Top NBA Betting Picks for Saturday, April 24
Injured stars dominate a busy Saturday slate, but multiple angles remain for bettors to attack. Friday saw underdogs go 4-3 ATS, but that did not stop sportsbooks from listing three of today’s contests at over seven points (with two over 12). Injury reports have become more impactful than ever this season, and today will be no different.
Here are the top NBA betting plays for Saturday, April 24, provided by BettingPros experts Raju Byfield and Isaiah Sirois (Main game odds courtesy BettingPros Consensus; lock and prop odds sites may vary):
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day >>
Betting Lock of the Day
Byfield: Knicks +1 (-114 at FD Sportsbook)
The Toronto Raptors have discontinued resting their ‘injured’ stars and should be close to full strength for their contest against the New York Knicks. The season series is tied one game apiece but the absence of Chris Boucher may be too tough to overcome for a team that has had to rely on the former G-League MVP to soak up heavy minutes. The New York Knicks have all-star Julius Randle, a player who will be even harder to contain without Boucher’s shot-blocking threat patrolling the paint. With only a one-point spread, this is essentially a pick ‘em, and the lean here is on the team that has proved superior this season and will not be missing an integral piece of their rotation. Tap the Knicks and the small cushion for one unit.
Top Game Prop of the Day
Byfield: Jazz 1st Quarter Over 31.5 Points (-113 at FD Sportsbook)
The Utah Jazz will have a tremendous chance at an explosive first quarter against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that has allowed an average of a whopping 38.7 points over their last three games. Sitting at 30.8 points allowed per first quarter on the season against one of the NBA’s top 12 first quarter teams in the Jazz, Utah is the play despite the high line. Utah has averaged 32.8 points per first quarter over their last three contests and should be able to hit 33 or more barring a disastrous start to the game.
Top Player Prop of the Day
Byfield: Julius Randle Over 25.5 points (-114 at FD Sportsbook)
As mentioned above, Randle should be able to have his way in the paint against a Toronto Raptors team that will be without top shot-blocker Chris Boucher. Randle has been cooking recently, hitting 26 or more points in five of his last six games, which includes 26 against the Raptors with a healthy Boucher. The juice has started to rise here, but with an early start, we should still see a jump by game time but not to the level we may have seen with a 7:30 tipoff. Randle is becoming more and more comfortable in his primary option role and should hit at least 26 points if he can stay out of foul trouble. Tap Randle for one unit at FanDuel.
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day >>
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