The first round of the NBA Playoffs resumes with only one matchup on the docket for this Sunday, but it's a good one, as Game 7 between the Clippers and Nuggets takes center stage at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT tonight.
Our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified 4 NBA picks for tonight's lone matchup. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Saturday, May 3.
NBA Playoffs Best Bets, Picks, Predictions: Saturday, May 3
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
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  | 7:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 p.m. | |
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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. | ||
Clippers vs. Nuggets
By Joe Dellera
Russell Westbrook has been the energizer bunny in this series, and now in Game 7 of this war, that extra boost will be needed by the Nuggets.
Westbrook has exceeded this line in 4/5 games in this first round playoff series against the Clippers (didn't play one game), with the one miss being a game he exited early. Last time out he played 35 minutes and poured in 14 points.
He is an excellent cutting threat and will always get out and run in the fast break. He is not the most efficient scorer at this stage of his career, but he has recorded at least 10 shots in each of his full games during this series.
Game 7s get chaotic, and one player that can capitalize on that is Westbrook.
Pick: Russell Westbrook Over 11.5 Points (-102)
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Clippers vs. Nuggets
By Alex Hinton
Jamal Murray has scored 21 points or more in five of the first six games in this series, most notably dropping 43 points in Game 5.
Murray is averaging 24.2 points per game on 48.2% from the field in the series, which comes as no surprise. He is averaging 24 points per game in his postseason career, six points more than his regular season average.
Murray has emerged as one of the NBA's most clutch shooters with several 40-point games and game-winners on his postseason resume.
In a Game 7, the Nuggets will need another vintage performance from him to advance to the second round. In five career Game 7s, Murray is averaging 26 points per game and he has cleared this line in three of them.
One of those games was in the bubble against the Clippers when he went for 40 points. He has also had his way with the Clippers in this series as he has cleared this line in three of the last five games.
Just in case Murray goes off again, I am also interested in his ladder. You can back him for 25 points at +170 and 30 points at +475 on Fanatics and 35 points at +1400.
He has scored 35 points in each of his last two Game 7s against the Clippers and Minnesota last season.
Pick: Jamal Murray Over 21.5 Points (-110)
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Clippers vs. Nuggets
This number is already falling, and it will likely keep heading that way. Game 7s are typically slow, choppy affairs.
I'd expect nothing different here. The refs really let them play in Game 6, with just 24 combined free throws. That style of play is going to lead to a low-scoring game.
Both teams have played well defensively this series, but I'm more intrigued by the pace.
The Nuggets and Clippers have combined for a 91.25 pace so far, which is the 2nd-slowest series, behind only Celtics-Magic.
In Game 6, that mark ticked down to 88.5. In the 2nd half of Game 6, it was 83. This game is destined to grind to a halt as it goes on.
Pick: Under 207 (-110)
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Clippers vs. Nuggets
Jamal Murray, playoff riser, has beaten this line in back-to-back games, and did so in Game 1 of this series as well.
