Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/16/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, “Nothing But Bets” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Without further ado, let’s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Saturday's postseason openers. It's playoff time!

Philadelphia 76ers (-4.5) vs. Toronto Raptors

We're kicking off our postseason picks with a bang, as the Sixers taking on the Raptors will be an all-out war. Joel Embiid and James Harden will go up against Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. There's so much versatility on both ends of the court. As you can tell, I’m pumped. From a betting perspective, especially for the season opener, it’s hard not to lean in the direction of Philadelphia.

 

— Saturday, April 16th Toronto Raptors @ Philadelphia 76ers

If Harden shows up alongside Embiid delivering a strong offensive performance, the Sixers should be in great shape. However, if the Raptors get under their skin early, this could go any direction. In the end, settling on the Sixers feels like the right choice. Ride the Embiid train to cash out some coins.

Pick: Sixers -4.5

Player Props: Joel Embiid over 33.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 22.5 points, James Harden over 10.5 assists, Scottie Barnes over 7.5 rebounds

Golden State Warriors (-6.5) vs. Denver Nuggets

This is such an underrated series in my opinion. Nobody seems to be giving Denver any shot, but I feel confident in Nikola Jokic carrying this into a longer series. Jokic matches up well against the Warriors’ lack of size, but who on the Nuggets will step up next to the likely back-to-back MVP?

We’re threading the needle for Game 1 here. If you want to stick to moneyline-only bets, hammer Golden State to win on its home court. On the spread, 6.5 points feels like too much. Bet big on Jokic to keep this one close throughout.

Pick: Nuggets +6.5

Player Props: Nikola Jokic over 29.5 points, Stephen Curry over 25.5 points, Draymond Green over 7.5 assists, Aaron Gordon over 6.5 rebounds

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