The 2024 NBA postseason is well underway, and the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will provide 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.
Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The home team has won all five games in this series. It hasn't even been close, either. The first four games were all decided by double digits, and the combined margin is plus-86 in favor of those home teams. The Magic are shooting just under 40% from 3-point range at home in this series compared to 25.2% in Cleveland. That makes sense. Remember, eight of the 10 players in Orlando's rotation for this series are in either their first or second playoff run. This team is unusually young for postseason standards, so it stands to reason that it would be much more comfortable in its own building. The Pick: Magic -4
Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Just a hunch: Russell Westbrook is either going to be out of the Game 6 rotation or have a minimized role as he's shooting 6-of-35 from the field in his last four games. Dallas isn't guarding him. They're not guarding Terance Mann much either. According to NBA.com tracking data, 17 of his 18 3-point attempts have been wide-open. Mann is currently listed as questionable for Game 6 because of a leg contusion, but if he plays, I'm expecting more minutes in Game 6 as a more reliable form of energy and athleticism than Westbrook. Still, the Mavericks, who have had a ton of success ignoring certain shooters defensively in this series, likely won't suddenly start guarding Mann aggressively. That suits him just fine. He's made 47.1% of those wide-open 3's in this series, and even if he shot a career-low 34.8% from deep on the season, he has historically been a more reliable shooter than that for his career. I'm expecting a bunch of good looks from deep out of Mann in this game, and he should make at least two of them. The Pick: Mann Over 1.5 3-Pointers
