Now that we're in the thick of the NBA playoffs, the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will be providing daily picks for the duration of the postseason. Sam Quinn will make at least one pick for every game between now and the NBA Finals. All lines courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics
The past two games of this series have both reached 250 points, and while Dejounte Murray's absence will hurt Atlanta offensively, it forces the Hawks to devote more minutes to offensive-minded reserves like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey. Removing Murray from Atlanta's defense, though, is a recipe for disaster. He is their only consistently reliable perimeter defender, so expect plenty of fireworks in this one. The Pick: Over 229.5
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets
It's easy to forget just how thin the Timberwolves are up front now. They've lost their starting small forward (Jaden McDaniels), their backup center (Naz Reid) and their all-purpose backup forward (Kyle Anderson). At a certain point, attrition just becomes too difficult to overcome. Minnesota needed overtime just to avert a sweep at home in Game 4. With this series shifting back to Denver on Tuesday, expect the Nuggets to put the thin Timberwolves away for good. The Pick: Nuggets -9.5
Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
This series has given us two five-point games, a 12-point game and a 14-point game. The 12-point game was a four-point game with a bit more than five minutes on the clock, and the 14-point game was a five-point game at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Whether or not Kawhi Leonard can return, nothing that has happened in this series suggests that either team should ever be favored by a dozen points. The Clippers have played the Suns far too closely for that. The Pick: Clippers +12
