{"id":717730,"date":"2026-04-25T13:21:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:21:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/717730\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T13:21:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:21:23","slug":"road-to-the-nba-finals-nba-playoff-predictions-picks-for-every-game-on-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/717730\/","title":{"rendered":"Road to the NBA Finals: NBA Playoff Predictions, Picks for Every Game on Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7f\">The Road to the NBA Finals continues on Saturday, April 25 with a pair of Game 3s and two crucial Game 4s, as multiple title contenders are looking to improve their position this weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7i\">The No. 1 Detroit Pistons are looking to take home court back as road favorites in Game 3 against the Orlando Magic after these teams split Games 1 and 2 in Detroit. That game tips at 1 p.m. EST to kick off a day filled with playoff action.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7l\">Out West, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are halfway to a sweep over the Phoenix Suns, but star forward Jalen Williams (hamstring) is out for Game 3. Still, oddsmakers have the Thunder favored on the road as they continue their road to defending their title.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7o\">Saturday night is where things get really interesting, as the No. 3 New York Knicks are down 2-1 against the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks heading into Game 4. Meanwhile, the No. 3 Denver Nuggets are road favorites against the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves after getting blown out in Game 3 to fall down 2-1 as well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7r\">This year, I\u2019m betting on every NBA playoff game, and the rules for the challenge are pretty simple:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bet on every game through the play-in tournament and playoffsBet can be a spread, total, moneyline, player prop or game propENJOY POSTSEASON BASKETBALL!<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7x\">With so much at stake on Saturday, here\u2019s a breakdown of my best bet for each game, including a player prop for Cade Cunningham.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"80\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/4kJjtBu\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cade Cunningham OVER 27.5 Points (-123)<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"86\">The Pistons don\u2019t have a ton of shot creation on their roster, so it makes sense that Cunningham has had a major scoring burden so far in this series.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"89\">He dropped 39 points in Game 1, taking 27 shots and 11 free throws to get there. Then, he followed that up with 19 shots and eight free throws in a 27-point game in Game 2.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8c\">The Pistons pulled away in Game 2, but Cunningham still played over 37 minutes in the win. So, bettors should expect a heavy workload for the star guard in Game 3. Cunningham didn\u2019t average nearly as many points in the regular season, but the playoff volume for him is not uncommon.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8f\">In eight career playoff games, Cade has taken at least 20 shots six times, averaging 27.0 points per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Oklahoma City Thunder -9.5 (-110) vs. Phoenix Suns<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8l\">Oklahoma City has outclassed the Suns so far in this series, dominating on the defensive end.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-15\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8o\">Phoenix has an offensive rating of 99.5 (15th in the NBA through two playoff games) and an effective field goal percentage of just 47.6 percent. That simply isn\u2019t going to cut it against this Thunder team that has shown it can win at margin on the road (+12.7 scoring margin as a road favorite in the regular season).<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-16\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8r\">The Suns were 12-6 against the spread as home underdogs in the regular season, but this spread has moved too much for my liking in Game 3.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8u\">Sure, OKC is down Williams, but it has found ways to win all season with the All-Star forward sidelined. For oddsmakers to cut this line by eight points from where it was in Game 2 seems like an overreaction, even though OKC didn\u2019t cover on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"8x\">The Thunder have multiple 20-plus point wins over the Suns this season (regular season and playoffs), and I expect them to continue to roll in the first round.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-19\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"90\">Since the start of the 2024 playoffs, OKC has won six of 10 first-round playoff games by 10 or more points. It\u2019s certainly capable of doing that again in Game 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mikal Bridges UNDER 11.5 Points (-109)<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-21\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"96\">There\u2019s a real chance the Knicks could move away from Mikal Bridges as a major rotation piece in Game 4, as he was benched for Miles McBride down the stretch of Game 3 after failing to make a shot in 20:32 of action.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-22\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"99\">Bridges has scored 11, 10 and zero points in his three games in this series, shooting 8-for-22 from the field and 3-for-12 from beyond the arc. Bridges struggled after the All-Star break in the regular season, averaging just 11.3 points on 10.0 shots per game.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-23\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9c\">The Knicks can\u2019t afford to play him heavy minutes if he\u2019s going to be a zero on offense, and it\u2019s possible Mike Brown opts for more McBride or Jordan Clarkson in Game 4.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves UNDER 229.5 (-110)<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-25\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9i\">The first three games in this series have finished with 221, 233 and 209 combined points, and the Minnesota defense has really stepped things up since the second half of Game 2.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-26\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9l\">The Wolves held Denver \u2013 the No. 1 offense in the league in the regular season \u2013 under 100 points in Game 3, and the recipe for the Wolves making any run this season is by playing at a high level at that end.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-27\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9o\">While Anthony Edwards has not found his offense so far in this series, Denver hasn\u2019t been able to hold up \u2013 especially without Gordon \u2013 in the last two games, giving up 119 and 113 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-28\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9r\">Still, I think the UNDER is the play in Game 4, as Minnesota has taken away Jokic as a passer (11 assists over the last two games) by playing him straight up with Rudy Gobert.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-29\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9u\">Even though these teams are playing at the fastest pace of any playoff series, they are 11th (Denver) and eighth (Minnesota) in offensive rating. This total is a little too high given how well the Wolves have defended in their two wins. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-31\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9z\">Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-32\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"a2\">If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-33\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"a5\">Claim the latest\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/betting\/sportsbook-promos\/draftkings-promo-code\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">DraftKings promo code<\/a>\u00a0offer today. Sign up and get\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/4kJjtBu\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$300 in bonus bets instantly when you make your first $5 bet<\/a>\u00a0and that bet wins.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\" class=\"shrink-0\"\/>Add us as a preferred source on Google<a aria-label=\"Follow si.com on Google News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=si.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"flex h-[30px] w-[30px] shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-primary font-group-large text-sm font-medium text-white transition-colors hover:bg-secondary focus:bg-secondary md:w-auto md:gap-2.5 md:px-4 md:py-[5px]\">Follow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Road to the NBA Finals continues on Saturday, April 25 with a pair of Game 3s and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":717731,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[7,6,11],"class_list":{"0":"post-717730","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba-playoffs","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-nba","10":"tag-nba-playoffs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116465558698745675","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=717730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/717731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=717730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=717730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=717730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}