NBA Best Bets Today - Free Picks for Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

NBA Best Bets Today - Free Picks for Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

This article is part of our NBA Picks series.

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Best Bets

Jaylen Brown over 2.5 turnovers (-155) vs. Heat

BetMGM, 3:29 PM CT

Alex Barutha: Brown struggled with ball security during the regular season against Miami, averaging 4.7 turnovers in 35.9 minutes. He's also averaging 3.2 turnovers in the playoffs and had at least two giveaways in 11 of his 13 postseason games. I trust the Heat to bring more defensive intensity than either Atlanta or Philadelphia, so I have concerns about Brown's loose handle and his unpolished passing.

Jayson Tatum over 9.5 rebounds (-120) vs. Heat

BetMGM, 3:35 PM CT

Alex Barutha: Miami hasn't crashed the offensive glass especially hard in the playoffs, and Tatum is Boston's most reliable defensive rebounder. He's averaged 12.0 boards in the past five games, and he's grabbed at least seven in every playoff games -- even Game 2 against the 76ers where he played 19 minutes.

Boston Celtics -2.5 first-quarter spread (-105) vs. Heat

DraftKings Sportsbook, 1PM CT

Nick Whalen: The full-game line is just a bit too high for me, but I think the Celtics carry over their momentum from Sunday's Game 7 win over Philly and come out strong against what's ultimately an inferior opponent. Time and time again, Miami has proven to be resilient, but I like Boston's chances to get off to a fast start at home.

Jaylen Brown over 24.5 points vs. Heat (-115)

DraftKings, 2:15 ET

Coach Erik Spoelstra throws a bunch of different defensive looks at Boston.  Spoelstra always has a knack for going zone at the perfect time to frustrate the Celtics' options.  But somehow it doesn't affect Jaylen Brown, who has averaged 30.3 points per game in three matches versus Miami this season. That Heat zone will probably force a few more last-second outside shots from Brown, which should help his total.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Alex Barutha
Alex is RotoWire's Chief NBA Editor. He writes articles about daily fantasy, year-long fantasy and sports betting. You can hear him on the RotoWire NBA Podcast, Sirius XM, VSiN and other platforms. He firmly believes Robert Covington is the most underrated fantasy player of the past decade.
Ken
An early RotoWire contributor from the 90's, K-Train returns with the grace of Gheorghe Muresan and the wisdom of Joe Gibbs. Ken is a two-time FSWA award winner and a co-host on the RW NBA Podcast. Championships incude: 2016 RW Staff NBA Keeper, 2019 RW Staff NFL Ottoneu Keeper, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Experts, 2022-23 SiriusXM NBA Kamla Keeper and 2023-24 FSGA NBA Expert Champions. Ken still owns a RotoNews shirt.
Nick Whalen
Now in his 10th year with the company, Nick is RotoWire's Senior Media Analyst, a position he took on after several years as the Head of Basketball Content. A multi-time FSGA and FSWA award winner, Nick co-hosts RotoWire's flagship show on Sirius XM Fantasy alongside Jeff Erickson, as well as The RotoWire NBA Show on Sirius XM NBA with Alex Barutha. He also co-hosts RotoWire's Football and Basketball podcasts. You can catch Nick's NBA and NFL analysis on VSiN and DraftKings, as well as RotoWire's various social and video channels. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @wha1en.
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