NBA Game 1 Best Bets Today | Expert Picks, Player Props, Odds (Saturday, April 20)

Check out our NBA Game 1 best bets today as we're treated to a full day of action with the formal start of the NBA Playoffs.

Our Action Network NBA betting experts have eight best bets for Saturday's four Game 1 matchups, including two sides, two totals and an array of player props. The action kicks off at 1 p.m. ET with Cavaliers vs. Magics and concludes with the Lakers vs. Nuggets nightcap at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Find our NBA Best Bets for those Game 1 matchups on April 20 below.

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NBA Best Bets Today

By Bryan Fonseca

I think this series has the potential to hit a lot of unders. The Magic are somewhat of a junior Knicks team in terms of the havoc they could cause defensively, and that disrupted the Cavs to the point of not being able to break 100 in a single game of last year's first-round series that ended in five.

Ultimately, I'd tilt toward the Cavs winning the series because the Magic offense is worse, and I believe in playoff experience in most cases than I don't.

Orlando's biggest issue is expected to be on offense; the Magic struggle to score, and "Paolo Save Us" won't lead to efficient offense.

The Cavs can defend in their own right. I think this series might produce multiple games that don't break 200.

Pick: Under 208 (-112 at BetRivers)

By Andrew O'Connor-Watts

The Magic have been an awesome ride all season, and I've personally made them a best bet more than any other team this regular season – especially at home, where they were the best team against the spread at 28-13.

But the Magic aren't at home in this game, and this isn't the regular season. It's the postseason. And the last time we saw the Cavaliers in the playoffs, they lost an embarrassing series to the Knicks in just five games.

I think they're looking to rewrite the narrative and come into Game 1 with a bang. Whether or not they can sustain it for a full series is another question entirely, but -5 is just a touch too low in my opinion.

I like the Cavs to set the tone in Game 1 and take a series lead against the inexperienced Magic. Orlando a team that is a fun, lockdown-defensive squad, but it can't score a bucket in the halfcourt, which can make or break teams in the postseason.

Pick: Cavaliers -5 (-110 at DraftKings)

By Michael Arinze

The Phoenix Suns closed the regular season firmly, winning seven of their last 10 games to finish as the sixth seed. One of their wins came against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who went winless against the Suns in three meetings.

While teams in the NBA often focus on running their opponents off the 3-point line and into the paint, where their rim protectors wait gleefully, that strategy doesn’t necessarily work against the Suns.

Per NBA.com, Phoenix leads the league in short (10-14 ft.) and midrange (15-19 ft.) jump shot attempts while shooting around 49%, which ranks second in the league.

The Suns' style of play effectively means Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, will have a lesser impact on the game.

Phoenix is very effective at dictating the pace of games, averaging 102.2 possessions per game at home and 102.0 on the road.

Two of the three meetings seemed to match the Suns’ preferred tempo, and both went over the total.

By neutralizing Gobert, the Suns have a clear edge in this matchup and are very live as two-point underdogs.

Pick: Suns +2 (-110 at Caesars)

By Joe Dellera

The Knicks face off against the 76ers in a showdown between two of the East’s best teams.

Joel Embiid’s health looms large in this matchup. He did not appear to be operating at 100% in the Play-In Game against Miami, but he still was productive. This series against the Knicks may be his toughest test. The Knicks have a multitude of centers whom they can deploy on him to keep the pressure on with fresh legs. This should impact his ability to score, and he may just wear down as the series progresses.

One thing I've already noticed is Philly is playing more drop with Embiid now. His mobility is a bit limited, and the 76ers have to commit to that defensive scheme because it is a bit less strenuous.

This should open the door for Jalen Brunson. Brunson torches drop defense, and he should be able to lead the series in scoring (+100).

Brunson is averaging 33.1 ppg in his last 20 games and has been tremendous without Julius Randle. Although he scored just 19, 20 and 21 in three games against the Sixers in February and March, none of those games featured Embiid, and the Sixers' defensive scheme was different. In the one game Embiid played, Brunson dropped 29 alongside Julius Randle back in January.

I like Brunson to stay hot and to go over his Game 1 Points prop of 30.5, a number he has exceeded in nine of his last 10 games.

Pick: Jalen Brunson Over 30.5 Points (-115 at BetMGM)

By Bryan Fonseca

Jalen Brunson had at least 30 points in seven straight to end the regular season, and while the playoffs should be tougher, I do think the 76ers will have a tough time guarding him. Nick Nurse won't unleash all his defensive bag of tricks so early in the series.

I'm not sure this is an auto-over for the series.

Howeber, I like Brunson to at least start up where he left off this regular season, and where he left off his 2023 playoff run, which ended with a 41-point outburst in Miami, the third of three straight of 30 or more, and his fourth in that series, which ended in six.

Brunson is a playoff performer, and I think he comes out the gate hot in this series.

Pick: Jalen Brunson Over 30.5 Points (-115 at BetMGM)

By Bryan Fonseca

Kyle Lowry will be an instrumental piece in this series.

Since going to the 76ers, he's averaging 28.4 minutes per contest. In the playoffs, we could even see some uptick, especially for his floor generalship and veteran presence. He averaged 5.1 assists over his last seven games of the regular season, going over in five.

I think he'll have to be at 3.5 soon, so over 2.5 just feels like taking advantage of a slightly low line.

The 76ers will have to move the Knicks defense around with their ball movement, and it's ultimately what led to their win over the Heat Wednesday, along with a late discovered surge from deep.

Pick: Kyle Lowry Over 2.5 Assists (-140 at bet365)

By Joe Dellera

We have a Western Conference Finals rematch and, of course, we have an angle for betting LeBron James.

James has had plenty of rest prior to this game, and in the two playoff games he had three days of rest last season, he recorded 11 and 12 boards.

Lebron generally gets more aggressive on the glass and dips into the reserve tank in the playoffs.

Since he joined the Lakers, James has never averaged more than 8.5 rebounds per game during the regular season, but in the playoffs, he has averaged a collective 9.9 per game. His line is set at 7.5 for Game 1, a number he has exceeded in three of four against Denver during the Western Conference Finals (with the lone miss at 7) and in 14 of 17 playoff games last season.

I’ll be taking the over in Game 1, where I expect him to dial up the effort and exceed 7.5 rebounds.

Pick: LeBron James Over 7.5 Rebounds (-120 at FanDuel)

By Andrew O'Connor-Watts

The Lakers aren’t a high 3-point volume team, but if they get down early, they might try to shoot their way back into the game. I don’t see LeBron James, at his age, packing things up early and trying to win Game 2 instead. LeBron used to be someone who could wait out a series, get a feel for the matchups, and make his move later on, but he doesn’t have that luxury anymore at age 39.

The Lakers will continue to apply the pressure and try to steal Game 1. Whether or not they can, I don’t know. But I think that bodes well for an over, and I’ll look to live bet the Lakers at halftime if they’re down by margin. We saw them mount a comeback in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals only to have it fall short. But they turned an 18-point deficit at half into a six-point loss in a game that sailed over.

I also expect the Nuggets to test LA by getting out on the break and running on the Lakers in that Denver altitude. I think we see possessions, and I like an over up to 227.

Pick: Over 226 (-110 at bet365)