NBA Best Bets: Monday, April 18th

The NBA playoffs are already underway and we have 3 games scheduled for tonight, Monday, April 18th. The Toronto Raptors will attempt to bounce back against the Philadelphia 76ers, whilst the Utah Jazz will try to get a huge 2-0 advantage in their series against the Dallas Mavericks. The final game of the night will see the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets locking horns at Chase Centre after the Warriors took the convincing 123-107 win last time around. Take a look at my 2 Best Bets and analysis below:

NBA Best Bets Monday, April 18th

• Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors: Raptors +7.5 at 1.94
• Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz: Jazz -5.5 at 1.94

Odds as at 2 pm April 18th 2022. Odds may now differ.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors Best Bet

Tue, Apr 19. 00:30 (UK)

The Philadelphia 76ers demolished the Toronto Raptors in their first game of the series by 131-111 at home on Saturday night. The game was never really in question as the 76ers got off to a hot start and held an 8-point lead at the end of the first quarter.  Philly went 16-32 from beyond the arc and netted 29 assists on just 3 turnovers. Tyrese Maxey was their most efficient player with 38 points, followed by Tobias Harris with 26 and James Harden with 22. But the Raptors also played well, scoring 48 points in the paint and shooting 40% on 3-pointers. But this wasn’t enough, as the 76ers were red-hot that night and the Raptors’ defence was powerless to stop them.

The Philadelphia 76ers are certainly a dangerous team, with Harden, Embiid and Maxey capable of carrying the team to victory. However, their defence has been caught off guard multiple times this season with Doc Rivers’ side ranking 12th in defensive rating on the season and the Raptors winning 3 of their 4 encounters in 2021/22. Of course, we are in the playoffs now, and their defensive effort should see a massive increase, but so will their opponents’. The 76ers pulled off an incredible offensive performance against the Raptors on Saturday, but will they be able to do it again?

Well, this is where the Toronto Raptors come in. Nick Nurse’s team ranked 10th in defensive rating during the regular season, as well as 1st in the final 10 games. Their defence wasn’t able to contain the 76ers last time out, but I’m expecting a very different story tonight. Fred VanVleet was very underwhelming in that game with just 18 points and Scottie Barns sustained an ankle injury and is listed as doubtful for this one. Gary Trent JR and Thaddeus Young will also likely miss this game, and Toronto are seen as heavy underdogs at 3.60 odds to win.

So what? The 76ers have covered the spread in just 43.8% of their games as home favourites this season, as well as 45.1% of games coming off a win. Meanwhile, the Raptors have been a top 10 performer as away underdogs, covering in 55.6% of their games, as well as 60.6% of games coming off a loss. The 76ers are heavy favourites and with a whopping 95% of bettors backing them to win tonight, backing them isn’t worth it. The Raptors are a tough team capable of playing excellent defence, and even with injury issues, they are capable of keeping the game close. The 76ers had an amazing shooting night last time around, and I’m expecting a more balanced and tightly-contested game here.

• Selection: Raptors +7.5
• Best Odds: 1.94 (Marathonbet)
• Stakes: 4/10

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Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz Best Bet

Tue, Apr 19. 01:30 (UK)

The Dallas Mavericks are down 1-0 at home after a close 99-93 loss to the Utah Jazz in their first encounter of the playoffs. They split their season series 2-2 in the regular season, with each team protecting home court, but the absence of Luka Doncic was a huge issue for the Mavs last time around. They only shot 28.1% from beyond the arc with just 17 assists and 36 points in the paint. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz completely dominated the glass, grabbing 66 rebounds compared to the Mavs’ 41 and also dominated the paint, scoring 50 points.

The Dallas Mavericks were a solid western conference team all season, finishing the regular season 4th in the standings with 52 wins and 30 losses. They were one of the best defensive teams in the league, ranking 6th in defensive rating and allowing just 104.7 points per game whilst keeping opponents to just 34.4% from beyond the arc. But their offence is severely limited, especially against tough defences that don’t allow a lot of points in the paint, and they only averaged 108.0 points per game. Most of their offensive game plan involved the ball going through Luka Doncic and seeing how he is listed as ‘doubtful’ for tonight’s game, the Mavs will continue struggling to score.

The Utah Jazz finished the regular season 5th in the west with 49 wins and 33 losses, and their final game of the season was a 111-80 blowout against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Jazz have the best offence in the league with a rating of 116.7 on the season, whilst averaging 113.6 points per game. Their first game of the series against the Mavs was a surprisingly tough night for their shooters, going 7/22 from beyond the arc and committing 14 turnovers on just 15 assists. This isn’t something we have seen from the Utah Jazz very often this season, but their tough defence and rebounding saw the game go in their favour.

The Dallas Mavericks are in trouble right now, with their top player Luka Doncic like out for this game, they will have to travel to Salt Lake City hoping to pull off the upset. They are underdogs at 2.85 odds and despite the fact that 80% of bettors are backing the Jazz in this one, the lines haven’t moved much. The Jazz had one of their worst offensive nights last time around against the Mavs, and even in that poor state,  they beat the Mavs by a 6-point margin. They are the better team in this game and all of their key players are healthy and fit to play. I expect the Jazz to bounce back, regain their attacking stride and cover the 5.5 point spread.

• Selection: Jazz -5.5
• Best Odds: 1.94
• Stakes: 5/10

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