NBA Playoff Picks for Monday, April 17, 2023

There are no NBA betting odds listed for Monday’s two NBA playoff games yet, but they are likely to be very similar to the numbers we see for Game 1 in those respective series on Saturday. The Philadelphia 76ers will likely be close to a double-digit favorite against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of their series, and the Sacramento Kings will likely be a slight favorite at home against the Golden State Warriors. Depending on what we see on Saturday, I do like Brooklyn and Sacramento on Monday, but that could change after what happens this weekend.

NBA Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers

We are seeing plenty of buzz about the Philadelphia 76ers heading into the playoffs. Joel Embiid is now a massive favorite to be named the 2022-23 NBA MVP per the NBA player futures odds, and we have seen James Harden redefine his game in order to be more of a fit for Embiid. However, there is reason to be concerned about the Sixers in this series.

Harden is clearly not 100% due to an Achilles’ injury, and he looks a step slow. Additionally, Tobias Harris has continued to underperform considering his contract, and those are issues considering the Sixers don’t have a quality bench.

On the other hand, Brooklyn does have a deep bench. The Nets’ main problem since blowing up their roster is their lack of star power, but it seems like Mikal Bridges is developing into more of an asset after Brooklyn acquired him from Phoenix in February. Bridges is averaging 26.1 PPG in his 27 games with the Nets, and he is making 47.5% of his field goals and 37.6% of his threes. Those are very similar to the shooting numbers we saw from Kyrie Irving, but Bridges has been able to get to the free throw line more often than Irving.

The Nets are going to give the Sixers problems in this series. Brooklyn probably won’t be able to beat Philly in the first round, but the Nets are good enough to keep games close and cover the number quite often. I like the Nets at +7 or more against the Sixers on Monday night in Philly provided there isn’t some major injury news.

Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors

The defending champions are favored to beat the Sacramento Kings in this series despite being one of the worst road teams we have ever seen for a legitimate contender. Golden State was awful away from the Chase Center, but Draymond Green and others have told us the Warriors won’t have those same woes in a series against the Kings since these cities are so close.

Maybe there is something to what Draymond is saying, but I’m not as willing to give the Warriors the benefit of the doubt as others. Most of the arguments you see for Golden State in this series point to their past success, and very few analysts have highlighted any advantages that this year’s Warriors have over the Kings. We don’t even know when Andrew Wiggins will return to the court after an extended absence, and it’s anyone’s guess when it comes to what kind of shape he will be in since he hasn’t played in two months.

Sacramento had the NBA’s best offensive rating for a starting five this season. The Kings proved they can score on almost any defense, and the Warriors won’t be able to just rely on Draymond like they have in the past. Their backcourt will have to play solid defense if they are going to win this series, and that has been an issue as Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole aren’t good defenders.

Golden State’s core is very old and could have a very difficult time stopping the young Kings. Curry is 35, Thompson is 33, and Green is 33, while Sacramento only has two players in their 30s. De’Aaron Fox has the potential to completely break down the Warriors’ defense throughout this series, and Domantas Sabonis is tough to stop because of his vision and size. Sacramento also has three or four shooters that can knock down open looks, so I will be more than happy to roll with the Kings.