Hopefully, Saturday’s NBA Playoffs tipoff slate didn’t tire you out too much. Sunday promises another full docket of first round series openers.
Like the day before, the second day of games will have plenty to buckle up for. Rivalries old and new, superstar showdowns, chances for favorites or underdogs to set a tone — and hopefully some competitive games.
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During the NBA Playoffs, The Athletic’s writers will make their straight-up picks. You’ll find picks, coverage and the latest odds here. Our in-depth NBA coverage is linked below the picks. For live NBA odds from BetMGM, click here.
3 p.m. ET on ABC
What are the odds for Grizzlies vs. Lakers?
Series odds: Grizzlies -140, Lakers +115
Remember back in January 2021, when the upstart Grizzlies stormed into Staples Center, trash-talked their way to a signature win over the Lakers and, in the process, incited this viral moment from LeBron James?
LeBron chirping back at the Grizzlies was top-tier 👑 pic.twitter.com/tswtZMaOSM — Athlete Swag (@AthleteSwag) January 22, 2023
Now, Memphis is the hunted, and the Lakers are the hunters, attempting to pull off the first upset of a No. 2 seed since the 2010 San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks. While the Grizzlies are still favorites (-140 to win the series and favored by 3.5 points in Game 1), the Lakers (+115 to win the series) are a trendy upset pick for many.
The matchups for this potential six- or seven-gamer figure to be fascinating. Ja Morant’s transcendent paint scoring against Anthony Davis’ renowned rim protection. Dillon Brooks, the league’s most hated heel, against James, who is looking to add to his already pantheon-level playoff legacy.
Start to finish, it should be a clear-your-calendar type of duel.
Expert picks for Grizzlies vs. Lakers
Bucks vs. Heat
5:30 p.m. ET on TNT
What are the odds for Bucks vs. Heat?
Series odds: Bucks -1200, Heat +750
Just when you thought Miami was finished…
Max Strus explodes for 31 points, Jimmy Butler takes over down the stretch, and the Heat authored a fourth-quarter comeback to win an elimination game against the Bulls on Friday night and clinch the… erm… eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
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With the play-in buzz subsided, it’s quite a fall from grace for Miami, which was the East’s one seed last season and came within a wayward Butler 3-pointer from its second NBA Finals berth in three years.
Now, a familiar foe awaits. This is the third time in four postseasons that Miami and Milwaukee have met for a seven-game series — with the Heat ousting the Bucks in five games in the second round of the bubble playoffs in 2020, then Milwaukee enacting revenge with a first-round sweep the following year.
Given Miami’s season-long offensive ineptitude and the Bucks’ defensive dominance, this series is expected to finish closer to the latter. The well-rested Bucks (-9.5) are heavily favored for Game 1.
Expert picks for Bucks vs. Heat
Suns vs. Clippers
8 p.m. ET on TNT
What are the odds for Suns vs. Clippers?
Series odds: Suns -500, Clippers +375
It’s not often we get first-round series with this type of star power. For the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals, when their head-to-head was limited to 12 total minutes by injury, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard will square off in a playoff environment.
Durant’s Suns are bracing for their first run since the blockbuster trade that landed him in Phoenix to play alongside Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. The Clippers face a crossroads entering the fourth spring of the Leonard-Paul George era, which has only seen them advance as far as Game 6 of the 2021 Western Conference finals.
And for the third consecutive year, Los Angeles will not have its star tandem healthy to start or finish the postseason. George is nursing a right knee injury and there doesn’t appear to be any clarity on his status ahead of the playoffs.
Sensible, then, that BetMGM pegs the Suns not only as significant favorites (-7.5) for Game 1 of this series, but also the favorites to win the West (+170).
Expert picks for Suns vs. Clippers
10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
What are the odds for Nuggets vs. Timberwolves?
Series odds: Nuggets -500, Timberwolves +375
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It speaks to the depth of talent in the league that this 1-8 matchup, for which Denver is widely being picked, carries so much intrigue.
The Nuggets have sat atop the West since December, and for the first time since the bubble, have a full supporting cast flanking Nikola Jokić. So there should be plenty of excitement — and nerves — in the Mile High City for a playoff run flush with expectations.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has endured a trying first season of the Rudy Gobert experiment. Karl-Anthony Towns missed 52 games; Tim Connelly made a midseason point guard swap from D’Angelo Russell to Mike Conley; and, entering the playoffs, two crucial rotation cogs are on the injury shelf in Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid.
But the postseason is where fortunes can either be cemented — or flip entirely. The Nuggets are 7.5-point favorites for Game 1 in Denver.
(We’re still waiting on a line for the lines of trash talk Jokić and Gobert will exchange.)
Jamal Murray’s story from Nikola Jokic’s 47-point game against Rudy Gobert last season is amazing… pic.twitter.com/slPBU4wZtu — Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) January 6, 2022
Expert picks for Nuggets vs. Timberwolves
More on the NBA Playoffs
NBA playoffs 2023 predictions: Anonymous scout, coach, exec pick first-round winners
Hollinger: Why I’m picking a Celtics-Nuggets NBA Finals, with Boston winning it all
(Photo of Kevin Durant: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)