Some crucial Game 3 matchups take place in the NBA playoffs on Friday night, as the Boston Celtics are aiming to take a 3-0 series lead on the Orlando Magic while the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves look to uneven their series after splitting the matchups in Los Angeles.
So, how should we bet on tonight’s action?
For Friday’s games, I’m eyeing a player prop in the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers matchup as well as a couple of sides in the Eastern Conference battles.
While I’m not betting on the Lakers- Timberwolves Game 3 for the sake of this column, I still will have a game preview and prop bets posted on SI Betting to help guide bettors in that matchup as well.
Here’s a full breakdown of Friday’s best bets!
Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Boston Celtics -5.5 (-110) vs. Orlando Magic – 0.5 unit
Celtics star Jayson Tatum did not play in Game 2 in Boston due to a wrist injury, but the C’s were still able to hang on and pick up a nine-point win behind a strong showing from All-Star Jaylen Brown.
Kristaps Porzingis (head) left the game briefly to have a cut attended to, but he should be good to go for Game 3 in Orlando. Tatum, on the other hand, may not be a guarantee to play.
Still, I like Boston as a 5.5-point favorite on the road.
Orlando does not have the offensive firepower to keep up with Boston’s attack, even though Paolo Banchero has been dominant in this series.
On top of that Orlando has really struggled in the 2025 season when set as a home underdog, going 4-8-1 against the spread.
This line could move in Boston’s favor if Tatum does end up playing, so I’ll gladly back the Celtics early for this Game 3 matchup.
Indiana Pacers +5 (-108) vs. Milwaukee Bucks – 0.5 unit
The Pacers are off to a commanding 2-0 series lead, even though the Bucks got Damian Lillard back in action in Game 2.
Lillard’s performance is going to be hard to judge, as he missed a month with a blood clot and likely isn’t at peak form right now. Still, he does boost the Bucks’ offense as a whole.
Despite that, I’m backing Indiana to cover the spread in Game 3. I think this series could be a quick one, as the Pacers have looked like the much better – and deeper – team so far. Indiana has the second-best offensive rating of any team in the playoffs this season while the Bucks are just 11th in that category.
Plus, Indiana was really solid as a road underdog in the regular season, going 12-9 against the spread.
Even with Dame and Giannis both healthy, the Bucks supporting cast simply isn’t enough for me to trust as a five-point favorite. Milwaukee got a massive game from Bobby Portis in Game 2 and still didn’t win, and it’s hard to trust anyone but Portis on the Bucks bench to put together a solid scoring performance.
If the Bucks do win this game, I expect it to be close.
Pascal Siakam OVER 19.5 Points (-120) – 0.5 unit
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam has thrived against the Bucks this season, and I expect that to keep going in Game 3.
In six meetings (including playoffs) against Milwaukee, Siakam has scored 25, 20, 25, 26, 25 and 24 points, clearing this line for Game 3 every time. He’s taken at least 14 shots in each of those games as well.
The Pacers currently have an offensive rating over 121 in the playoffs, and Siakam has been a big reason why, shooting 58.1 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc.
It’s becoming clear that Milwaukee doesn’t match up well with the three-time All-Star, and I think this line is set way too low for him in Game 3.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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