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The first round of the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs certainly has not disappointed. The Los Angeles Lakers were unable to put away the Houston Rockets in Game 5, while the Detroit Pistons forced Game 6 against the Orlando Magic. Los Angeles and Orlando each have 3-2 leads but have to be frustrated that their respective series aren't over. Additionally, the Cleveland Cavaliers won a key Game 5 matchup over the Toronto Raptors to take a 3-2 lead. Those three series continue on Friday, May 1, and as many as three teams could be wrapping up their seasons depending on what happens here. 

Before you place any NBA bets on Friday, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say. The model simulates every game 10,000 times before issuing its best bets and top NBA picks, including NBA player props. The model has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons and entered the second full week of the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 25-9 roll (74%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

If you're going to wager on any or all of the three NBA playoff games taking place Friday night, you have no shortage of options with money line bets, spread bets, Over/Under bets and even player prop bets. Make sure to see what the SportsLine model has to say first, though. And if you're interested in parlay betting, you could even put two or more of these picks together at FanDuel for the potential of a significant profit.

Check out the FanDuel promo code for a new-user offer before placing any NBA Playoffs bets on Friday.

NBA Playoffs picks, best bets for Friday, May 1

  • Pistons -3.5 vs. Magic
  • Raptors ML vs. Cavaliers
  • Lakers-Rockets Over 206.5
  • Austin Reaves Under 23.5 points

Pistons -3.5 vs. Magic

The Pistons will need to win Friday in order to force Game 7 as they hope to avoid a humiliating first-round loss. Detroit had the third-best record in the NBA this year and entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Magic jumped out to a 3-1 series lead before Detroit took Game 5 116-109. The Pistons fell in Games 3 and 4 in Orlando, and the Magic host Game 6 with a chance to advance to the second round. The model likes Detroit here, though, as they win in the vast majority of simulations and even cover 56% of the time.

Raptors ML vs. Cavaliers

With the series tied at 2-2, the Cavs were able to get a thrilling 125-120 win over the Raptors to take a critical 3-2 series lead. The Cavs will now head to Toronto with a chance to close this series out. The home team has won each of the first five games in this series, and the SportsLine model likes that trend to continue as the Raptors win in 51% of simulations at plus money as a home underdog.

Lakers-Rockets Over 206.5

This has been a rather low-scoring series, and these teams have combined to score 207 points or more in just two of the first five games played. The model thinks Game 6 will clear this line, though, as the Over hits in roughly 60% of simulations. Both games played in Houston thus far went Over this total.

Austin Reaves Under 23.5 points

Reaves made his long-awaited return to the Lakers' lineup for Game 5 after missing the first four games of this series with strained oblique muscles, but it didn't help Los Angeles put this series away. Reaves scored 22 points, though he was 4-for-16 from the floor and 12 of his points came from the free-throw line. The good news for the Lakers and Reaves is he played 34 minutes. The bad news for L.A. and the star guard is the model is taking the Under on his points prop with a projection of just 16.3 points for Game 6. 

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