On Saturday afternoon, the Cavaliers kicked off the NBA playoffs with a Game 1 victory over the Magic. As expected, defense was on full display as neither team scored 100 points. While the Cavaliers pulled away for a double-digit victory, they still had difficulties scoring over Jonathan Isaac. I’m expecting Isaac to have his fingerprints on Game 2 as well.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets began their title defense with a double-digit victory over the Lakers, their fifth consecutive victory against the Lakers in the playoffs. Reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic had a double-double in the win, but he also got some help from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr as well. They will look to continue that in Game 2 as the Nuggets go for a 2-0 lead.
Find my NBA player props & picks for today below.
NBA Player Prop Picks
In the table below, you'll find each of our NBA staff's top player prop picks from today's slate of games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 7 p.m. ET | |
| 10 p.m. ET | |
| 10 p.m. ET | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Magic vs. Cavaliers
Jonathan Isaac
Over 1.5 Blocks (-150)
By Alex Hinton
In the regular season, Orlando ranked third in Defensive Rating overall and still ranked ninth on the road. Orlando really turns up the defensive pressure when Jonathan Isaac gets into the game. In just 15.8 minutes per game, Isaac averaged 1.2 blocks per game in the regular season. He played 58 games in the regular season, which is his most since the 2018-19 season, although he started just two games.
One of those starts came in the regular season finale against the Bucks. Isaac played 26 minutes in that game and he blocked three shots. With a matchup against Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the first round, head coach Jamahl Mosley opted to start Isaac instead of Wendell Carter Jr.
Isaac played 29 minutes in Game 1 and blocked three shots, one of which was attempted by Allen. Just as important, he made two of his four 3-point attempts and provided spacing at the other end. While Isaac is out there because he is an impactful defender, he will be in line for even more minutes if he is contributing offensively as well.
Isaac is +195 for three blocks on FanDuel tonight. However, he can cash this line with two tonight. If he plays 25 minutes or more again, I like his chances of doing so.
Pick: Jonathan Isaac Over 1.5 Blocks (-150)
Lakers vs. Nuggets
Jamal Murray
Over 7.5 Assists (+114)
By Alex Hinton
In four games against the Lakers this season, the Nuggets are averaging 117.7 points per game. Nikola Jokic had 11 assists in the first meeting, but since then, his assists have been declining with nine, seven and seven assists in the last three meetings. Conversely, Jamal Murray had six assists in the first meeting, but since then, he has recorded double-digit assists in each of the last three meetings, including 10 in Game 1.
In last year's Western Conference Finals, Murray lit the Lakers up with 30 points in the first three games and 25 points in Game 4. Murray would go on to score fewer than 20 points in three of the five games against the Heat in the NBA Finals. In that series, Murray saw a lot of Gabe Vincent, and there is a case to be made that the Lakers signed Vincent last offseason in part to defend Murray.
Vincent played just eight minutes in Game 1, but I would not be surprised if he saw more minutes tonight. Starting point guard D'Angelo Russell shot just 6-for-20 from the field and 1-for-9 from distance. Dating back to last year's series, Russell is 3-for-24 from 3 against the Nuggets. Russell is not a good defender, so if he is not hitting shots, it is hard to see him playing 41 minutes again, especially if containing Murray is a goal.
Murray drew a lot of attention from the Lakers on Saturday, but he had no problem picking apart their defense as a facilitator as he finished with 10 assists, zero turnovers and 18 potential assists. If he has at least 15 potential assists tonight, he would need his teammates to convert a little more than 50% of them to hit this line. If he does, he may offer some value as well as he is +340 for 10 assists and +950 for 12 assists on FanDuel.
Pick: Jamal Murray Over 7.5 Assists (+114)
Lakers vs. Nuggets
Michael Porter Jr.
More Than 24.5 Points + Rebounds
By Alex Hinton
A few of Murray's assists may set up baskets for Michael Porter Jr. In the last 10 meetings, Porter Jr. has scored 15 points or more eight times. In the last three meetings, he is averaging 23.6 points per game. In Game 1, Porter Jr. scored 19 points and knocked down three triples.
The Lakers are a team that can be exploited from the perimeter as they were 28th in 3s allowed per game and 24th in 3-point percentage defense in the regular season. Porter Jr. has made three or more 3s in eight of the last 10 meetings while also causing problems on the glass.
Porter Jr. has grabbed at least seven rebounds in each of the last 10 matchups with the Lakers. In that span, he is averaging 9.1 rebounds per game and has five double-doubles. On Saturday night, Porter Jr. pulled down eight rebounds for 27 total points and rebounds combined. That means Porter Jr. has surpassed this projection in six of the last 10 meetings.
In that span, Porter Jr. has averaged 26.3 points and rebounds per game against the Lakers. In three of the misses, he had 23, 24 and 24 points and rebounds combined. His high floor with this prop and his strong track record against the Lakers are a few reasons why I have to back Porter to surpass this projection again tonight.
