Now that the 2024 NBA postseason has begun, the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will be providing daily picks for the duration of the postseason. Sam Quinn will make at least one pick for every game between now and the NBA Finals.
Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
Derrick White has been one of Boston's most reliable sources of offense in this series. He's hit the over on this line in all three games, he's shot 50% or better from the field in all three games, and the matchups favor him quite a bit, as Miami's starting lineup has to be offense-centric with Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier injured. Boston's shooting draws Bam Adebayo away from the rim, and that makes navigating the court for a smaller guard like White far less treacherous. Expect him to keep up his strong series in Game 4. The Pick: White Over 12.5 Points
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Brandon Ingram has gone under this points line in all three of his games against the Thunder, and it's not hard to tell why. Nobody wants to spend 48 minutes in the Dorture Chamber, but the fact that Ingram only recently came back from a knee injury makes the matchup with Oklahoma City's star defender even more difficult. Ingram isn't playing nearly aggressively enough as a result, averaging under 14 shot attempts per game, and while he earned eight free throws in Game 2, he has combined for just five attempts in the other games. This isn't his series. The Pick: Ingram Under 21.5 Points
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
This series almost feels like a spiritual successor to the 2017 NBA Finals. LeBron James facing off with a familiar foe that clearly has a superior roster. That team takes the first two games at home. James fights back and makes things a bit closer at home, and manages to win Game 4 at home to stave off a sweep. But once that series shifted back to Oakland, the Warriors took care of business. Even with Jamal Murray questionable, it's hard to imagine the Nuggets messing around in their home building. The last place they want to be is in Los Angeles for a Game 6, and then, in the absolute nightmare scenario, a winner-take-all matchup against James in Game 7 (which he hasn't lost since 2008). No, expect the Nuggets to go all-out from the start and assert themselves as defending champions in this one. The Pick: Nuggets -7.5
Looking for more NBA coverage? John Gonzalez, Bill Reiter, Ashley Nicole Moss and special guests dive deep into the league's biggest storylines daily on the Beyond the Arc podcast.
