This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
Alex Barutha
Derrick Rose OVER 26.5 points+rebounds+assists (-130) vs. ATL -- FanDuel (2:11 PM CT)
Rose played 38 minutes in Game 1 and posted 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. In the three games this season that he's seen at least 38 minutes, he's averaging 20.3 points, 7.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds. I expect coach Tom Thibodeau to ride Rose and possibly ditch Elfrid Payton entirely. Trae Young is awful defensively, so Rose should stay aggressive.
Jacob Lebowitz
Daniel Gafford OVER 8.5 points (-108) vs. PHI -- FanDuel (11:07 AM CT)
Gafford has been a force offensively for the Wizards as of late, averaging 12.5 points per game in his last six games. In Game 1 against the Sixers, the center logged 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting. The only thing holding Gafford back from hitting his points total every night is that he usually gets into foul trouble early in the game and loses minutes because of that. So, if Gafford can stay out of foul trouble, you can bet that the former Razorback will score at least nine points.
Knicks to win vs. ATL + Grizzlies/Jazz OVER 219.0 points parlay (+231) -- DraftKings (11:51 AM CT)
After a close Game 1 loss to the Hawks, the Knicks will need to bounce back at home. They dominated the Hawks at home during the regular season and were 25-11 at home on the season, so I don't see the Knicks losing back-to-back games at home. Ideally, for the Knicks, Julius Randle will play much better than he did in Game 1, and Trae Young will be slowed down after a dominant Game 1 performance. For the Grizzlies and Jazz, their Game 1 matchup got over the 219 mark, and in their three regular-season battles, their scores totaled for more than 219 in all but one game, which finished with a total of 218. With Donovan Mitchell expected to play in Game 2, I believe that the Jazz will come out with a lot more offensive intensity and will try to run away with the game after an embarrassing upset in Game 1. The Grizzlies should keep the game close enough to the point where the over will hit, but I don't see them winning again.
Nick Whalen
76ers -8.0 (-114) vs. Wizards -- DraftKings (4:15 PM CT)
Surprisingly, the Wizards were able to keep pace with the Sixers for most of Game 1. In retrospect, it seems like it was probably Washington's best chance to steal a game in this series. I expect a better defensive effort from Philly, which allowed the Wizards to shoot 56 percent from the field as a team, with Alex Len, Rui Hachimura and Daniel Gafford combining to hit 15-of-20 attempts. Russell Westbrook should be better than he was in Game 1, but the Sixers just have too much talent for Washington to hang tough for a second straight game.
Julius Randle double-double + Knicks win over Hawks (+191) -- DraftKings (4:15 PM CT)
I like the Knicks to even the series tonight, so I might as well take the plus odds here, rather than the moneyline (-129) or the -2.0 spread (-109). Even in one of his worst games of the season Sunday, Randle still cruised to a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double in 36 minutes. He could play closer to 40 minutes in Game 2, and I'm expecting a much better individual effort. If Randle does struggle again, there's a good chance he'll still notch a double-double, but obviously that would put the Knicks win the game leg of the bet in serious trouble.
