Saturday`s NBA playoff schedule features four games. The action starts with the Miami Heat hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lead the series 2-0 and aim to maintain momentum in South Beach. Next, the Oklahoma City Thunder face the Memphis Grizzlies; OKC has a chance to close out the series in Memphis, where Ja Morant is sidelined. The third game pits the Denver Nuggets against the Los Angeles Clippers, with Denver holding a 2-1 advantage. The nightcap sees the Golden State Warriors host the Houston Rockets in a pivotal Game 3, looking to gain an edge at home.
With the 2025 NBA postseason underway, the betting market is bustling. CBS Sports provides daily picks from Sam Quinn for every game leading up to the NBA Finals.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat
Cleveland`s strategy of targeting Tyler Herro has become widely known, even discussed by players. Darius Garland is managing a sprained left big toe, which affects the obvious play on his points prop. Despite Garland`s limited health, we`ll repeat our Game 2 bet on Ty Jerome scoring over 11.5 points. If Garland isn`t at full strength, Jerome is expected to step up and exploit the matchup against Herro, similar to his performance in Game 1. Donovan Mitchell will have his hands full with Davion Mitchell.
The Pick: Jerome Over 11.5 Points
Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies
Scotty Pippen Jr., who averaged 5.7 assists this season, has seen increased minutes and opportunities since Taylor Jenkins` departure and especially with Ja Morant sidelined. While his size disadvantage against the Thunder makes point props risky, the idea of him accumulating assists makes plenty of sense in an elimination game where he`ll play significant minutes.
The Pick: Pippen Over 5.5 Assists
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers
Michael Porter Jr. is currently playing through a shoulder injury, which partially explains his quiet series against the Clippers. Nikola Jokić`s passing creates easy points in Denver`s offense, but Porter`s limitations due to injury make pure point bets difficult. Considering his injury and poor three-point shooting performance in Game 3 (1-of-6), betting under 1.5 three-pointers appears logical until he demonstrates he is fully healthy.
The Pick: Porter Under 1.5 3s
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors
The total point line for Game 3 is set at 204, yet Game 2, despite featuring 26 made three-pointers, only reached 202. Easy scoring opportunities are simply hard to come by in this series. Without a fully healthy Jimmy Butler, Golden State lacks a slower, more physical offensive alternative to the motion offense that Houston`s defense has effectively contained. The referees are allowing Houston`s physical defense considerable leeway. Until officiating changes, there`s no compelling reason to bet the over in this series.
The Pick: Under 204
Jasper Hawthorne