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.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers
For all of the excitement surrounding the series Bobby Portis has had... he's hit this point total only once in five games. His 29-point Game 5 was spectacular, but it wasn't based on the sort of shots that theoretically carry over from game to game. He's only 5-of-11 in the restricted area in his past three games. He's not getting to the rim consistently, he's just making his post-up and mid-range looks. In that same three-game stretch, he's 18-of-25 from the non-restricted portion of the paint and from mid-range. That doesn't seem especially sustainable, especially on the road against a Pacers team that is prepared for him after a huge night. The Pick: Portis Under 21.5 Points
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks
I hate to be the buzzkill here... but Joel Embiid doesn't look healthy enough to score 31 points right now. He has 46 total in Philadelphia's past two games, posting identical 7-of-19 shooting lines, and for the first time in this series in Game 5, he was held to single digit free-throw attempts with just six. We'd all prefer to watch a healthy Embiid in this series. It doesn't seem like we're getting that guy. The Pick: Embiid Under 30.5 Points