Point spreads and totals are current as of Saturday afternoon. Check our odds page for updated Las Vegas lines.
No. 7 Celtics at No. 2 Cavaliers (3 p.m. ET, ABC) Game 1 spread, total: Cleveland -11, 203 Series Odds: Cavaliers -4700, Celtics +2200
Boston (40-42 SU, 49-33 ATS) wasn’t supposed to be in the playoffs after trading Rajon Rondo in December and Jeff Green in January. The trade deadline acquisition of Isaiah Thomas has been huge, with the team scoring 102.9 PPG in games he’s played, versus 100.9 PPG without him. Boston closed on a 6-0 SU and ATS run and is the best ATS road team this year (27-14).
Cleveland (53-29 SU, 40-42 ATS) was able to get rest for its starters down the stretch, which included a couple of meaningless losses to Boston. The Cavaliers have all the pieces in place to win a title, but this is the first playoff run for this mix of players, and coach David Blatt still has a lot to prove in his first year in the league.
The Linemakers’ lean: The Celtics are a covering machine. They’ve won and covered six meaningful games in a row; they are the league’s best against-the-spread team on the road at 27-14 ATS; they are 21-8 ATS in their last 29 games and 35-16-1 ATS in their last 52 games. Laying big numbers with Cleveland, meanwhile, could be dicey early in the playoffs, as the Cavs may not come firing out of the gate. Boston +11.5 is the play
No. 8 Nets at No. 1 Hawks (5:30 p.m. ET, TNT) Game 1 spread, total: Atlanta -10, 201.5 Series Odds: Hawks -1300, Nets +800
Brooklyn (38-44 SU, 39-41-2 ATS) just snuck into the postseason after Indiana lost its final regular-season game. The Nets match up decently on paper against the Hawks, but have really struggled against them this year (0-4 SU, 1-3 ATS) with the average margin of defeat just under 20 points.
Atlanta (60-22 SU, 49-32-1 ATS) could be flying under the radar (12/1 title odds) as a No. 1 seed. This is also the best ATS team in the league, despite failing to cover in its final two. Paul Millsap (shoulder) returned to action in the regular-season finale after missing five games, although he’ll likely be bothered going forward.
The Linemakers’ lean: The Atlanta defense should keep this game low scoring, and we’re on the UNDER. Also, partly because the Nets have been fighting for their lives the past few weeks while Atlanta has been coasting, we offer a slight lean to the Nets plus the points.
NBA betting info: Series odds| Power ratings| ATS standings
Win a seat at the SuperContest: Register for Satellite Series
Fantasy hoops at FanDuel: Win $100K with $2 entry | Free Playoff Challenge
