NBA Playoffs Player Props and Best Bets: LeBron James, Anthony Edwards & More Picks for Saturday, April 18

The NBA playoffs have finally descended upon the sports world, and to celebrate, I’m giving out my top player prop picks and bets for the Saturday action.

The Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns punched their tickets into the playoff bracket with wins on the final day of the Play-In Tournament last night. The Oklahoma City Thunder are huge favorites to win their second straight title, while the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics are lurking behind and tied for second in Finals odds.

The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers will provide the first taste of playoff action at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, before the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets close out the night.

Here are my top NBA player prop picks and bets for Saturday, April 18.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Saturday, April 18

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Donovan Mitchell over 27.5 points (-108) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Cavaliers went 0-3 against the Raptors during the regular season, but they were without James Harden for all of those, and Mitchell for one. The team’s leading scorer split the over/under in those two matchups, and he’s proven himself to be very reliable in the postseason.

Mitchell averaged 28.3 points per game for a career in the playoffs, as well as 29.6 points per game each of the last two postseasons. He went over in three of his last five games, and I expect him to come out firing to set the tone for the upcoming series.

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Anthony Edwards over 25.5 points (-128) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Edwards knows the Denver Nuggets well from their previous playoff encounters and general rivalry in the Western Conference. While he did not score the ball very effectively to close the season, he still went over in two of three meetings with Denver, and will be responsible for taking the majority of Minnesota’s shots.

The playoffs are the time to bet on superstar players. This might only be the first round, but the Nuggets are a tough opponent that is capable of making the Finals, and Edwards’ intensity should go through the roof on this stage.

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Jalen Johnson over 21.5 points (-102) at FanDuel Sportsbook

While I have some trepidation with the inexperienced Hawks, I feel fine about Johnson’s play translating to the postseason. He scored 18-21 points in all three regular-season matchups with the New York Knicks and went under in six straight games entering the playoffs, yet I’m willing to back him here.

The Hawks finished the season playing some of the best basketball in the Association. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has taken a huge step as a scorer but could be used as more of a defensive option on Jalen Brunson, while Johnson is capable of physically overpowering the majority of the Knicks defenders.

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LeBron James under 25.5 points (-118) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The infamous LeBron “feel-out” game typically occurs in Game 1. While there’s a very real argument that the Lakers don’t have a chance if he doesn’t breeze past this number, the Rockets also don’t have to show that much respect to his teammates and can load up to stop him.

James went under in two of three regular-season meetings with the Rockets, albeit with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves playing in those games. The Rockets are a physical team that wants to slow the game down and make it ugly, and they would be wise to try to force the ball out of LeBron’s hands.

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Jabari Smith Jr. over 6.5 rebounds (+104) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Smith Jr. averaged 6.9 rebounds per game and went over in two of three games against the Lakers, who were one of the best teams in the league at limiting their opponents’ rebounds. He went over in six of his last eight games, but I am not giving that much weight.

The Lakers are missing a solid rebounder in Doncic and have a not-physical big man in Deandre Ayton, as well as subpar rebounders in Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura, who will all see consistent minutes. Smith Jr.’s size makes him a mismatch for a lot of opponents, and I can see him dominating the glass tonight.

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