The second round of the NBA Playoffs resumes with a pivotal pair of Game 4s on ESPN this Monday, as Celtics-Knicks takes center stage at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by Timberwolves-Warriors at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified 4 NBA picks spanning both of today's contests. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Monday, May 12.
NBA Playoffs Best Bets, Picks, Predictions: Monday, May 12
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
| 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Timberwolves vs. Warriors
By Joe Dellera
Rudy Gobert’s minutes have been a bit down in this series (and in the playoffs generally) with him playing a 27-minute rotation in each of the first three games of this series.
One thing that’s interesting when looking at that is he still is seeing a full first quarter rotation and is playing a touch over nine minutes in the opening frame.
The Wolves are starting each game with their standard rotations and assignments, but then Coach Finch is adapting after that point.
Gobert has a number of exploitable characteristics but he still is a strong rebounding threat. He’s recorded 5, 5, and 7 rebounds in the 1Q throughout this series against a relatively undersized Warriors team that has struggled on the offensive side of the ball without Steph Curry.
I expect Gobert to continue his strong starts in this series, and even though he has gotten into some foul trouble later on in games, he generally has been able to play a normal first quarter rotation.
Pick: Rudy Gobert 4+ First Quarter Rebounds (+145)
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Timberwolves vs. Warriors
By Alex Hinton
On Saturday night, Julius Randle’s points + assists line was 24.5 for Game 3. This line is on the move tonight after he had 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists for his first career triple-double in the playoffs.
Now, Randle is no stranger to triple-doubles in the regular season and he’s also no stranger to clearing this combo.
He is coming off consecutive games with 24 points and 10+ assists. He is averaging 22 points and 9.7 assists per game in this series and 22.4 points and 6.4 assists in the playoffs.
He has cleared this line in five of his last eight games and finished with 24 and 26 PA in two other games.
Randle presents a difficult matchup for the smaller Warriors lineup. They will also need to devote resources to slowing down Anthony Edwards after he went off for 28 points in the second half on Saturday night.
That means Randle should continue to see favorable matchups. With his volume of late, it would be a surprise if he did not record at least 27 points + assists again in Game 4 tonight.
Pick: Julius Randle Over 26.5 Points + Assists (-115)
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Knicks vs. Celtics
Here's the amount of points + rebounds Derrick White has finished with against the Knicks in seven games he's played them this year — four in the regular season: 27, 20, 28, 22, 30, 29, and 22.
He's consistently left open, and he's constantly crashing the boards uncontested, which is how he got several put-back points last game.
White is just a constant threat against the Knicks. He's often Boston's most dead-eye shooter from three — though it's statistically been Peyton Pritchard in the playoffs — and is averaging about 18 and 6 this postseason.
White also has the fourth-highest usage on the team of the mainstays, third among starters after the two Jays.
In three of his overs, he shot 36 percent or worse from the field, so yes, this is volume driven as well, and if Boston's offense looks more like it did in Game 3 instead of Games 1 or 2, he should be more efficient.
Pick: Derrick White Over 21.5 Points + Rebounds (-115)
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Knicks vs. Celtics
I have played the total in all 3 games so far and am 3/3, after taking the Under in Games 1 and 2, and then switching to the Over in Game 3.
I think this is another Over spot from understanding the line history, the market signals, and basketball angles.
Both teams have bigs that space the floor and shoot a high volume of 3-pointers. The notable shift in Game 3 was getting into offensive actions a lot quicker for the Celtics.
Over 208.5 or 209, but only 0.5-units because its a sharp line, as are all the sides and totals tonight in my opinion.
Pick: Over 208.5 (-110)
