wolves.jpg
Imagn Images

The NBA Playoffs continue Monday with the second game of two Eastern Conference matchups and one Game 2 in the Western Conference. Saturday's winning teams didn't have much trouble, and the teams on the losing side of those openers will need to bounce back quickly. The Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets all won by double digits in taking 1-0 series leads. Monday's action gets started with Cleveland hosting the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Atlanta Hawks visiting New York for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off and Denver hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves at 10:30 p.m. ET.      

We have looked over all the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook for Monday's games and come up with our best bets from these three games, using recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model. The model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and enters the postseason on a 38-17 roll dating to last season. It has returned well over $10,000 in NBA betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. 

Bettors interested in spread betting, Over/Under bets and player prop betting need to check out the model's top picks. And if you're interested in parlay betting, you could even combine these picks into one play at FanDuel.

Before placing any NBA Playoffs bets, you have to check out the FanDuel promo code for a great new-user offer.

NBA Playoffs picks, best bets for Monday, April 20

Raptors +9.5 vs. Cavaliers

The SportsLine model gives a 'B' grade to the Toronto money-line play as the Raptors are +322 underdogs, but the safer play here is on them to cover. They are doing so in 57% of simulations while they're winning outright 37% of the time. There is value on the money line, but the Cavaliers won by 13 points Saturday. They needed 37 points in the fourth quarter to pad that, so the spread looks more enticing here. The Raptors are 42-41 against the spread this season, while the Cavaliers are 35-48 ATS. 

Evan Mobley Over 28.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists

Mobley scored 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and had seven rebounds and four assists in the Game 1 victory against the Raptors. The center is the team's third-leading scorer at 18.2 points per game and averages nine rebounds and 3.6 assists. In his final full game of the regular season, Mobley had 22 points, 19 boards and three assists. The model has him projected for 30.5 combined points, rebounds and assists, making this a 3.5-star play based on the odds at FanDuel. 

Knicks money line vs. Hawks

New York is expected to go deep in these playoffs, possibly even to the NBA Finals. They had no trouble with the Hawks on Saturday, as Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 25, with 19 of those coming in the second half. New York won two of the three regular-season meetings, and Towns missed the loss with an illness. The SportsLine model has New York winning outright in a whopping 79% of simulations, making this a good play for a parlay with the heavy juice. 

Mikal Bridges Over 19.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists

Bridges does a little of everything for the Knicks, averaging 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He only scored 11 points Saturday, so this number is pretty low, and he had eclipsed 22 PRA in all three of the Knicks' previous matchups with Atlanta this season That includes 28 (18 points, five rebounds, five assists) in the previous meeting at the Garden. The model projects Bridges to post 24 Points + Rebounds + Assists, making this a 4-star play.

Timberwolves +7.5 vs. Nuggets

This is another game where the SportsLine model sees value on the plus-money underdog, as the Timberwolves win in 44% of simulations. They are covering the spread 61% of the time, and that is a safer bet unless you want to chase more profit. Minnesota is 37-46 against the spread this season while Denver is 45-38 ATS but just 21-21 ATS at home. Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last five games against Western Conference teams.  

Anthony Edwards Over 26.5 Points

The Timberwolves can score points, and Edwards and Julius Randle will get their chances against a Nuggets team that allows 116.3 points per game (19th in NBA). The Nuggets are the highest-scoring team in the league, and Minnesota is fourth, so this should be a shootout, with the total at FanDuel listed at 231.5. Edwards averages 28.8 points, and while he scored just 22 on Saturday, he was 2-for-9 from three-point range. He is averaging 28.2 in four meetings with Denver this season, and the model projects Edwards to score 29.6 points Monday.           

NBA bettors can learn more about the FanDuel promo code for a great offer.