5 Best NBA Playoffs Bets and Player Props for Tuesday 4/22/25

The NBA postseason is here, and it offers us a wide variety of betting options, from point spreads and totals to player props.

There's a lot to choose from, but various advanced statistics can help narrow the choices. Our NBA projections paired with advanced stats from the NBA can help give the inside track to quality bets.

While utilizing some of the mentioned tools, which NBA odds from FanDuel Sportsbook look like the best bets today?

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All injury news comes from the NBA's official injury report.

NBA Betting Picks for Today's Playoff Games

Bucks at Pacers

Aaron Nesmith Over 16.5 Pts + Reb (-102)

The Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks will run it back after Indiana took Game 1 by 19 points. Damian Lillard is expected to return for Milwaukee, which could heighten the need for Aaron Nesmith's defense.

Nesmith is one of the better defenders on Indiana and shoots threes at an awesome 43.1% clip. In fact, he clocked out with 50/40/90 shooting splits through 45 games this regular season.

A starter, Nesmith played 27 minutes in Game 1 and could see an uptick in court time if the Pacers prefer his defense over Bennedict Mathurin. But even if Nesmith sees standard minutes, I like him to exceed 16.5 combined points and rebounds (PR).

Nesmith averaged 20.6 PR in games where he logged at least 24 minutes this season. He surpassed 16.5 PR at a giant 76.9% rate in this split -- up from the 50.5% implied probability on these -102 odds.

He ranks second on the team in fast-break points per game and leads the way in three-point percentage, which just so happens to be two of the biggest advantages Indiana has over Milwaukee on offense. Our NBA projections forecast Nesmith to tally 18.1 PR tonight.

Bobby Portis Over 19.5 Pts + Reb (-104)

Outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee shot a hideous 34.4% from the field in Game 1. Bobby Portis wasn't spared from the shooting struggles, going 2 for 8.

However, we at least know Portis to be a good shooter -- from three and the charity stripe -- and he added in eight boards (two offensive) and was a +3 on the court in Game 1.

Moreover, Milwaukee's three most successful lineups (by net rating; minimum 40 minutes) this season all featured Portis, and the top two included both him and Giannis. The Bucks have more reasons than one to give Portis some run tonight, maybe even more than his 25 minutes from Saturday.

Portis has topped 19.5 PR in 71.4% of games where he played at least 22 minutes -- up from the 50.9% implied probability on these -104 odds. If we narrow that split down to include only the top-15 pace teams -- Indiana is seventh -- Portis is averaging 25.5 PR and has cleared 19.5 PR at a 73.7% rate.

That includes two regular-season games versus Indiana where he notched 24 and 29 PR. Our projections expect Bobby to finish with 20.7 PR in this one.

Grizzlies at Thunder

Chet Holmgren Over 25.5 Pts + Reb + Ast (-125)

Chet Holmgren totaled 31 combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) in Game 1 despite being limited to 21 minutes in the Oklahoma City Thunder's astonishing 51-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Due to injuries and subsequent precautionary measures, OKC took it pretty easy on Chet at times this season. But he earned a 25.0% usage rate in Game 1, and that should be the norm going forward, especially since it would be practically impossible for tonight's game to be less competitive than Saturday's. That's good news for Chet's PRA prop, which is set at just 25.5.

Chet logged at least a 20.0% usage rate and played more than 25 minutes in 13 games this season. In this split, he averaged a convincing 32.0 PRA and cleared 25.5 PRA in all but three contests, missing by the hook once.

Tonight's game might end up getting out of hand, but I don't think the market is properly accounting for how muted Chet's usage was at times this season, which likely will not be the case throughout these playoffs even if his minutes are down.

Our projections expect Holmgren to net 28.0 PRA in 31 minutes this evening.

Timberwolves at Lakers

Lakers Over 107.5 Points (-115)

The Minnesota Timberwolves delivered a 22-point beating to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1. Would it be crazy to say that LA's defense isn't the main thing that needs to bounce back heading into tonight?

Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels buried the Lakers for 48 points on 19-for-25 shooting on Saturday. It's unlikely that those two will combine for vintage Kawhi Leonard numbers again, and I'm sure JJ Redick has reminded his group that it's not a bad idea to get a body on someone in the playoffs.

I think Los Angeles' counter comes in the form of offense after pretty much everyone but Luka Doncic struggled to make something happen in Game 1.

The Lakers shot 39.8% from the field on Saturday, which would have been the team's fourth-worst mark in the regular season. The team shot below 41.0% just once at home this year. Minnesota's defense is one that forces teams into those kinda nights, but the Lakers are nonetheless due for shooting regression.

Turning defense into offense will be a must for the Lakers, who were outscored by 19 on the fast break on Saturday. Pushing the break would help speed up tonight's pace, too. Los Angeles has the pieces to find positive shooting regression, and Redick has typically been solid at making adjustments. I think the Lakers burst tonight.

Luka Doncic To Record 8+ Assists (+146)

The Lakers recorded a season-low 15 assists in Game 1.

Obviously, assists are hard to come by when shots aren't falling. But the lack of potential assists was glaring. Luka and LeBron James tied for a team-high eight potential assists after they each averaged north of 13 potential assists in the regular season.

Los Angeles is 16-5 when they log 30+ assists and 4-10 when they log 21 assists or fewer. Though it's not easy to do without a center, why not utilize one of the best playmakers in the game to get the ball moving tonight?

Since joining the Lakers, Doncic has recorded at least eight assists in 11 out of 19 games where he played at least 33 minutes. These +146 odds imply only a 40.6% implied probability. Perhaps the answer is forcing Jaxson Hayes into a bigger role or -- more palatable -- asking LeBron to set more picks, but either way, Luka acting as a playmaker could be Los Angeles' answer tonight.

You can also check out our latest 2025 NBA Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.