Our free NBA picks are out for Tuesday, April 19th, 2022! Make sure you check our expert NBA picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA picks for the three Round 1 games on today’s schedule!
Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat – 7.30pm ET
Round 1 of the playoffs continue on Tuesday night when the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat go toe-to-toe for Game 2. The Hawks were simply outclassed by the Heat in the first game, as the Heat went on to win 115-95. The Heat will be looking to get a 2-0 advantage in the series before it shifts to Atlanta.
Jeffery Thomas
The 1 seeded Miami Heat were able to take care of business at home in Game 1, beating the Atlanta Hawks 115-91. The game was never in doubt and it was clear the #1 game-plan was to take Trae Young out of the game. Young only shot 1-12 from the field for 8 points and it was his first single-digit playoff performance in his 17 career postseason games. Duncan Robinson led the way for Miami offensively, going for 27 points off the bench on 8-9 shooting from three-point range. What makes the Heat so dangerous is that when one or two of their top guys don’t shoot well, they have plenty of other guys who can step up.
That was the case in Game 1 as Tyler Herro shot 3-11 and Bam Adebayo shot 1-5. Each only had 6 points but the Heat still won comfortably and I would imagine both guys would get back to their normal offensive performances in Game 2. That could mean disaster for the Hawks who are completely reliant on Trae Young, who just won’t be enough to carry them over this loaded Miami team. It’s going to be another struggle for the Hawks to keep this one close and I like Miami to get the job done and head to Atlanta with a 2-0 lead.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -7 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Game 1 of this Eastern Conference first round series went about as expected, as the Miami Heat rolled at home, with a comfortable 24-point victory. They won the East regular season title, and while they’ve certainly been inconsistent at times, a lot of that has been when they’ve been dealing with injuries to at least one key piece, which they aren’t having to deal with right now. When they’re fully healthy, they’re one of the best teams in the league, and it’s not even a question, and that’s currently what we’ve seen in this series, and what I think we’ll continue to see.
Atlanta, on the other side, had a mediocre year, and then managed to sneak through the play-in tournament to advance to the first round. That has put them in the position to take on the Heat, and while this Hawks team has shown the ability to play well in the postseason, and other critical games, over the last year or so, I just don’t think they have enough for this series. Trae Young is good enough to lead his Hawks to a win at home in Games 3 or 4, but on the road in Miami, I just don’t think he can do it himself, and I don’t think he’s getting enough help. Give me the Heat again by double-digits in this one, as I think Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and company cruise.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Miami Heat -7 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Miami Heat came into this series with the plan of shutting down Trae Young and they basically did just that. As they held the Atlanta Hawks superstar to only 1-12 shooting and 0-7 from three as he only scored eight points. Which clearly showed on the scoreboard as the Miami Heat rolled to a 115-91 victory over Atlanta in Game 1. Now the Heat will be looking to grab a 2-0 lead and protect their home court in this first round series. In Game 1 Butler dropped 21 points and he will be the key again in this one.
It’s clear what the Atlanta Hawks will need to do in this game and that is get Trae Young going. The majority of their offense flows through him and when he’s not scoring it shows as evident by them only scoring 91 points in their Game 1 blowout loss to Miami on Sunday. If this continues to be a trend for the Hawks then I don’t see this series going past four games. However, I am expecting a different result in this one as I expect the Hawks to find a way to get Young going in Game 2 and pinch the victory over the Miami Heat.
Tony’s NBA Pick: Atlanta Hawks (+240)
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8.30pm ET
For the next game on Tuesday in the NBA we will see the Minnesota Timberwolves face off against the Memphis Grizzlies. It was the Timberwolves who got the win on the road in Game 1, 130-117. For the Timberwolves, Edwards was the highest scorer with 36, whereas for the Grizzlies, it was Morant, who had 32 points.
Jeffery Thomas
In what was the shock of the weekend, the Minnesota Timberwolves went into Memphis and stole Game 1 from the 2 seed Grizzlies, 130-117. Anthony Edwards went off for 36 points in his first career playoff game, joining Derrick Rose, Tyler Herro and Magic Johnson as the only guys to score at least 35 points in a playoff game before turning 21. All Star center Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 13 rebounds of his own and it was the first time since 2004 the Wolves won their playoff opener. This win and series lead will surely be a confidence boost for this young team going forward in the series.
It was also a wake up call to the young Grizzlies, who won 56 games in the regular season and earned their highest playoff seed in franchise history. Rust may have been a factor, as the Wolves were in rhythm after playing in the play-in tournament just days before and Memphis was coming off sitting for a week. Both of these teams are inexperienced when it comes to playoff success and that’s why I once again don’t get this opening line. The Timberwolves didn’t just have a fluke performance to steal a win in Game 1, they showed that they are a team to be taken seriously and have a legitimate shot at winning this series. I feel like every game will be tight throughout so I just can’t lay this many points with the Grizzlies who have never shown me anything in the playoffs. Give me the Wolves and the spread.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +7 (-106)
Noah Dunlap
Well Game 1 of this series was a bit of a shock for most people this weekend. The Minnesota Timberwolves walked into Memphis, and for lack of a better word, bullied the Grizzlies for 48 minutes, en route to a win, albeit one that was reasonably close. While it was a great win, and one that could prove to be a lot like what the series ends up looking like, the one concern I did have was the fact that it looked like Minnesota was too reliant on Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, who went for 36 and 29 points, respectively. The reason I say that is a concern is the fact that I’m not sure either guy keeps that kind of performance up for the whole series, and with the fact that the game was close when that did happen, if their play slips, I don’t know that the rest of the team can do enough to get the win.
For the Grizz, Ja Morant played well, as he tends to do, but the rest of the team quite frankly looked bored and disinterested in much of the game. Jaren Jackson struggled, Steven Adams looked abysmal, and neither Desmond Bane nor Dillon Brooks could seem to be able to play difference maker. Brooks shot the ball well at 50% from the field, while Bane struggled, but both are going to have to step up in this series and be more assertive in order for Memphis to get past a young, physical T’Wolves squad. The Grizz have responded well all year long, and I think they do the same here, though it’s another tough, hard fought game. Take Memphis by a nose.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-310)
Tony Battalio
The Minnesota Timberwolves are riding a huge wave of momentum coming into this one. They took Game 1 of this series by a score of 130-117 on Saturday afternoon. Now they will be looking to steal another one in Game 2 and head back home with the second seeded Memphis Grizzlies on the ropes. Minnesota is a serious dark horse team as long as Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony Towns remain healthy throughout the NBA playoffs. An upset in this one would be huge for the Timberwolves.
The Memphis Grizzlies were absolutely electric throughout the regular season and weirdly enough were just as good when Ja Morant was off on the floor as when he was on the floor. However, they were shocked in Game 1 and now they will be looking to bounce back in Game 2 and avoid being down two games when they hit the road to Minnesota. Ja Morant will once again have to put up a big performance in this one. In Game 1 he scored 32 points and he may have to surpass that in this second game. As for the result of this game, I’m taking the Memphis Grizzlies to bounce back and get a win.
Tony’s NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies (-310)
New Orleans Pelicans @ Phoenix Suns – 10pm ET
It’s Game 2 of the series between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns. The Suns proved too good for the Pelicans in the first game, 110-99. The Suns will be hoping for back-to-back wins in this series to go 2-0 before the series shifts to New Orleans.
Jeffery Thomas
Chris Paul put on a clinic in the Suns’ Game 1 victory over the Pelicans. Paul had 30 points and 10 assists in the 110-99 win, with 19 of those points coming in the fourth quarter. That brilliant stretch of scoring was needed after the Pelicans cut a 23-point Suns lead down to 8 by the end of the third quarter. Phoenix was unbeaten in the regular season when leading after three quarters (47-0), so they had plenty of confidence in that spot in Game 1, especially with two of the best closers in the game in Paul and Devin Booker.
Booker had 25 points, while DeAndre Ayton added 21 and did his part defensively with 4 blocks. The Suns are the much better team in every aspect and at home it’s going to be hard for the Pelicans to put up much of a fight. They made a rally in Game 1 but it still wasn’t enough and now in Game 2 I’ll expect a similar fast start for the Suns but this time for them to maintain that huge lead throughout. This team has championship goals and won’t take any games for granted.
Jeffery’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -10 (-108)
Noah Dunlap
Much like the Heat/Hawks series, Game 1 of this Western Conference first round matchup went just about as expected, as the Phoenix Suns took care of business without any real issue, walking out with an 11-point win. Chris Paul actually looked to be the catalyst for the Suns, going for 30 and 10, which is somewhat surprising, as a lot of people were looking for Devin Booker to lead the way. Book did go for 25 on his own, but CP3 was clearly the one that led the way. The one thing you noticed that could be concerning is that Phoenix allowed New Orleans to get back in the game late in the third and through the early parts of the fourth. This could be somewhat concerning if you’re worried about them potentially getting complacent at times throughout this particular series. They did manage to respond, and never let the game get too close, but letting the Pelicans cut things from 23 down to six at one point clearly isn’t what any Suns fan wants to see.
For the Pels, they just don’t have enough in this series. They have plenty of talent, but it all comes at positions that Phoenix matches up really well at, which is much of what we saw in Game 1. CJ McCollum played well, but the problem is that for every point he scores, it’s almost guaranteed that Booker is going to score as many, if not more. The same goes for Jonas Valanciunas down low, as he can score and pick up plenty of rebounds, but he’s a bit of a liability on the defensive end, which allows DeAndre Ayton the chance to play just as well or better than what he himself manages. New Orleans continues to play well, and may not get absolutely blown out, but they just don’t have enough in this series, as it proves to be a really bad matchup for this. Game 1 was primarily a blow out, and while I think Game 2 is a touch closer, I still like the Suns to shine in a big way at home, getting a double-digit win in the end.
Noah’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns -10 (-108)
Tony Battalio
The New Orleans Pelicans went on a huge run to get themselves into the playoffs at the end of the regular season. However, it is clear they may be completely outmatched in this series against the top team in the National Basketball Association. The Pelicans had a rough time in Game 1 as they lost by a score of 99-110. Now they will be looking to rebound in Game 2 against the Suns. They will need another huge performance from CJ McCollum after he dropped 25 points in Game 1.
The Phoenix Suns are clearly the best team in the National Basketball Association this season. They have their sights set on returning to the NBA Finals after losing to the Milwaukee Bucks last season. Chris Paul dropped 30 points in Game 1 and now he will be looking to replicate that performance here in Game 2 to get the Suns a 2-0 lead heading to New Orleans where Paul used to call home as a member of the then New Orleans Hornets. As for the result of this game, I am taking the Phoenix Suns to get the victory.
Tony’s NBA Pick: Phoenix Suns (-510)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
