Put your game faces on, folks because online NBA betting is starting to get intense. Entering play on Monday, April 25, we've officially reached the point where every first-round 2022 NBA playoff series features a team facing elimination or on the brink of it. This is all to say: The stakes are high.
Two squads, in particular, have the chance to advance as we dig into our newest 2022 NBA playoff picks. The Boston Celtics are trying to sweep Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, while the Philadelphia 76ers will attempt to do what they couldn't on Saturday and put away the scrappy Toronto Raptors.
Before we get to our NBA playoff predictions, here are the latest basketball betting odds heading into games on April 25:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets | -118 | +100 | Boston Celtics |
| Philadelphia 76ers | -310 | +250 | Toronto Raptors |
| Dallas Mavericks | -154 | +130 | Utah Jazz |
Though these odds on the NBA shouldn't move much between now and opening tipoff, they are subject to minor (and frequent) changes throughout the day. Make sure you're double-checking all NBA betting lines prior to settling on a decision.
It also makes a ton of sense at the moment to sift through our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. We've got the lowdown on all the major players in the industry, so you should have no trouble spotting the best 2022 NBA playoff betting sites once you're done.
Will Boston Bid Farewell to Brooklyn in Game 4?
This is the second straight game in which the Celtics are underdogs against the Nets. We didn't buy it the first time around, and we're not going to buy it now.
Sure, a team with Durant and Kyrie Irving should, in theory, be able to take at least one game from Boston. But as this series has shown time and again, Brooklyn doesn't have the depth necessary to combat their defense.
Durant should have a better night. He's been relegated to less than superhuman for much of this series, which is an anomaly for him. At the same time, the Celtics have the length and athleticism to load up on him defensively while also recovering onto the rest of the team when they're put in rotation. This effectively means that Kyrie and the Nets supporting cast have to beat Boston if Brooklyn is going to win any games.
Believe it or not, that's a tall order. The Nets have some accessory shot-makers in Goran Dragic, Patty Mills and Seth Curry, but they all compromise the defense. Meanwhile, Brooklyn's best defensive lineups tend to sacrifice too much floor-spacing at the other end.
All of which puts the Nets in an unsolvable conundrum. Their roster is neither deep nor talented enough to hang with the Celtics—especially now that we know Ben Simmons won't be suiting up for Game 4. This series is inevitably going to end with a Boston victory, and from where we're standing, it might as well happen on Monday.
OSB Prediction: Boston Celtics (+100)
How Much Fight Does Toronto Have Left vs. Philadelphia?
Injuries have shaped much of the Raptors-Sixers series to date. That's not going to change now.
Matisse Thybulle will be back in the Sixers' rotation since they're playing in Philly, which will be a boon for the defense. But superstar Joel Embiid is currently playing through a torn ligament in his right thumb, putting the entire offense into a tenuous position.
Granted, Philly can generate enough scoring between Tobias Harris, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. But if the Raptors don't feel the need to send double-teams at Embiid, it could potentially gum up the entire operation.
Make no mistake, forecasting a Raptors victory is risky. Both Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes are playing at less than 100 percent right now, and it's allowed Philly's defense to key in on Pascal Siakam. Still, we just can't shake the ominous nature of Embiid's injury. And given that you're looking at a 2.5-to-1 payout for the underdog, now feels like an opportune time to roll the dice on Toronto.
OSB Prediction: Toronto Raptors (+250)
Who will Gain Control in the Jazz vs. Mavericks Series?
It initially looked like curtains for the Jazz in Game 4 against the Mavericks. They lost two of the first three games, none of which included Luka Doncic (calf strain) for Dallas. With Luka returning in Game 4, the general consensus was that Utah would be cooked.
Credit the Jazz for hanging tough and juuust barely escaping the fourth quarter to even the series. With that said, their defense in transition and when the Mavs put them in rotation following pick-and-rolls and drive-and-kicks has been terrible. Luka should only get better from here, too.
Bake in the fact Dallas gets to play at home, and we find ourselves tilting heavily towards the Mavs in this one.
OSB Prediction: Dallas Mavericks (-154)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your 2022 NBA playoff betting:
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