NBA Picks & Predictions: Saturday (4/25)
The NBA playoffs roll on Saturday, with four total games on the schedule. We have a pair of matinee games, which we covered in the Same-Game Parlays (SGP) piece. For our best NBA picks & predictions for Saturday, April 25th, we’ll focus on the evening slate of games.
The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks meet at Game 4 at 6:10 p.m. ET, and the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves continue their series in the Twin Cities for Game 4 in the nightcap. New York and Atlanta will be on NBC and Peacock, while Denver and Minnesota will square off on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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Saturday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
New York Knicks (-132) at Atlanta Hawks (+112) | O/U 214.5 (-106/-114)
The Knicks and Hawks meet for a huge Game 4. Atlanta has gutted out a pair of 1-point wins in the past two games, seizing a 2-1 series lead and home-court advantage in this series. Atlanta has been a thorn in the side of New York since flipping the calendar from 2025 to 2026, as the Hawks are 3-2 SU and against the spread (ATS) in five meetings since Jan. 2. The Under is 4-1 in those five games, too, although that lone Over result came in Game 3.
In Game 3, Atlanta shot 45% (39-of-86) from the field, and 39% (13-of-33) from behind the 3-point line. If the Hawks can improve, it would certainly be at the free-throw line, where it performed at just a 69% clip (18-of-26), leaving crucial points on the floor in a close game. Conversely, New York was 90% (18-of-20) from the charity stripe. Rebounding had a razor-thin margin, too, with New York plus-1 in the category, while assists and steals were dead-even. Atlanta was plus-2 in total turnovers, which is likely why it was able to sneak by in Game 3.
The Knicks have Karl-Anthony Towns gumming up the middle, so it’s no surprise New York won the battle in the paint, going plus-16 in that area, but it is surprising Atlanta was plus-3 in blocks.
The best play on the board is to continue going low on the total, despite the Over inching across the finish line for Game 3. Also, let’s trust the Knicks to get the job done. This is a team which won 53 games in the regular season, good for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Everyone knew this could potentially be a tight series, and it has been. However, New York has the experience to pick itself, and dust itself off in Game 4. Look for New York to do just that, but don’t expect a lopsided game by any stretch. Lay the little bit of points, and don’t pay up and take the moneyline for a small piece of insurance. That makes absolutely no sense unless you’re absolutely convinced New York will win, but only by a single point. If your conviction is that low, you probably shouldn't be betting in the first place.
Picks: Knicks -1.5 (-110) & Under 214.5 Points (-106)
Denver Nuggets (-122) at Minnesota Timberwolves (+104) | O/U 229.5 (-110/-110)
The Nuggets face a must-win situation in the Twin Cities against the Timberwolves in Game 4. Denver suffered a 113-96 loss in Game 3 as 1.5-point underdogs while the Under (232.5) cashed, and the Nuggets are in serious trouble.
Minnesota was very sharp in Game 3 as the series shifted back to its home court, as the Timberwolves hit 47% (44-of-93) from the field, and 26% (9-of-34) from behind the 3-point line. The Timberwolves were plus-13 on rebounds, and a whopping plus-19 on assists. It also had a plus-3 in blocks, while it was plus-14 in fast-break points. Perhaps the most confounding of all for Denver fans and bettors, Minnesota was plus-34 in points in the paint despite the presence of Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets.
Jokic was just 7-of-26 from the field, finishing with 27 points, 15 rebounds; and two steals, but he didn’t have a block. Minnesota did an amazing job mitigating the pivot, while only Jamal Murray (16 points) was able to get double digits in points, among the other Denver starters.
Ayo Dosunmu, a key acquisition from the Chicago Bulls at the NBA trade deadline, led the team with 25 points off the bench, hitting 10-of-15 from the field, while chipping in with nine assists in 32 minutes. All five starters had double-digit point totals, too, while Rudy Gobert ended up with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks for the double-double. Jaden McDaniels also had 20 points and 10 boards with a block for the other double-double.
Minnesota will need those big type of stat lines again in Game 4, and I’m not entirely convinced it will be able to be nearly as effective. The Joker isn’t missing 19 field-goal attempts again, no matter what kind of D the Wolves throw at him. Expect Denver to bounce back big time, and we’ll stick with the Under theme until the offense starts to pick up for both sides.
Picks: Nuggets -1.5 (-110) & Under 229.5 Points (-110)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe