Every day during the NBA Playoffs, The Athletic’s NBA writers will make their picks straight up. We put our picks and all series coverage, plus the latest odds, all in one place for fans to easily digest and follow. Our in-depth coverage from every team is linked below the picks. If you’d like a free year of The Athletic (or an extension!), BetMGM is running a special offer, which also includes $100 in bonus bets.
Game 1 – Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns (-5)
Total: 221.5
| Pick | |
|---|---|
|
Seth Partnow |
|
|
Richard Deitsch |
|
|
Sam Vecenie |
The Clippers have a short turnaround after a wild comeback win in Game 6 against the Utah Jazz. There will be about 39 hours between end of Game 6 and the start of Game 1 of this series, which gets an afternoon start time.
Both teams are expected to be without stars, but there is a cloud of uncertainty around both Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul. The Clippers haven’t said much about Leonard’s knee injury, but there is a gloomy sense of the severity of it. The Clippers are 2-0 since Leonard went down. Terance Mann had the game of his life in Game 6 against the Jazz, basically taking on the role of Leonard with a 39-point outburst, but that likely won’t happen again.
Meanwhile, Paul is in COVID-19 protocols and it’s not known when he will be available. The Suns would have preferred Clippers-Jazz to go to Game 7 to buy more time. Still, the Suns are solid five-point favorites in Game 1 and are -225 to win the series. The Clippers are +185 to make it to the NBA Finals.
Game 7 – Atlanta Hawks at Philadelphia 76ers (-7)
Total: 216.5
GAME 6: 76ERS 104, HAWKS 99
Series: Tied 3-3
Ben Simmons scored six points and didn’t reach double figures in any stat. Joel Embiid was 9-for-24 shooting, finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Neither of Philly’s stars took over what was an elimination game for the 76ers, but they’re still alive. Seth Curry had 24 points on 6-for-9 3-point shooting. Tobias Harris also had 24 points. Rookie Tyrese Maxey added 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Atlanta got another big game from Trae Young, but the supporting cast didn’t come through as well as Philly’s did. Young had 34 points and 12 assists. Atlanta is now a big underdog in Game 7. The Hawks are +230 on the moneyline while the Sixers are -275.
NBA Playoffs picks records
| Record | |
|---|---|
|
Sam Vecenie |
48-24 |
|
Richard Deitsch |
44-28 |
|
Ethan Strauss |
43-27 |
|
Seth Partnow |
42-30 |
NBA Playoffs
NBA Power Rankings: Who are the biggest title threats left in the playoffs?
NBA Playoff Betting Guide: Daily picks, odds, team rankings and win probabilities
Scores & schedule | NBA podcasts | Complete NBA coverage
(Photo of Joel Embiid and Seth Curry: David Dow / NBAE via Getty Images; The Athletic may receive an affiliate commission if you open an account with BetMGM through links contained in the above article.)
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