2023 NBA Playoffs – Knicks and Nets in Saturday Action

Welcome to the 2023 NBA Playoffs! We have two incredible Game 1 Saturday matchups featuring the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks.

First up, the Brooklyn Nets will be facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers in what is sure to be a high-energy game. In the other game of the day, the New York Knicks will be taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

So sit back, relax, and get ready for some intense NBA playoff action as the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks battle it on the court to win the 2022-2023 NBA Championship.

Odds to win the Eastern Conference Championship

The oddsmakers like the Knicks better than the Nets, and neither team has much support from the public either.

Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers 1:00 pm

The Nets are +8.5 underdog with a 216 point total when they meet the 76ers for Game 1 of their best of seven series at Wells Fargo Center.

Series Odds: Philadelphia is -900 favorite to win the series but increase dramatically on exact series NBA bets.

While it may be enticing to believe Philadelphia will sweep Brooklyn, and that’s entirely possible, it’s more likely the Nets will at least win one game in this series and +195 is an excellent bet to make because the 76ers winning in five games is what most likely will happen.

Phil’s Best Bet for Game 1: Over 215.5 -110 Caesars

Two of the most efficient offenses in the NBA square off Saturday and the Over 215.5 is my best bet for Game 1 of this series.

Brooklyn on paper looks to be a solid scoring and defensive team but the Nets roster changed dramatically after the All-Star break. The Nets reside in the bottom 10 in scoring and points allowed and that won’t get the job done against the 76ers Saturday.

MVP candidate Joel Embid, James Harden, and Tyrone Maxey should dominate the offensive end of the floor, and there isn’t much Brooklyn can do to stop them. The trouble is the 76ers defense post All-Star break wasn’t the same as it was during the 1st-half of the season and the Nets will score the basketball against a Philadelphia defense allowing 111 points per game after the break.

This contest might end up closer than the oddsmakers’ number but that makes the Over more appealing. That, and both sides have enough explosive offensive talent with exceptional free-throw shooters leads me to believe this game will end Over the total.

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 6:00 pm

The Knicks are a +6 underdog with a 214.5 point total when they meet the Cavaliers for Game 1 of their best of seven series at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

Series Odds: Cleveland is -200 favorite to win the series but the odds increase exponentially on exact series bets.

The bet you’ll want to make is the Cavaliers -200 to win the series. They are the better team and much healthier heading into this series than the Knicks are. So -200 means you’ll need to wager $200 to win $100 but there is value to be had with this wager.

These teams are evenly matched, and with the belief that Cleveland will win this series could also make a +185 wager. The series will last seven games, which is also a good bet.

Phil’s Best Bet for Game 1: Over 214.5 -109 Caesars

Knicks leading scorer Julius Randle missed the last two weeks with an ankle sprain and while he practiced with New York yesterday, he’s a game-time decision at best. Either way, 214.5 points is too low for this matchup and my best bet is Over 214.5.

Randle being less than 100%, if he suits up at all on Saturday, isn’t going to help the Knicks win Game 1 or even win this series and especially not against the games top defense. The thing is, post All-Star break, the Cavs defense wasn’t as good as pre All-Star break Cleveland was and with or without Randle in the lineup, the Knicks are going to score buckets.

Cleveland acquired Donavan Mitchell to get buckets in big games and the All-Star guard has scored 40+ in his past four outings. We should expect Mitchell to off on the Knicks defense and if so that opens up the court for Darius Garland and Evan Mobley to do their thing and punish the New York defense.

Finally, look for a statement game from the Cavs and a Knicks team with Jalen Brunson and Obi Toppin to try and keep up on the offensive end and should succeed against a Cavs defense that isn’t currently playing as well as their season stats say they should.