Skyler Carlin is here with your NBA Best Bets for April 7, 2022 action. See our best NBA bet picks today.
We have seven games on tonight’s NBA slate, so let’s get ready for an exciting night of hoops!
With that in mind, here are my best NBA bets today.
Please note that all NBA gameday odds and lines are current as of Thursday, April 7, at 9 a.m. ET from BetMGM.
Skyler Carlin’s NBA Betting Record: 51-37-0
NBA Bets 4/7/22: Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks
Best Bet: Over 227.5 Total Points (-110) at BetMGM
Wager: 1 Unit
The Boston Celtics have climbed their way to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with only a couple of games to go by winning eight of their last 10 games. The Milwaukee Bucks are only a half-game behind the Celtics for the second seed, and it just so happens that these two teams will square off on Thursday night.
With playoff implications being present in this contest, I’m expecting a competitive game from both teams. While I’m OK with people siding with the Celtics to cover the spread, I also like the Over in this matchup.
Milwaukee comes into this game allowing the most three-pointers per game (14.4) and Boston has capable shooters in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and others that can knock down threes.
Meanwhile, it will be a massive pace-up game for the Celtics as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and the rest of the Bucks play at the seventh-fastest pace in the NBA (Celtics play at the 24th-fastest pace).
Entering this game, the Celtics have hit the Over in eight of their last 10 games this season. As for Milwaukee, the Over has hit in each of their last five matchups with Boston when they are the home team.
Take the Over for our NBA bet of the day.
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NBA Bets 4/7/22: Philadelphia 76ers @ Toronto Raptors
Best Bet: Over 219.5 Total Points (-110) at BetMGM
Wager: 1 Unit
Another team that is firmly in the mix to improve their seeding in the Eastern Conference is the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia enters Thursday as the No. 4 seed with a 49-30 record, giving them the same record as the Bucks (Milwaukee owns the tie-breaker).
While the 76ers have been inconsistent, losing four of their last 10 games, they’ll travel to take on a surging Toronto Raptors squad Thursday. The Raptors are three games back from the 76ers, winning seven of their last 10 games this season.
- Looking for more NBA betting tips? Check out our Best NBA Prop Bets Today.
Even though both these teams play at slow paces (Raptors are 25th in pace, 76ers are 26th), they both are capable of putting up points in bunches. Toronto doesn’t have anyone that can guard Joel Embiid, who is still hoping to secure his first MVP trophy this season.
On the other hand, the Raptors play their starters heavy minutes, and they have talented scorers in Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, and Gary Trent Jr. There’s also a chance that OG Anunoby returns to the floor Thursday.
Philadelphia has hit the Over in six of their last nine games this season while Toronto has a solid 22-17 record on hitting the Over at home. Given the fact that both these teams are still vying for playoff seeding, we can easily get 220-plus points in this one.
NBA Bets 4/7/22: Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors
Best Bet: Warriors -12.5 (-110) at BetMGM
Wager: 1 Unit
The Los Angeles Lakers were officially eliminated from the NBA playoffs earlier this week, putting the finishing touches on what has been a massively disappointing season. With the Lakers having nothing to play for to end the season, I’d be surprised if we see LeBron James, Anthony Davis, or Russell Westbrook play any minutes on Thursday.
Even if any of them do play, I wouldn’t expect them to play much, especially with James and Davis dealing with nagging injuries. On the other side of the court, the Golden State Warriors are trying to fend off the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
We’ve seen the Lakers have success against the Warriors in recent years, but this game has a 12.5-point spread for a reason. Despite Stephen Curry being sidelined, I’d be shocked if Golden State doesn’t win this game with ease as Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green should all be active.
If any — or all — of James, Davis, or Westbrook are ruled out, the spread could grow even larger. So even though I tend to avoid double-digit spreads, this is one where I’m comfortable taking a team with title aspirations to defeat a team with nothing to play for by a decent number of points.
