Now that the 2025 NBA postseason has begun, the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will be providing daily picks for the duration of the postseason. Sam Quinn will make at least one pick for every game between now and the NBA Finals.
Andrew Nembhard has now played seven playoff games against the Bucks in his career. He’s reached 11 points in six of them. He’s done so in all but two of his other career playoff appearances as well. The postseason is friendly to him, as the game slows down and Indiana has to play a bit more in the half-court, where his crafty floor game shines against weaker defenders. The Bucks fortunately have plenty of holes for him to pick at in that respect. The Pick: Nembhard Over 10.5 Points
So many things went wrong for the Grizzlies in Game 1 that it would be easy to miss that Ja Morant didn’t exactly play well, even if was the leading scorer for Memphis. The Thunder are a bit of a nightmare matchup for him. They have two elite rim protectors and a number of wings who can handle his speed. This has to be, at least to some extent, a jump-shooting series for Morant, and obviously, that’s the last place he wants to be. The Pick: Morant Under 22.5 Points
Anthony Edwards had nine assists in Game 1, and while that’s far more than his norm, it makes a lot of sense in the context of this series. The Lakers don’t have any rim-protection, so they’re throwing help at Edwards far away from the basket and forcing him to pass. That’s part of what led to Minnesota’s 21 3-pointers in Game 1, and the bar here is low enough that even if the Timberwolves don’t shoot nearly as well in Game 2, the basic strategy should still lead to Edwards assists. The Pick: Edwards Over 4.5 Assists
