One of the top NBA rivalries will be renewed in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs, Knicks vs. Celtics. Stars like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson will take center stage in NBA player props and NBA best bets. The latest NBA odds have Boston as a 9.5-point favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook, while Game 1 of Thunder vs. Nuggets has the same line, with OKC favored. Meanwhile, with Indiana already up 1-0 over Cleveland, the final Game 1 of the second round will take place on Tuesday, as the Timberwolves are favored by 6.5 points over the Warriors. Should the spread or NBA player props for the likes of Steph Curry and Anthony Edwards find their way into NBA parlays or NBA best bets?
SportsLine’s proven model has simulated every NBA game and revealed its best NBA picks. Combining these three picks into an NBA parlay at FanDuel Sportsbook would result in a payout of +1503. The model simulates every game 10,000 times and is on a 159-116 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, including a 3-0 mark in the 2025 NBA playoffs. Now, here are the best bets for NBA parlays at FanDuel, according to the model. You can see all of the model’s NBA parlay picks here.
Optimal NBA parlay picks
Mikal Bridges Over 14.5 points (+102)
Bridges needed some time to find a level of comfortability in the Knicks offense, but he’s clearly found where he best fits in. That’s been apparent over the last few games of the regular season, plus the start of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Not counting Game No. 82, in which Bridges played just six seconds to extend his Iron Man streak, Bridges has gone Over 14.5 points in eight of 11 games. He’s averaging 17 points over this stretch, and has a knack for starting the week off on a high note. Some players perform better on certain days more so than others, as Bridges averaged 20.1 points on Mondays this season, his highest of any day of the week. He’s projected for 16.4 points in Game 1 on Monday.
Knicks to win versus Celtics (+312)
The model projects New York to steal Game 1 in 30% of simulations, making it a value play at +312 at Caesars. Boston completed a gentleman’s sweep of Orlando but will see a much more potent offense in the second round, particularly one that can shoot. Orlando was dead-last in 3P percentage, while New York ranks eighth, and the Knicks also rank among the top 10 in fewest 3-pointers allowed per game. That could present problems for the Celtics who struggle to generate points elsewhere, as no team makes or attempts fewer free throws than Boston. These teams last played less than a month ago in which New York was on its way to victory until a 3-pointer from Tatum with three seconds left sent the game to overtime, where Boston prevailed. They are much closer than the line (Celtics -9.5) indicates, as there is value with inserting this prediction into an NBA parlay.
Anthony Edwards Under 6.5 rebounds (-108)
Edwards feasted on the size-deficient Lakers, averaging 8.4 rebounds last series, but while L.A. ranks 26th in rebounds in the NBA, the Warriors rank seventh. In terms of opposing shooting guards, the Warriors allowed the eighth-fewest rebounds per game to the position, which is where Edwards spends most of his time. The three-time All-Star averaged 6.0 rebounds against Golden State in the regular season, and of his 17 career games against the Warriors, he’s gone Under 6.5 rebounds in 15 of those contests. The SportsLine model has Edwards logging 5.5 rebounds, on average, in Tuesday’s game, with -108 odds at FanDuel.
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You can also see today’s best NBA player prop picks from expert Mike Barner, who’s on a sizzling 151-106 roll on NBA player prop picks. Visit SportsLine to see his best plays for today, all from the expert who’s up nearly 27 units. On CBS Sports, you can see Monday’s best NBA player props to target.
