls for more fouls to be punished may also lead to a longer Game 7 with teams heading to the Free Throw line and it should be noted that the last sixteen Game 7s in this Round of the post-season have finished with eleven surpassing the line set. With both teams showing what they can do Offensively in the last couple of games, this is another may end with the 'over' coming in.

Sunday 4th May

Golden State Warriors @ Houston Rockets Game 7 Pick: You may have thought the Playoff experiences of the Golden State Warriors would shine through, but the Fourth Quarter collapse against the Houston Rockets in Game 6 is a worrying sign. The First Round of the Playoff Series comes down to a winner takes all Game 7 in Houston and all of the momentum is with the Number 2 Seed having recovered from a 3-1 deficit and looked the much stronger team in Game 5 and Game 6.

The adjustments made by the Golden State Warriors have not made the impact they would have hoped- they have managed to control Jalen Green, but Fred VanVleet has Playoff experience and has been getting stronger as the Series has moved on.

It was VanVleet who made the big plays in Game 6 and the Houston Rockets have to be feeling very comfortable in the position they are in.

The Warriors will always feel they have good chances with the experience on the roster, but Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have been putting in big shifts on the court and you do have to wonder if the veterans are running out of gas. They have not been helped by the relentless pressure that the Houston Rockets have been able to put on them on the Defensive side of the court and the lack of depth on the roster has shown up in the last couple of games in the Series.

Everyone in Houston has to be expecting at least one more big push from the Warriors, but the key for the Rockets is making sure they continue to force Golden State to work as hard as they have been for every bucket they are making.

It could see Houston wear down this opponent and complete the recovery from 1-3 to secure passage into the Second Round of the Playoff.

Favourites have been a solid team to back in Game 7 in recent First Round Series, although they have struggled to cover. However, this time the Houston Rockets look to have the majority of factors in their favour and they will certainly be inspired by the feeling that the layers still do not believe in them by setting them as a narrow home favourite.

Game 7 is a pressurised situation and that is where the Warriors experience may yet shine through, but it is hard to look past the momentum picked up by Houston and how much stronger they have looked in the last couple of games in this Series. That should eventually be seen again in this big game and the Houston Rockets may power through to the next Round.

MY PICKS: 29/04 Indiana Pacers - 8 Points @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

29/04 Detroit Pistons + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

29/04 Boston Celtics - 11.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

29/04 Denver Nuggets-LA Clippers Under 208.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

30/04 Houston Rockets - 4.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

30/04 Minnesota Timberwolves + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

01/05 Detroit Pistons - 2 Points @ 2.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

01/05 Denver Nuggets + 7 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

02/05 Houston Rockets + 5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

03/05 Denver Nuggets-LA Clippers Over 204.5 Total Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

04/05 Houston Rockets - 3 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

First Round: 20-19, - 0.72 Units (39 Units Staked, - 1.85% Yield)

Play In Tournament: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2025- Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn (Saturday 26th April)

This may not be an event that is going to have repercussions at World level, but there is little doubt that there is a growing interest in seeing the names Eubank and Benn headlining an event.

All eyes are on North London this weekend across the Boxing world, although fans across the pond will have two big cards next weekend, including the shut down of Times Square, which is sadly not open to the wider public.

Canelo Alvarez is back next week too as he makes his debut in Saudi Arabia before likely moving back to the United States to take on Terence Crawford later in the year, assuming he is not upset next Saturday evening.

It has been a disappointing couple of weeks for the Boxing Picks, although things were very close to being significantly different. That is a case of what might have been and the focus now is to turn things around and get the total ticking back towards the black with the selections from the card to come on Saturday.

Credit has to be given to Dalton Smith in continuing his path towards a World Title shot, and he will benefit from having the Rounds in the bank, while Ben Whittaker really did impress with a surprising early finish in the rematch with Liam Cameron.

You could see the pressure valve released at the end of that victory and Ben Whittaker could be in line for another step up in level of opponent when expected to be out in September. Getting his career back on track was very important for Whittaker and it was a solid finish, even if some felt the referee might have been a touch early in stepping in and stopping the fight.

The next opponent could be quite interesting with the balance needed between development, but also not pushing too far ahead too quickly. Ben Whittaker sounds like he would be happy to take on all comers, but fans may still want to see how he handles going deeper into fights and it will be important for his promotion and management team to find someone who can test the relative youngster.

Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn

Two and a half years have passed since Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn were supposed to meet in London.

Just days before they were going to step into the ring, a journalist broke the news that Benn had failed a couple of tests and ultimately the fight had to be cancelled.

There will be plenty of doubters about the Conor Benn story about why he failed his drugs test and this continues to overshadow the contest. Some would love to have seen this narrative buried, but Chris Eubank Jr refuses to play ball and his decision to smash an egg in Benn's face has just sparked a deeper and more personal rivalry.

In reality this was initially a fight built on the legacies that were created by the fathers of each man, and Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn's two fights in the early 1990s continue to be remembered with fondness. Now there is a personal rivalry between the sons with Jr and Conor Benn both making it pretty clear that there is little they like about the other.

No one should confuse this for a fight between two Boxers at the top of their Divisions.

Since returning from the what had been a suspension, Conor Benn has not really impressed and he has been operating way above the 147 pound limit that his promoter continues to point out when suggesting Benn is moving up two weight Divisions. That is simply not the case with Conor Benn last fighting at the Welterweight limit three years ago in April 2022 and questions remain about the failed drugs test because of the struggles in going twenty-two Rounds in earning Decision wins over Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson.

Some of that may be down to moving up against naturally bigger men, but there have to be questions about Conor Benn's power at this weight.

He does look decent enough at the weight, but the inactivity could also be an issue for the unbeaten fighter with so much to prove.

At the same time, you can be critical of Chris Eubank Jr's activity with a single fight last year having failed to follow up the revenge win over Liam Smith in September 2023 as many hoped he would. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Eubank Jr is far from a dislikable fighter, although even his biggest supporters would admit that he has perhaps not fulfilled the kind of career that those around him believed he would.

Chris Eubank Jr has been up and down between the Middleweight and Super Middleweight limit and the weight cut and rehydration clause that has been put in place will be testing the 35 year old. The positive news for Eubank Jr is that he has made the Middleweight limit in each of his last four fights, but it is the uncertainty about the rehydration clause that has frustrated Chris Eubank Sr and meant a falling out between father and son.

It is a potentially dangerous spot for Chris Eubank Jr, but this is a dedicated fighter and it would not be a surprise if he made weight on Friday and then decided to ignore the clause in place and accept the fine.

For all the criticism faced by Chris Eubank Jr, he has faced the tougher opponents compared with Conor Benn and has been involved in big World Title fights. Yes, he has come up short in the biggest moments, but Chris Eubank Jr has some very good wins on his resume too and the naturally bigger man should have an edge (even if he does not want people to talk about size, but instead focus on skill).

The defeat to Liam Smith in the manner it came was stunning, but Chris Eubank Jr made amends by beating the Liverpudlian in the rematch and his victory over Kamil Szeremeta last October is solid, if unspectacular, form.

Chris Eubank Jr hits plenty hard and Conor Benn is likely going to want to come out steaming and throwing plenty of leather of his own.

A smaller ring size has been agreed and the feeling is that both men are going to want to fight, rather than box, and that could lead to a fun, entertaining contest for all tuning in on Saturday evening.

It really does feel like it will come down to how much the weight cut has taken from Chris Eubank Jr, especially without being able to refuel as he would like in the hours afterwards. That raises some doubt and Conor Benn looks pretty solid, but the power has not looked as destructive as it was in the fights before the failed drugs test and that is very hard to ignore.

He will come forward and that should create an entertaining evening, but that could also be dangerous if Chris Eubank Jr is near to his top level. Since losing to George Groves back in 2018, Eubank Jr has had nine fights and he has regularly put opponents on the canvas in those.

Stoppage wins in his last two will have given Chris Eubank Jr some momentum and he might be able to come through the early pressure Conor Benn provides to start catching him with big shots as he comes forward. It may see the bigger man pick his shots and start putting enough combinations together to break down Benn and the feeling is that Chris Eubank Jr can push through for a second half Stoppage in this rivalry bout, perhaps the first of two between them this year.

The reality is that the weigh in drama from Friday makes it much more difficult to back that outcome with any real certainty- everything has been designed to drag Chris Eubank Jr down and you can understand why his father has been so disgusted with all around this fight. The rules should have mandated a Middleweight fight without all of the extra clauses about rehydration and amount that can be put on the morning of the fight, especially as this is a non-title bout.

The feeling remains that Eubank Jr may just show his qualities- Conor Benn now has an excuse about weight being missed- but you just hope that both fighters return home without any lasting damage sustained.

This is the first Ring Magazine card that has been put together and they have some big events coming up.

It has been made clear that the events are only considering solid fights from top to bottom and the undercard at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a decent one.

Opening up with Chris Billam-Smith returning from losing his World Title underlines the point.

The Gentleman considered his future in the sport for a brief moment when losing to Gilberto Ramirez in a pretty one-sided contest, but he is still highly Ranked and a win on Saturday may actually push Billam-Smith in line to fight for the WBC World Title in his next outing.

However, as mentioned, the card is put together by a team that wants to see good fights and Chris Billam-Smith is up against Brandon Glanton who is a top five World Ranked opponent with a couple of the organisations. A Split Decision loss to David Light likely cost Glanton an opportunity to face Lawrence Okolie for a World Title, but he has won his last three fights and all by Stoppage and the 33 year old American is looking for one more opportunity.

You have to mention the fact that those wins have not been against anyone that is of the level of the British fighter and so this is a big step up for Brandon Glanton.

Chris Billam-Smith clearly still speaks with real motivation to win World Titles and his resume is much deeper than the one the opponent brings into the ring. You can perhaps have some concern about how much is left in the tank after the loss to Gilberto Ramirez at the end of a run of tough fights, but the feeling is that Billam-Smith may still have enough to grit through this contest.

Having someone like Shane McGuigan in his corner is a huge help and you have to believe Billam-Smith will be well advised. He will be careful about Brandon Glanton who carries his power as late as it is needed, but Chris Billam-Smith may just show off his own experience at the top level and this could be one of the fights of the night with the former World Champion coming out on top with a Stoppage victory after a back and forth contest.

In December 2024, Cheavon Clarke lost his unbeaten record and was not able to win the vacant European Cruiserweight Title.

He was Knocked Down in the First Round and all credit has to be given to him for managing to hear the final bell at the end of the Twelve Rounds, although he was well beaten on the night and the Split Decision was harsh on his opponent.

The rebuild starts this week and the Arsenal fan is defending the British Cruiserweight Title against an unbeaten Viddal Riley, a Tottenham Hotspur fan who believes it is his destiny to win that Belt in his favourite team's home Stadium.

There has been some uncertainty as to what kind of a professional career that Riley wants, but the win over Mikael Lawal is arguably the best either fighter has produced.

However, it feels like Cheavon Clarke is being overlooked after the defeat last time out and his amateur pedigree should give the underdog, and Champion, the edge. It is something of a surprise that Viddal Riley is such a big favourite and the Champion may just spring the upset thanks to his stronger professional and amateur experience.

Another underdog on the card is Liam Smith and he is ending a run of over eighteen months since he was last in the ring losing to Chris Eubank Jr in their rematch. Last year he was supposed to face Josh Kelly on the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois card at Wembley, but an illness forced a late withdrawal and there are questions about how much is left in the tank.

The same was asked of brother Callum Smith before his upset of Joshua Buatsi earlier in the year and Liam Smith still feels he has enough motivation to end the run of an unbeaten fighter in front of him.

Aaron McKenna has won all nineteen previous fights and is looking to take the next step in his development by getting the better of a former World Champion.

It does feel like a big step upwards in terms of level of opponent, but McKenna will be confident with the belief that he is the naturally bigger man.

Neither is going to need to go looking for the other, but the veteran Liam Smith may still have one more big run in him. He has shown he can upset the odds before with wins over up and comers as well as those of his own generation and Smith may just have the know-how to break down McKenna in this one.

Again, the money has seemingly come in on his opponent, but Liam Smith will not care one jot about that and can push his way to the front of the queue when it comes to World Title shots in what has been an open Division for a long time now.

Finally, the undercard is expected to be rounded off by Anthony Yarde facing Lyndon Arthur for a third time having split two previous bouts.

Just after the Covid pandemic, Lyndon Arthur was able to upset an out-of-sorts Anthony Yarde in December 2020 as he earned the nod on the cards. While excuses are not something that Yarde relies upon, it was clear that he had other things on his mind and the flatness of an occasion without fans did not help the Londoner from really getting down to the task at hand.

The rematch came almost exactly a year after their first fight and this time Anthony Yarde had something to prove with a Fourth Round Stoppage.

Another World Title shot ended in a late Stoppage defeat, this time to Artur Beterbiev, but Anthony Yarde did not capitalise on what many felt was a top performance. A fallout with promoter Frank Warren has not only meant inactivity, but Anthony Yarde has not had the big fights so many expected following that battling loss to what was then considered the best Light-Heavyweight in the world.

Anthony Yarde had two easy enough wins in 2024, but the idea is to produce a statement and then call out some of the top names in the Division. We know the top two are busy, but the likes of Callum Smith and David Benavidez bring great interest, while some will still want to see the Yarde-Joshua Buatsi fight that has long been talked about.

Following the loss to Yarde the second time around, Lyndon Arthur won four fights in a row and took Dmitry Bivol the full Twelve Rounds in a loss to the now Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion. The Mancunian has had one fight since that defeat in December 2023 when earning a Split Decision win over Liam Cameron in June last year and that inactivity has to be a concern.

He has felt the power that Anthony Yarde has so the game plan for Arthur may be to try and frustrate the favourite, but that feels like it is going to be a tough one to execute with the ring size that has been agreed between the main event fighters.

Keeping away from an Anthony Yarde that comes swinging from the opening bell will be tough and Lyndon Arthur may not have all of the skills he needs to survive much longer than when losing to this opponent in December 2021.

A first half Stoppage looks likely for a second time in a row between these fighters and we may yet have some kind of face off to suggest what Anthony Yarde will be thinking of doing next time out.

MY PICKS: Chris Eubank Jr to Win Between 7-12 @ 6.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Chris Billam-Smith to Win by KO/TKO @ 6.50 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Cheavon Clarke to Win @ 2.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Liam Smith to Win @ 2.37 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Anthony Yarde to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Boxing 2025: 15-36, - 15.73 Units (63 Units Staked, - 24.97% Yield)

NBA Playoffs 2025- First Round Picks Game 1-4 (Saturday 19th April-Monday 28th April)

NBA Playoffs 2025- First Round Picks Game 1-4 (April 19th-28th)

The second NBA Cup was won by the Milwaukee Bucks against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the long regular season is now in the books with the Playoff Bracket set for the 2025 post-season.

Both the Bucks and the Thunder are involved in First Round Series beginning this weekend, but it Oklahoma City who move into the Playoff as the favourite to win the NBA Championship in June.

They are the Number 1 Seed in the West, but this feels like a loaded Conference and there are some significant obstacles to overcome before the Thunder can even think about competing in the NBA Finals, never mind winning the Championship.

The monster trade made by the Los Angeles Lakers to bring in Luka Doncic has helped them finish with the Number 3 Seed and they were playing really well down the stretch. However, both the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors were arguably the hottest teams in the Western Conference over the last couple of months and both have players who have won Championships to guide them through what is a tough run to the top.

Despite the Head Coaching change, the Denver Nuggets are only two years out from winning it all in dominant fashion and their First Round Series with the Clippers looks like it could be incredibly competitive. The Houston Rockets may feel happy being the Number 2 Seed flying under the radar, but again it should be noted how tough this Conference is from Number 1 Seed to Number 8 and the reward for finishing with the Number 2 Seed is a Series with the Warriors.

The East feels much less open than the Western Conference.

The top two Seeds, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, look clear of the rest and the latter is the defending Champion that looks to be peaking at a good time.

Credit has to be given to the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic for making the First Round- the Magic have a tough Series with the defending Champions coming up, but the Pistons may have plenty of backers when facing the New York Knicks.

It does feel like the Knicks have not developed enough to finally get back to the NBA Finals and even making the Eastern Conference Finals for only the second time this Century looks like it might be beyond them. They have to be a little wary about this First Round match up against the up and coming Detroit Pistons, but the winner will be a big underdog against the Boston Celtics, assuming they are able to move through.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is challenging the Milwaukee Bucks to give him another Championship winning roster, but the NBA Cup may be about as good as it gets for them even if they are able to beat the Indiana Pacers in the Number 4 vs Number 5 Seed Series.

When putting the Bracket together and trying to pick a way through, it does sadden me to think that mine is about as 'boring' as it gets.

That doesn't mean there won't be upsets, but ultimately I landed on a NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics, the top two in the outright market and by some distance too.

Both teams from Los Angeles may have something to say about that with the Clippers tipped to face the Thunder in the Western Conference Semi Final Series and the Lakers expected to move through to the Western Conference Finals. Both may actually push Oklahoma City very hard and accumulated fatigue could be a factor against a young, growing team, although the Lakers would likely have had to come through an incredibly tough Semi Final Series with the Golden State Warriors first.

Over in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics have long looked the best teams and the defending Champions may just have the experience to edge past the Number 1 Seed.

And as for the overall winner, we have not seen a repeat Champion since 2018 and the Oklahoma City Thunder may just do enough to prevent Boston from doing that in 2025.

The 2023 Playoff run for the NBA Picks was a very strong one with a + 10.49 Unit return at 14.98% Yield and it was always going to be tough to match that last year.

In 2024, we did not get the strong First Round performance that was attached to the 2023 NBA Picks and so the final totals ended up reading as + 4.06 Units returned at a 5.34% Yield.

Yes, that is not as strong as 2023, but it is a positive return and that is always better than a losing one.

In reality, I would be happy if this year's Playoff run ends the same as 2024 and scoffing at any positive number would be foolish.

Once again the first three Rounds of the NBA Playoffs will split the Picks across six threads.

NBA Picks from Game 1-4 of the First Round will be placed in this thread and a new one will be created for the Game 5-7 that are needed to be played. It just feels a clearer way to present the selections from the post-season, and has been working for the last couple of Playoff runs.

Once again, four Series will begin on Saturday 19th April with the other four set for Sunday 20th April and selections will be added to this thread through to Monday 28th April when the Cleveland and Houston First Round Series are set to have their Game 4 played.

And once again, let's hope for the New York Knicks to surprise and find a way to secure a first Championship in over fifty years.

Saturday 19th April

Milwaukee Bucks @ Indiana Pacers Game 1 Pick: The NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday and this looks like one of the more competitive First Round Series out there.

That should not come as a big surprise considering it pits the Number 4 and Number 5 Seeded teams together and it is a rematch of the First Round Series that was played twelve months ago.

Back then the Milwaukee Bucks were the Number 3 Seed and clearly a NBA Championship calibre team, but an injury suffered by Giannis Antetokounmpo meant he was not going to be able to suit up. The Indiana Pacers took advantage in a 4-2 Series win before doing the same against another injury hit opponent in the Eastern Conferece Semi Finals against the New York Knicks, but the run was ended by eventual Champions Boston Celtics.

This time around the Bucks do have Antetokounmpo suiting up and they have beaten the Indiana Pacers in the regular season series. More positive is the news that Damian Lillard has been cleared to return having missed multiple games at the end of the regular season, although the Bucks will not take any risks and Lillard is hoping to be involved in Game 2 rather than the opening game of the Series.

There is a nice balance about this Indiana Pacers team and they have players capable of stepping up and making the big play at the big moment. Finishing up as the Number 4 Seed represents an improvement on the 2023/24 season, while the Playoff experiences from last year will really help the team and the Pacers have to be respected.

They are a solid team and one that is capable of grinding out results, but Milwaukee will be playing with revenge and with some strong form down the stretch. Being able to do that without Damian Lillard in the lineup has to give the Bucks a real boost in confidence too and they were shooting the ball efficiently as the regular season wound down.

Historically Game 1 of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs has favoured the home team and they did go 7-1 against the spread last season.

This does make me a little wary about taking the points being offered, but Milwaukee hav matched up well with the Indiana Pacers throughout this regular season and having Giannis Antetokounmpo to lead them is a big bonus. That First Round loss twelve months ago will have stung, but the Milwaukee Bucks look capable of turning that around and they can begin by making that clear in Game 1.

The performance of home teams in the opening game of the First Round is a concern, but the Bucks look to be receiving enough points to at least keep this one close on the scoreboard. They may not quite steal away home court advantage, although for the sake of the NBA Picks we just need Milwaukee to continue to play the Indiana Pacers as hard as they have all season.

LA Clippers @ Denver Nuggets Game 1 Pick: Two years ago, the Denver Nuggets were a strong NBA Champion, but things like this are quickly forgotten in the fast-moving world of sports.

Head Coach Michael Malone was on course to guide the Nuggets to another Playoff run, but has been surprisingly fired just days before the end of the regular season. Despite that, the Denver Nuggets have been able to hold onto the Number 4 Seed in the Western Conference and the reward has been getting paired with the LA Clippers, who are about as hot as any team in the NBA.

Both of these teams are loaded with veteran players that have a huge amount of Playoff experience and there are Champions on both sides of the court.

This makes things that much tougher to call and the key for both the Nuggets and the Clippers is that they are coming into the post-season looking healthy. However, there is a history that suggests that some of the key players on both sides of the court have struggled to remain healthy enough for long stretches to take their teams further forward and that is also a concern over the course of a long Series and Playoff run.

There is a pressure on both teams- both the Clippers and Nuggets will be expecting to make a big impact over the next several weeks and a First Round loss would be seen as a huge underachievement.

The regular season meetings were split with two wins each, but it was the Nuggets who won two of their three home games with the LA Clippers.

It is a slight mental edge, even if the Clippers will suggest they are a lot more locked in now than when the teams met in early January and you would be forgiven for believing them. A hot end to the regular season saw the Clippers climb the standings and avoid the Play In Tournament and they will certainly believe this is a Series they can win, home court advantage or not.

Game 1 feels like it might be a slight edge for the Denver Nuggets, especially with Jamal Murray back in the lineup. He can perhaps help open some of the three point shooting spots and the smaller home favourites in Game 1 of the First Round Series have tended to be that much stronger at covering the handicap mark set.

Neither team was shooting badly down the stretch, but playing in Denver is always tough and the Nuggets may just have a bit more energy in the tank with the Clippers likely to take a slight breath having forced their way into the top six in the Western Conference.

With the talent on the Clippers side of the court, it would not be a huge upset if they win and the odds reflect that, but Denver's experience and the tough environment in which they host may just see them come out on top in Game 1.

Detroit Pistons @ New York Knicks Game 1 Pick: Last season they finished as the Number 2 Seed in the Eastern Conference and there were genuine hopes that the New York Knicks would end the incredibly long wait to call themselves NBA Champions again.

The injury bug hit at the wrong time though and the Knicks were running on fumes as they were beaten in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals, although not many New York fans would have expected them to get past the Boston Celtics without key players. They would have liked a shot at the eventual Champions and in 2025 the Knicks go into the Playoff as the Number 3 Seed with the most likely opponent waiting in the next Round being the aforementioned Celtics.

In saying all of that, it would be very foolish of the Knicks to overlook the Number 6 Seeded Detroit Pistons who have had a very strong season. The blend of experience and young talent has propelled this team from finishing with the worst record in the NBA in back to back seasons to almost pushing their way into hosting a First Round Playoff Series.

The upstarts lost their first regular season game with the New York Knicks, but the Pistons have won the last three and there really is not going to be a lot of intimidation about facing this opponent.

Of course the Playoff pressure is very different to playing in the regular season and so the Pistons are going to have to lean on the veterans to guide the likes of Cade Cunningham through the tough moments.

Encouragement can also be taken from the fact that the Knicks do not look as strong Defensively as they have previously and the Pistons will certainly have a chance to put some runs together. Getting back to basics and playing with more intensity on the Defensive side of the court will be the tough challenge laid out in front of the Detroit Pistons having struggled down the stretch, especially as they are going in with a Knicks team that have looked dangerous with the ball in hand.

Jalen Brunson has shown he can step up to the Playoff mark, but he will need support and there is considerable pressure on the shoulders of Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks will need everyone to pull together to ensure they are not the victim of a First Round upset, which will not go down well in Gotham, and they have to be firmly aware that this is a very tough Series coming up.

As mentioned, hosts have dominated Game 1's in recent years in the First Round, but this is a big spread being offered to the Pistons.

After the 7-1 ATS run produced by the home teams last season, it may be foolish to be going against another one, but this feels like too many points. As long as the younger Detroit Pistons are prepared for the occasion, they have played well enough to keep up on the scoreboard and the regular season wins over the Knicks will also give the road team a boost in their bid to steal away home court over the next few days.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers Game 1 Pick: The regular season series was split two wins apiece, but the only game played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves since the Luka Doncic trade ended in a win for the Number 3 Seed.

There are plenty of hopes of a deep Playoff run for the Lakers this season with LeBron James still capable of operating at a high level and having someone like Doncic with him. Last season it was Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks who made the NBA Finals, which included a crushing 4-1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, and the Slovenian superstar is really looking forward to this Series.

We have heard Luka Doncic discuss his trade from the Dallas Mavericks for the first time this past week and he is clearly not very happy with how things went down. However, the focus will now shift into Playoff mode and looking to show the eliminated Mavericks what could have been if they had made the decision to prolong Doncic's stay with a team he loved.

Now all thoughts are with the Lakers and they played some strong Basketball down the stretch to believe they can have a big impact over the coming weeks.

However, there will be a lot of respct for the Minnesota Timberwolves who had a very strong end to the regular season and that allowed them to move into the Number 6 Seed and avoid having to compete in the Play In Tournament over the last few days. They are looking about as healthy as can be hoped and have players like Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle who will want to show their Playoff intensity in a big First Round Series.

It would be a real surprise if this is not a First Round Series that goes at least six games with both the Lakers and Timberwolves showing strong Defensive intensity to go with their Offensive capabilities. Both will want to use that Defensive side of their game to spark things in transition for them up the court and a competitive Series filled with competitive games looks likely.

Home court could prove to be crucial and the Los Angeles Lakers can open up with a win in Game 1.

Being set as a small favourite could see the Lakers become the latest Game 1 host to cover in such a spot with those teams being on a decent run in recent seasons. Overall it has been really tough for those small home favourites to win and cover in the First Round, but Game 1 has proven to be the best spot and you have to feel the week between games could mean the fans play a big part to push the home players into a position to win.

Rhythm is so important in a League where the three point shooting trend continues to dominate and Luke Doncic and LeBron James may just outperform Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle in the opener. It will be close and the spread should be in play right down to the wire, but the feeling is that the Lakers will find a way to win and likely hit a couple of Free Throws to ensure the cover.

Sunday 20th April

Memphis Grizzlies @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1 Pick: At one stage it looked like the Memphis Grizzlies were going to do enough to finish as one of the top six Seeds in the Western Conference, but ultimately they were forced to use the Play In Tournament.

Losing the first game to the Golden State Warriors meant having to play an elimination game on Friday, although the biggest impact is that the Memphis Grizzlies have to face the Number 1 Seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the First Round of the Playoff.

Beating the Dallas Mavericks in the manner they did will have given the Grizzlies confidence and they will be glad to have Ja Morant available as he prepares to play through the pain. He was important in the relatively comfortable win over the Mavericks, and Memphis are going to need Morant at his best if they are going to find a way to upset the odds.

This has not been the best match up for the Grizzlies with nine straight losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, including all four games played in the regular season. Worse is how largely uncompetitive those games were with 13 points the closest margin of victory.

It is an early Sunday slot for the Number 8 Seed, which also makes it tougher and they are facing what has been the best team in the Western Conference by some distance through the regular season. There is pressure on the Thunder to make sure they back that up and reach the NBA Finals at the very least, especially after being upset as the Number 1 Seed in the Western Conference Finals last year.

They were also upset in Game 1 of the First Round Series with the Number 8 Seeded New Orleans Pelicans so there is going to be something for the Thunder to think about ahead of this opening Playoff game.

However, you have to believe the experiences of last season are only going to benefit the Oklahoma City Thunder and they can come out with more intensity against an opponent they will know can be very dangerous.

Big home favourites have really performed well in the First Round of the Playoff over the last ten years and the Oklahoma City Thunder may continue that trend.

The Grizzlies will want to give the Number 1 Seed something to think about, but this is an opponent that has won plenty of games by wide margins all season and they can do that again.

Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtic Game 1 Pick: They didn't just get over the line, but the Boston Celtics dominated the NBA on the way to the Championship in 2024.

This season was never going to travel the same way, but there is little doubt that the Celtics have turned their intensity up over the last couple of months. It is the kind of form that has Boston set as favourites to win the Eastern Conference, despite being down as the Number 2 Seed.

They may have been hoping for a slightly 'easier' First Round Series than facing the Orlando Magic, a team that have been hit hard by injury and that being a key factor as to why they failed to finish in the top six. They crushed the Atlanta Hawks to earn the Number 7 Seed in the Eastern Conference and the Magic did push the Cleveland Cavaliers all the way in the First Round last season and so have that Playoff experience that can be so important at this time of the year.

Jaylen Brown is set to be involved for the Celtics, which is a huge boost, and they do continue to be an efficient Offensive unit with the Defensive intensity to wear down opponents.

A rested Boston team saw their back up players blown out by the Orlando Magic earlier this month, but the home win over Orlando came in blowout fashion and the Celtics are capable of doing that to anyone they face.

The Magic were playing well as the regular season wound down, even if they were not quite able to get up into the top six in the Eastern Conference. That will give the confidence and they are a team that are willing to double down Defensively and try and grind it out where it is needed.

Doing that against the Boston Celtics is never going to be easy and the home team may become the latest to secure a win and cover as a big host favourite in the First Round of the Playoff. As long as they can find their rhythm from the three point range, Boston may be able to do what they need to in order to pull clear of the underdog.

Miami Heat @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 Pick: There is a history between these two teams which is based around The Decision when LeBron James took his talent from Cleveland to South Florida.

That is past history now and LeBron James helped both teams win a NBA Championship.

This year the Number 1 Seeded Cleveland Cavaliers move into the post-season with real ambitions to win the NBA Championship again, although they have only had a couple of days to prepare for this opponent. Some may not have believed the Miami Heat would earn the Number 8 Seed having entered the Play In Tournament after finishing tenth in the Eastern Conference and ultimately becoming the first team to reach the Playoff after beginning in that position.

Limited preparation time can be an issue, especially as you can just guarantee that the well Coached Miami Heat will have had a plan for Game 1 of this First Round Series before winning the Number 8 Seed elimination game on Friday. Eric Spoelstra will be aware of the challenge that his team faces, but the Heat have come through the Play In Tournament previously and still managed to make a big impact in the Playoff.

They are always going to be a threat when Coached as well as they are, although the feeling remains that Miami are missing someone who can take over any game. Those players are so important in the post-season, and that is certainly going to be something that may hurt Miami when facing the top Seed in the Conference.

Some of the best players on the Cleveland roster have not played for a number of days, which can be a concern, but the Cavaliers are set as a big favourite and those teams have thrived in the First Round of the Playoffs.

The Heat were involved in a couple of relative competitive losses to Cleveland in the regular season, but they were blown out in the other and the Cavaliers may do just enough to move past this big line.

Monday 21st April

Detroit Pistons @ New York Knicks Game 2 Pick: There is going to be some regret in the Detroit Pistons locker room having allowed a 21-0 run through the Fourth Quarter that turned what looked like being a road win into a defeat in Game 1 of this First Round Series. Things spiralled out of their control and a team that had been in a strong position were beaten and failed to cover, despite the points they had been given on the spread.

This is one of the First Round Series being played with just a day of rest between Game 1 and Game 2 and all eyes will be on the young Pistons to see how they have handled throwing away the opening Playoff game.

Veterans will remind the team that the only thing that matters is reaching four wins before the New York Knicks, but getting back to Detroit at 1-1 feels important.

The home team will certainly believe they cannot play as poorly as they did in Game 1 and that should give the New York Knicks the impetus to back up the victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. Jalen Brunson looked to have hurt his ankle again during the win, but his performance in the Fourth Quarter has given New York the belief that he has avoided any issue that may keep him out.

After coming from behind to win, the Knicks have to enter Game 2 believing they have more room for improvement and that may give them the spark to really put their Playoff experience on the table. That has always been important in the NBA and home teams that have won Game 1 have a very good record of backing that up with another win in Game 2.

Since 2016, Game 1 home winners are 31-14 against the spread in Game 2 and the momentum feels firmly in favour of the Knicks in this First Round Series. A stronger start will help and the home team may be ready to head across to Detroit with a big lead in the First Round Series later this week.

LA Clippers @ Denver Nuggets Game 2 Pick: This First Round Series was tipped to be a highly competitive affair and Game 1 may just underline how close things are going to be when the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers meet.

It will feel like a blow to the road team that they were not able to convert the victory having led by double digits in the Fourth Quarter, but this is a veteran loaded Clippers roster and they will be looking to bounce back. James Harden had a big game, but foul trouble was an issue and a cleaner game could see the Clippers bounce back and square up the Series before heading home for two games.

It was far from a perfect game from the Denver Nuggets, the 2023 NBA Champions, but they found the right plays at the right time and eventually came through in Overtime. Russell Westbrook and Jamal Murray showed up late and both were important in helping the Nuggets come through with a very narrow win and that will have given the team plenty of confidence and belief.

Like the visitors, the Denver Nuggets have plenty of experience to call upon and that will help them, but both are veteran teams and so there is some concern about fatigue building up in Game 2. Both would have certainly hoped that Game 2 had been scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, but instead the Nuggets and Clippers meet again with a day of rest between games and in what is usually sapping conditions.

Adjustments will be made and Denver will take further encouragement from how well home teams have played in Game 2 after winning Game 1. However, the Clippers ended the season in the kind of form to think they can clean up one or two issues that will enable them to just ensure they do not blow another big lead.

You may think a narrow loss would negatively impact a team, but those playing after a defeat by less than 4 points have a 35-18-2 record against the spread in their next game. When those teams are set between - 5 and + 5 favourite/underdog, those bounce back teams have a 21-8-2 record against the spread and the Clippers may have the experience to become the latest to add to that trend.

The two teams should both have the confidence and experience to believe they can be stronger in Game 2 than they were in Game 1 and that should mean another competitive game, albeit one that ends in favour of the road team this time.

Tuesday 22nd April

Milwaukee Bucks @ Indiana Pacers Game 2 Pick: There is still a real feeling that this is going to be a First Round Series that will be played very competitively, despite the blowout loss suffered by the Milwaukee Bucks at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in Game 1.

A lack of scoring really hurt the Bucks and they are going to need the starters to step up if they want to return home with the Series level at 1-1.

Giannis Antetokounmpo did his part, but the remaining starters struggled to produced as well as expected and ultimately that led to a heavy loss. Adjustments will need to be made, although the Bucks may just benefit from having a returning Damian Lillard joining the rotation on Tuesday.

Even if Lillard is not up to his best level, which has to be expected after such a long time out of competitive action, overall the Bucks have to believe they are going to be better than what they showed in Game 1.

Adjustments will also be made by the Indiana Pacers, which is so important within any Playoff Series and the blowout win in Game 1 usually bodes well for how a team will perform in Game 2 of the First Round of the Playoff.

They may feel they can shoot more efficiently from the three point range, but the Pacers only allowed five turnovers in the win over Milwaukee and doing that again will be very challenging for the team. Games between these two have been hugely competitive all season and the blowout in Game 1 was atypical from what has been seen before.

There are some trends that favour the Pacers and them backing up their Game 1 win with another in Game 2 to take a firm grip of this Series. Blowout losses have tended to be followed by strong wins, but this Milwaukee Bucks team is better than what has been seen when they underachieved in the opener and they can produce a much more competitive performance all around.

Memphis Grizzlies @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2 Pick: While the expectation is that this First Round Series will be won by the Oklahoma City Thunder, no one could have expected Game 1 to end in the manner it did.

At one stage it was trending to be the widest Playoff win of all time, and the 51 point win will only have given the Thunder that much more confidence.

Ja Morant has stated that his team will not play that badly again, but the real concern for the Grizzlies has to be that they lost a game in which Shai Gilgeous-Alexander failed to perform at the level expected. Some of the poorer numbers are down to the fact that Gilgeous-Alexander was not needed for the entirety of Game 1, but the Grizzlies have to be worried that more is to come from the top player on the Thunder roster.

For the home team, the focus has to be on noting that they have only won one game in the Series and so much more work is still in front of them.

Some have already stated that the Thunder have to think they won Game 1 and not worry about the eventual margin with a single point win meaning the same as a 50 point win and there is going to be a test for Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 with things expected to be more competitive.

However, the Thunder have dominated this opponent throughout this season and that is much more difficult to ignore.

Covering this mark will not be easy, but the Thunder will look to continue the strong trend of how teams perform when set as home favourites of at least 8.5 points in the First Round of the Playoffs. Add in how much teams have struggled when playing after a loss of at least 12 points in the opening Round of the post-season and the feeling is that Memphis will be much closer in this one, but ultimately find the Thunder have continued their dominance of the meetings between the teams in recent times.

Wednesday 23rd April

Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics Game 2 Pick: The screw was turned in the second half of Game 1 and the Boston Celtics were able to limit the Orlando Magic to just 37 points in what was ultimately a blowout win.

It was not the perfect night with an injury scare for Jayson Tatum, while neither he nor Jaylen Brown had the biggest impact on the game. However, that bodes well for the Celtics and the depth of this roster is hard to ignore with so many capable of getting hot from the three point line.

Expectations are that both Tatum and Brown have a bigger impact on Game 2 as long as both are ready to suit up.

And that just places the pressure on the Orlando Magic who have come through the Play In Tournament and who had been in fine form down the stretch in the regular season. Both Paolo Banchero and Frank Wagner had impacts in Game 1, but the Magic know they need others to step up in support and that remains the big issue with some of the key players on the roster absent through injury.

Slight improvements in the three point shooting will help and the Magic would also like to force their way onto the Free Throw line to see if they can just slow momentum in their favour.

All of that is going to be challenging having been heavily beaten at the TD Garden twice already this season and Orlando may struggle to remain competitive in this one too.

Backing the Under in Game 2 of the First Round Playoff Series when a team is set as a double digit favourite has been very fruitful in recent years, but this total is set below 200 and that is easily surpassed. However, the respect for the Boston Celtics Defensive unit means that market is avoided and instead backing the home team to secure another big win feels the better option.

Big home favourites continue to thrive in the First Round of the Playoff and, like the Oklahoma City Game 2 being played on Tuesday, it should be noted that teams playing after blowout losses have struggled to be competitive against the spread in their next game.

The number is similar to the one set for Game 1 and Boston may do enough to cover again.

Miami Heat @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game 2 Pick: Some in-game adjustments helped the Miami Heat get close to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Fourth Quarter, but ultimately the Number 1 Seed had a bit too much for the first Number 10 Ranked team to earn a spot in the Playoff through the Play In Tournament.

You have to believe Eric Spoelstra will be encouraged by some of what he saw in he loss in Game 1 and so taking a similar Defensive approach from the off might be the key for the Miami Heat.

Cleveland may have hit 18 three pointers in Game 1, but those arrived at a 42% mark and the Cavaliers may still be a little out of rhythm with that shot. Donovan Mitchell has returned after some time off and the rest of the starters had been given a break that meant not playing competitive Basketball for a week, while the Cavaliers were a little more inconsistent shooting from beyond the arc down the stretch.

Over their last five games, Cleveland have been hitting the three pointer at 40% and Spoelstra may want his Heat team to dare the hosts to beat them from the distance in Game 2. He will have been disappointed with the amount of points Cleveland were able to generate inside the paint in Game 1 and finding the right balance on this side of the court is the challenge.

Overall Miami did not play badly in Game 1- they had too many turnovers and that was added to being out-rebounded, which is why the game eventually got away from them.

They did shoot the ball well, but there is a First Round Playoff trend that works against them with teams that have shot at least 40% of three pointers and losing going 16-33-1 against the spread in their next game.

As is the case wth the other First Round Series that began on Sunday, we once again have a big home favourite (8.5 points or higher) and those continue to not only win games, but cover the spread too. And Miami are the latest team trying to bounce back from a blowout loss, which is another trend that works against them.

With a Cleveland team likely to be in better shape all around after putting a competitive game back under their legs, even the well-Coached Miami team may not have enough to keep up on the scoreboard for a second game in succession.

Golden State Warriors @ Houston Rockets Game 2 Pick: They may have had to enter the Play In Tournament to earn a place in the post-season, but no one wanted to see the veteran loaded Golden State Warriors.

Not only are they are experienced, but they have NBA Champions who know how to get things done at this time of the season and the addition of Jimmy Butler has only sparked the team further. Beating the Memphis Grizzlies last week meant avoiding the Oklahoma City Thunder in the First Round and the Warriors may just be capable of picking up momentum to produce a truly special run.

Opening up with a road win at the Houston Rockets means the Warriors have already achieved all they would have set out to do in the opening two games of this First Round Series. Now they have a chance to take a stranglehold of this Series by beating the younger, inexperienced Houston Rockets for a second time before returning home in a bid to close out a spot in the Western Conference Semi Finals.

Head Coach Steve Kerr will be making some adjustments to counter what is to come from the Houston Rockets, who have ended their five year wait to earn a spot in the Playoff by finishing with the Number 2 Seed.

Four straight losses have just slowed some of the momentum, but there will be no panic in the Houston locker room and they will know that Game 1 was a pretty poor overall performance. They struggled with the three point shot and had too many turnovers, but this team is better at the former and that is key to finding a way to turn things around and level up this First Round Series.

Houston did dominate the boards and they do feel they can be the more physical of the two teams, but a cleaner, more efficient game is needed and that is going to be challenging.

Down the stretch, the Golden State Warriors were playing about as well as anyone in the Western Conference and so the Seeding has to be ignored. They will certainly feel they have the players to make the big shots when needed, but there is a feeling that this may be job done for a veteran group and that the attention may already be on protecting home court.

The Rockets have beaten the Golden State Warriors twice at home during the regular season, including earlier this month as the latter were pushing for a place in the top six. With the Playoff atmosphere now being felt by the team, Houston should be better in Game 2 and this time they can win at home and cover the spread set.

Thursday 24th April

New York Knicks @ Detroit Pistons Game 3 Pick: Blowing Game 1 in the manner they did will have had an impact on the young Detroit Pistons, but all credit needs to be given to the team for bouncing back as they did in Game 2.

For all of the ups and downs, the Pistons will have left New York feeling they have done what they would have wanted and that is having home court advantage through the remainder of the First Round Series.

It is all about 'holding serve' over the next few days for Detroit who will play Game 3 and Game 4 at home- they have a solid record against the New York Knicks, which will give them confidence, but there is no doubt that the road team will want to have a big reaction to a really disappointing overall effort in the Game 2 loss.

There was so much to dislike- dominated on the boards, too many turnovers and a really poor 10/35 shooting effort from the three point range all contributed to the narrow loss. Most worrying for fans was seeing Karl-Anthony Towns produce 10 points and 6 boards, the kind of Playoff performance that was far too common in his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Head Coach Tom Thibodeau made it clear that Mitchell Robinson had been given significant playing time for his Rebounding effort and KAT has something to prove here.

The feeling is that the Knicks may have won if Jalen Brunson had been given the support expected from Karl-Anthony Towns and so there is pressure on a player that was supposed to lift the Knicks forward when the trade was made in the off-season.

Both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson had big outings in Game 2 and they will lead their respective teams again, but it is the performance of KAT that feels key.

There is room for improvement for the Pistons too having struggled with their own three pointers, but the intensity around the boards was impressive and dominating those numbers again will give the Pistons the advantage.

They are not in the best spot though, especially with a reaction expected from the Number 3 Seeded Knicks.

Game 3 hosts have not had a very good time in the First Round of the Playoffs, even if playing after a win in Game 2.

This is also a spread that is set within a small section where hosts have struggled- those favoured or set as the underdog of between plus and minus 4 points have produced a 7-19-1 record against the spread in Game 3 since 2017 and they are only 8-19 straight up.

The Pistons may feel best placed to overcome that trend having beaten the Knicks four times in the last five meetings between these teams, but New York have the Playoff experience to immediately recover home court advantage by winning this one on the road.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies Game 3 Pick: Even before the first tip off in this First Round Series, the feeling was that the Number 1 Seed in the Western Conference would really enjoy the match up.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be grateful that they are facing the Memphis Grizzlies rather than the potentially awkward Golden State Warriors in the First Round and back to back dominant wins has pushed the Thunder 2-0 clear already.

It was not really making a big statement when Ja Morant announced that the Memphis Grizzlies would not play as poorly as they did in Game 1- the reality is they were beaten by historical levels in that 51 point loss and the only way was upwards from there.

However, the Grizzlies were not really that much more competitive in the blowout loss in Game 2 and it is going to take a monumental effort for Memphis to turn this Series around.

The real worry for Memphis has to be the fact they have lost both games without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing near to the levels that he has shown all season. A player who averaged 32.7 points per game is shooting at 32.6% in this First Round Series and yet the Thunder have still crushed Memphis twice.

Expecting SGA to be quiet for the entirety of this Series is perhaps asking too much and the Oklahoma City Thunder will head into the next two games of this Series with the full belief of trying to complete passage into the Conference Semi Finals before heading home for some rest.

More adjustments will be made by the hosts, but this is a tough spot for Memphis who have lost all six games against the Number 1 Seed by double digits this season.

Teams have struggled to compete after blowout losses in the First Round of the Playoffs and even the change in venue may not change the fortunes of the Grizzlies.

Hosts that lost Game 2 have a 13-18 record against the spread in Game 3, while those given at least 4.5 points as a home underdog have a 7-12-1 record against the spread since 2013.

Those playing on the road and being asked to lay at least 4.5 points have a 37-18-1 record against the spread in the First Round of the Playoff and it feels silly to move away from the Oklahoma City Thunder now.

Denver Nuggets @ LA Clippers Game 3 Pick: Both games in this First Round Series have come down to the wire, but the LA Clippers have stolen home court advantage away from the Denver Nuggets. They would have hoped to have won Game 1, but the Clippers showed some confidence in their own ability by doing enough to secure the win in Game 2.

Veteran players look healthy at a good time for the Clippers and the performances over the last couple of months makes them dangerous in the post-season.

Everything is about 'holding serve' over the next few days and making sure they return to Denver with a lead in the First Round Series and the LA Clippers will believe they are in a good position to do that at the Intuit Dome. They piled up the home wins to avoid falling into the Play In Tournament and the Clippers have to feel that the Denver Nuggets are not nearly as tough when playing on the road as they are in their historically strong home conditions.

There wasn't a significant difference between the home and road record in the regular season, but Denver need to find more from their depth if they are going to win this Series. The starters played well in Game 2 and Russell Westbrook had an influence from the bench, but the rest of the roster will find it that much tougher to perform on the road.

Losing an experienced Head Coach in Michael Malone will test the quality of adjustments that Denver can make having narrowly come up short in Game 2 and they are in a tough spot here.

Teams that won Game 2 and return home for Game 3 have not had the best record, but hosts favoured by at least 4.5 points have put together a 14-4 run against the spread since 2013. This is something that the Clippers can extend having yet put together a total game and they will certainly feel they have the momentum having looked the stronger team in both games to open this First Round Series.

Friday 25th April

Boston Celtics @ Orlando Magic Game 3 Pick: Jayson Tatum was considered a doubt for Game 2 just twenty-four hours before tipoff having been hurt during Game 1, but without having to miss any playing time. The Boston Celtics know how important the star player is going to be to their chances of picking up another NBA Championship and it was decided that it would make most sense to give Jayson Tatum some rest time as he missed a Playoff game for the first time in his career.

The 9 point win looks closer than the way the game played out and the Boston Celtics are 2-0 ahead as the First Round Series moves to Florida for two game. In reality, this gives Boston an opportunity to have Tatum travel, but they perhaps will not use him in Game 3 and ensure he is fully resting the wrist issue picked up in the Game 1 win.

Jaylen Brown should be given credit for stepping up having produced more than double the points he had in Game 1 as he made sure the absence of Jayson Tatum was not felt too keenly. Of course the Celtics have plenty on the roster who are more than capable on their day and it was balanced around Brown, albeit with room for improvement in Game 3.

They did not shoot the three ball very well in Game 2 and not as they did in their Game 1 blowout win, but it was still enough to deal with Orlando who are now under some pressure.

Paolo Banchero and Frank Wagner are trying to do what they can, but it is clear that there hasn't been enough support around them. In saying that, you do have to wonder if both players need to have more belief in their team-mates that are healthy to compete with the two combining for more than half of the shots taken by Orlando for a second game in a row.

Defensive adjustments made by Boston saw them double and sometimes triple-teaming Banchero to get the ball out of his hands, while the struggles from three point range meant the Celtics could stick with the plan.

Playoff atmosphere can be tough for players to deal with, especially on the road, but role players have tended to be much better in their home environment. That is going to be encouraging for the Magic, who beat Boston in both home games in the regular season, but this is not a good spot for those teams that may feel overmatched in the First Round Series.

Game 3 hosts playing after a loss have a poor record, while those being given at least 4.5 points as the underdog have a 7-12-1 record against the spread in this spot. Overall road favourites of at least 4.5 points have a very productive win-loss record against the spread in the First Round of the Playoff and it feels like the Boston Celtics can take firm control of the Series by moving onto the hill of progressing to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals.

Indiana Pacers @ Milwaukee Bucks Game 3 Pick: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity, but going to the well one more time with the Milwaukee Bucks is the plan in this First Round Series.

Truthfully they never looked like getting near the Indiana Pacers in Game 1, but the Milwaukee Bucks may feel they missed an opportunity having dragged themselves back to within 2 points in Game 2 and with under three minutes remaining. Two huge shots from the Pacers killed the momentum though and it was Indiana who covered for a second time in the First Round Series.

They now look in a very strong position with a 2-0 lead before heading to Milwaukee, but the Pacers still have some questions to answer as they bid to at least match the run to the Eastern Conference Finals produced last year. Despite moving through two Playoff Series, the Pacers finished with a 2-7 road record in the post-season and facing challenges on the road was the story of the regular season.

Indiana were beaten twice on the road in Milwaukee during the regular season and there is going to be a hostile atmosphere waiting for them after two chippy games already in the Series.

However, the Pacers will take great confidence from the fact their depth has really shone through and they have literally led for the entirety of both games played. That has to give the players a lot of confidence, while the Pacers will be full of beans after two very strong shooting displays and being really good with taking care of the turnovers in Game 2.

All of the pressure is on Head Coach Doc Rivers as he looks to make the adjustments to turn things back around for the Milwaukee Bucks. Having Damian Lillard back in the lineup is very important, and the Bucks will feel it was the turnovers that ultimately cost them in Game 2 as they looked to level this First Round Series.

Cleaning those up is important, although Milwaukee are in an unenviable spot having shot the three ball well enough in Game 2 and losing, which has proven to be a tough spot to bounce back from in the First Round of the Playoff. Those teams are only 16-33-1 against the spread in their following game since 2016, while Game 3 hosts playing after a defeat have also struggled.

However, the Bucks have been set as a big favourite and those Game 3 hosts are the ones that have thrived in recent times with those teams going 14-4 against the spread since 2014. The home environment should be a big help and you have to wonder if the Indiana role players can be as effective in these kind of Playoff atmospheres rather than those played at home.

With those two home regular wins behind them, the Bucks just perhaps need to take care of the ball a bit more to turn the tables on Indiana. Damian Lillard should be better with a competitive game under his feet and the Milwaukee Bucks may do enough to secure a cover and overcome some of the negative trends that a team in their situation have previously struggled with.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 3 Pick: When looking at the match ups before the First Round began, this Series had the potential to go very long and with the underdog likely to have a bite to match the bark.

All doubt about that was removed after Game 1 when the Minnesota Timberwolves trampled the Los Angeles Lakers to steal away home court advantage immediately. As good as they were in Game 1, the Timberwolves struggled massively in Game 2 and the shooting numbers are night and day between the two games with the Lakers having enough to level the Series before we move to Minnesota for two games.

The question now becomes which Minnesota Timberwolves team will show up? Will it be the team that had an eye-watering 21 three pointers in Game 1 having produced at 50% from the distance or the one that scored 5 threes in Game 2 at 20%? There was also a big difference on the boards having had ten more in Game 1 compared with Game 2 and some of the credit should of course be given to the Defensive intensity produced by the Los Angeles Lakers.

This First Round Series has been levelled up thanks to a more all-around performance from Luka Doncic who had similar points, but a lot more assists to take the Lakers forward. His experiences of playing the Timberwolves in the post-season last year will help, although Doncic will also be looking for a bit more support from LeBron James and Austin Reaves.

Despite the win, the Lakers will also seem room for improvement having also struggled with their three point shooting, although they may feel their overall level has been much steadier through two games. This was a team that finished the regular season looking very capable of having a deep Playoff run and the Lakers will look to take back home court advantage over the next few days.

It is this spot that may suit them best to do that.

As mentioned in other previews, Game 3 hosts have historically struggled and most when playing after a Game 2 defeat, while those set between 4 point plus or minus spreads have a 7-19-1 record against the spread in this spot since 2017. That cannot be ignored and will be a challenge for Minnesota to overcome, and memories of Luka Doncic having 65 points and 21 assists in the first two games at Target Center to open the Western Conference Finals will not have been forgotten.

Pre-Luka Doncic Los Angeles Lakers did lose twice here in the regular season, but they may be in a spot to do much better in Game 3 of this First Round Series.

Saturday 26th April

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Miami Heat Game 3 Pick: You always know that a Miami Heat team Coached by Eric Spoelstra will never feel beaten and the current roster showed all of their character, grit and determination as they battled back against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2.

Relentlessness on the Defensive side of the court helped the Heat close a huge gap that had developed during the first half and they moved into the Fourth Quarter believing they could earn the upset and level the Series.

Ultimately Donovan Mitchell showed why the Cleveland Cavaliers finished with the Number 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference by taking over and making some key buckets to prevent the momentum completely turning against this team. He is one of a number of starters capable of doing that and the Cavaliers will be very tough to stop in this First Round Series if they even find a slight bit of consistency shooting the three ball.

You could criticise some of the decision making in the Third Quarter, but the Cavaliers will feel pretty good overall after securing the victory. They are now 2-0 ahead in the Series and the Cavaliers are in a very good spot to extend that lead in Game 3.

Everything we have seen from the Miami Heat deserves respect, but the reality is that they do not have the same qualities as the top Eastern Conference team and especially without Jimmy Butler. The team have shown they can come together and have really good patches, but putting a whole game together is tough against an opponent like Cleveland and you have to favour the Cavaliers to take a complete hold of the Series.

The Heat will look to attack the Cavaliers when they have the ball Offensively and just see if they can rattle the top Seed, but the consistency may not be there to do that without a lead figure.

Miami are in a tough spot as a Game 3 host coming in after a defeat, while they are set as a big home underdog which has not been a great position in which to cover. Encouragement can be taken from how the Memphis Grizzlies played in Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they were eventually beaten and the Miami Heat may suffer something similar in pushing the Cavaliers, but ultimately coming up short.

Four straight wins have been produced by Cleveland over the Heat and that momentum looks difficult to shift now.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies Game 4 Pick: Having one day rest after capitulating in Game 3 and allowing the second biggest comeback in NBA Playoff history would have immediately been a huge challenge to overcome for the Number 8 Seed Memphis Grizzlies.

However, that challenge feels so much tougher without Ja Morant who was injured in Game 3 and his departure felt like a key moment in which the game, and ultimately the First Round Series, turned in favour of the Oklahoma City Thunder for good.

It had been a game in which Memphis moved into a 29 point lead when Ja Morant was injured and the Grizzlies could not do much without their top Offensive player in the second half. The Oklahoma City Thunder deserve some credit for that, but you cannot shake the feeling that everything could have been different if Morant was available for the entirety of that Thursday meeting.

He has yet to be ruled out of Game 4, but the oddsmakers are not expecting Morant to suit up and the Thunder will not want to have to play a Game 5 at home. There is still some room for improvement for the Number 1 Seed, who are going to face much sterner challenges as the Playoffs continue, but they have broken the back of the Series and the broomsticks should be out on Saturday with the short turnaround between Game 3 and Game 4.

Hosts who have been given at least 3.5 points as the underdog in Game 4 have a poor 13-24-1 record against the spread since 2013, although Memphis are receiving plenty of points here. Even then, it is hard to know how they find the scoring power to keep this one close against a Number 1 Seed that is looking to close the Series out and earn significant rest and preparation time before the Western Conference Semi Final Series begin.

Top seeds in close out games are 17-7 against the spread in the last twenty-four tries in the First Round, while teams trailing 0-3 are just 15-20-1 against the spread in Game 4 in this Round.

Covering this huge number will not be easy, but the momentum is with the Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies may struggle after the deflation of losing Game 3 in the manner they did and without their top player suiting up.

Denver Nuggets @ LA Clippers Game 4 Pick: The Denver Nuggets came out in Game 3 smoking with almost everything hitting over the first eight minutes of the First Quarter. Once the LA Clippers got over the initial punch in the mouth, the hosts dominated and they are now looking to move into a 3-1 lead before the Series shifts back to Colorado for Game 5.

Almost all of the adjustments have to be made by the Denver Nuggets, and that is not going to be easy without a permanent Head Coach following the firing of Michael Malone earlier this month.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are contributing as expected, but the reality is that the Clippers could not care less about that.

Instead the focus has been on shutting down the complementary players and this Clippers Defensive unit have shown they can do that very well. Aaron Gordon had a very strong opening Quarter in Game 3, but was largely ineffective after that and the 34 point win produced by the Clippers was thanks to shutting down everyone that was not playing with Jokic or Murray written on the back of the jersey.

Changing that momentum will be tough for the Nuggets who could be without Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr for Game 4 and that would really shift this Series in favour of the Clippers. For many LA fans, the feeling has been that their team has been the stronger in all three games played anyway, but the depth of the Nuggets roster will be compromised significantly if they have to go in short-handed for Game 4.

There is a really nice balance to what the Clippers are doing right now and none of the team scored more than 21 points in the blowout win on Thursday to underline that statement. With the experience on the roster, all the fans will want is for the Clippers to have a healthy run for as long as they are in the post-season and you just never know how far they could potentially go.

Everything points to the Clippers taking that 3-1 lead in this Series as long as they continue to focus.

Teams playing after blowout losses have continued to struggle in the First Round and the Denver Nuggets may have issues changing that if they are not able to get the role players going.

Denver also shot 40% from the field in the Game 3 loss and teams that have shot less than 41% in the First Round have followed up with a really poor 52-77-3 record against the spread before the post-season began in 2025. There just feels like a lot for the Nuggets to do against a Clippers team playing with the Defensive intensity we have seen and with the Offensive players capable of making the big plays.

Spreading the ball around has been hugely important for the home team and the Clippers may move to the brink of earning a spot in the Western Conference Semi Finals with another strong win at the Intuit Dome.

Sunday 27th April

New York Knicks @ Detroit Pistons Game 4 Pick: There were plenty of late game shenanigans in Game 3 that frustrated both the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks, but ultimately it was the road team who took back home court advantage. Now they go for a 3-1 lead before heading back to Madison Square Garden as the Knicks prepare for a second game in the hostile environment being created by the Detroit fans.

In an ideal world, the Knicks will be able to close the Series before having to head back here, but they will be expecting a reaction from the Detroit Pistons after the narrow Game 3 win.

The Pistons made some big runs in the narrow loss, but they were undone by a balanced New York Offensive unit. Adjustments that need to be made by the home team is finding a way to get Malik Beasley back in rhythm and produce from the three point arc as he has for much of the season.

Those points could be crucial in what is expected to be another tough, gritty game and the New York Knicks have to be preparing for a big effort from the Pistons to avoid falling into that desperate 3-1 down spot.

We saw in Game 2 that Detroit can bounce back from defeats, while those teams who have suffered losses by less than 4 points have recovered to produce a 35-18-2 record against the spread in their next game. If they are set between 5 points as a favourite or an underdog, those teams have a 21-8-2 record against the spread in their next game and so the Pistons have a bit of history on their side.

Hosts in Game 4 of the First Round of the Playoffs that have been set between 3 points as a favourite and underdog have a 20-9-1 record against the spread since 2013 and the Pistons have matched up well with the New York Knicks all season. If they can get that three point going through Beasley, the Pistons may be ready to head to Madison Square Garden with the First Round Series tied.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 4 Pick: Game 3 was close right down to the wire, but a late surge from the Minnesota Timberwolves saw them pull away from the Los Angeles Lakers and take a 2-1 lead in this First Round Series.

Game 4 is played with just one day of rest between games and that has to be an advantage for Minnesota, especially if Luka Doncic remains limited.

A sickness made it a tough night for Luka Doncic on Friday and the limited recovery time is far from ideal. Adding to that is the amount of minutes the starters had to log in Game 3 as they looked to help the Lakers retake home court advantage through the First Round Series and now there has to be a serious concern that the Number 3 Seed will be on the brink of being eliminated next time they play in front of the home fans.

So many numbers pointed to Minnesota in Game 3 and it is perhaps a surprise that the Lakers were able to hang in and almost pull the outright upset. That effort to keep the game close and bid to take the lead in the First Round Series has to have an impact in Game 4, especially with the limited time of recovery, and the Timberwolves look to have all of the momentum.

Small home favourites have struggled in the First Round of the Playoffs in recent history, but Minnesota covered this number in Game 3 and they may have the momentum to do the same here.

All of the pressure is on the Los Angeles Lakers to pick themselves up and that is going to be tough with a short rotation being used.

You can never rule out the likes of Luka Doncic and LeBron James considering the depth of Playoff experience both have and that is perhaps contributing to a smaller than expected spread in this Game 4. If the Timberwolves produce a similar level to Game 3, they should have the edges to find a late run to pull clear again and they might be ready to move through to the Western Conference Semi Finals again.

Boston Celtics @ Orlando Magic Game 4 Pick: The players and staff have not been happy with the physical approach that the Orlando Magic have taken to this Series, one that has seen a number of Boston Celtics players dealing with ailments. Jayson Tatum was back after missing Game 2, but Jaylen Brown has suffered an injury that may cost him a chance of suiting up for Game 4, while Jrue Holiday was a late scratch.

Adding to the frustration is that the Celtics were extremely cold in the Third Quarter of Game 3 having dominated the first half and that proved to be costly in a narrow loss.

The Celtics will not panic, and that has to be expected from the defending Champions- they will not be too concerned about the one day of rest between games either and the only focus for Boston is to secure a 3-1 lead to take back home and get this Series out of the way as soon as possible.

As mentioned, narrow losers have bounced back incredibly effectively in their next game in the First Round of the Playoffs, while big road favourites have enjoyed this Round prior to this season. We have not seen those road favourites dominating yet in 2025, but Boston will be encouraged by the position they had got into and have to believe they are not going to be as poor shooting the three ball as they were in Game 3.

Orlando will do what Orlando do- they are going to want to bully the Number 2 Seed and see if they can rattle them by playing hard and knocking bodies around. The refs have had their attention called to some of the physicality being used, which Boston feel has crossed a line, but the Celtics are also up for a fight and they are looking to produce a cleaner game all around.

This should be enough to secure the win and the Celtics are playing well enough to cover if the three pointers are landing as expected.

Hosts that are given at least 3.5 points as the underdog in Game 4 of the First Round of the Playoffs have a 13-24-1 record against the spread since 2013 and the Boston Celtics can respond in the manner expected of Champions.

Monday 28th April

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Miami Heat Game 4 Pick: All three games in this First Round Series have been won by the Number 1 Seed and each by at least a nine point margin. The blowout win in Game 3 has pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to a single win from progressing through to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals and they would love to join the Oklahoma City Thunder in becoming a top Seed sweeping through to the next Round.

The performance in Game 3 was particularly impressive without Darius Garland and the Cavaliers will be comfortable on Monday, even if they have to play without Garland again. He is trending in a positive direction in terms of availability, but the Cavaliers showed a very different way in which they could dominate the Miami Heat by using big men to control the paint and open up the shooting lanes for those outside of the three point arc.

You have to believe there will be a reaction from the Miami Heat, but they have looked overmatched in the Series without a top player who is willing to take the game on his back.

The Heat shot the ball pretty well in the Game 3 defeat, which has been a tough spot to deal with when doing so and still losing.

However, it was an inability to prevent the Cavaliers from controlling the rebounding numbers that really hurt Miami, while they made a few more mistakes compared with the road team. Even cleaning those up may not be enough to push this Series back to Cleveland and teams that have fallen 0-3 behind have not had a very good record in covering the spread as they bid to avoid elimination for the first time.

Miami will fight hard and they will try and do whatever they can to avoid an exit in front of their own fans, but it has been a tough Series and Cleveland have not had to be at their ultimate best to win the first three games. A strong start is expected from the hosts, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are capable of keeping tabs with the Heat before taking over the game and they may have the depth and shooting capabilities to cover this line.

Houston Rockets @ Golden State Warriors Game 4 Pick: They had a big lead and the Golden State Warriors had been struggling without Jimmy Butler in the lineup, but underestimating the experience of the Number 7 Seed would be foolish. Steph Curry and company were able to rally and ultimately beat the Houston Rockets to take a 2-1 lead in this First Round Series and they are hoping that Butler will be available in their bid to move into a commanding 3-1 lead.

While there will be some disappointment in the performance, the Houston Rockets have to be confident that they have more to offer after bouncing back from a Game 1 defeat to level the Series before both teams shifted to the home of the Warriors for two games.

Neither team shot the three ball very well in Game 3, but the Rockets will be more disappointed with their overall shooting display and that puts them in a pressurised spot. Teams that have struggled to shoot the ball have really had problems in their next game in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs and that is something that an inexperienced Houston team will have to make adjustments to try and turn things around.

They will still be encouraged by some of the Defensive work that has been produced, but Houston need to find more consistency when they have the ball in their own hands. Returning home at 2-2 is a massive difference compared with being 3-1 behind and Houston will be tasked with putting it all on the line on Monday.

Jimmy Butler does look to be trending towards a return before the Series moves back to Houston and that is important for the Warriors. They need players to step up alongside Steph Curry in their bid to move clear of the higher Seeded opponent, but the feeling is that another tight, competitive game is set to be played out.

Despite the ability of both teams to stack the three pointers together, the total line is extremely low and that is because the layers are expecting both Defensive units to be on top. The Rockets have based their season on the strong depth that can be called upon, but it was the role players who let them down in the defeat in Game 3 and those will be tasked with turning things around.

Playing on the road always makes things more difficult for the role players, but Houston have shown they can recover from a disappointing defeat for the second time in this First Round Series. 

MY PICKS: 19/04 Milwaukee Bucks + 6 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

19/04 Denver Nuggets - 2.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

19/04 Detroit Pistons + 7 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

19/04 Los Angeles Lakers - 4 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

20/04 Oklahoma City Thunder - 12.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

20/04 Boston Celtics - 13.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

20/04 Cleveland Cavaliers - 12.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

21/04 New York Knicks - 6.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

21/04 LA Clippers - 1 Point @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

22/04 Milwaukee Bucks + 4.5 Points @ 1.90 Betfair Sportsbook (1 Unit)

22/04 Oklahoma City Thunder - 14.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

23/04 Boston Celtics - 12.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

23/04 Cleveland Cavaliers - 12 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

23/04 Houston Rockets - 3 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

24/04 New York Knicks - 1 Point @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

24/04 Oklahoma City Thunder - 8.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

24/04 LA Clippers - 5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

25/04 Boston Celtics - 5.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

25/04 Milwaukee Bucks - 5.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

25/04 Los Angeles Lakers + 3.5 Points @ 1.90 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

26/04 Cleveland Cavaliers - 6 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

26/04 Oklahoma City Thunder - 13.5 Points @ 1.83 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

26/04 LA Clippers - 6 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

27/04 Detroit Pistons - 2 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

27/04 Minnesota Timberwolves - 3.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

27/04 Boston Celtics - 7 Points @ 1.91 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

28/04 Cleveland Cavaliers - 8.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

28/04 Houston Rockets + 3.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

First Round: 13-15, - 3.13 Units (28 Units Staked, - 11.18% Yield)

Play In Tournament: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)