The NBA Playoffs begin early Sunday morning (AEST) and include four Round 1 games to look forward to. These include Game 1s for the Raptors at Cavaliers series, Timberwolves at Nuggets, Hawks at Knicks, and Rockets at Lakers. We bring you our best bets for all four games below!
NBA Playoffs Betting Tips: Sunday, April 19th 2026
Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers (3am AEST)
The Eastern Conference first-round series opens with the No. 5 Toronto Raptors visiting the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. While Toronto swept the regular-season series 3–0, Cleveland enters the postseason as a significantly more dangerous unit with James Harden fully integrated into the backcourt alongside Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers have been dominant at home, and their frontcourt pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen provides the elite rim protection necessary to neutralise Scottie Barnes' interior scoring. Cleveland's superior depth and postseason experience should allow them to pull away late and cover this margin against a Raptors side that often struggles with half-court execution in high-pressure environments.
Cavaliers -8.0
$1.86 (1.5 Units)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets (5:30am AEST)
A heavyweight Western Conference rematch sees the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves travel to face the No. 3 Denver Nuggets in Game 1. Denver won the regular-season series 3–1 and enters this series with a clear psychological edge. Nikola Jokić has historically dominated the Rudy Gobert matchup by pulling the defensive anchor away from the rim, which opens up cutting lanes for Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets’ off-season additions of Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valančiūnas have provided a level of floor spacing and interior depth that Minnesota will struggle to match. Given Denver’s league-best half-court execution and the high-altitude advantage at Ball Arena, the Nuggets are well-positioned to dictate the tempo and cover the spread.
Nuggets -6.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks (8am AEST)
The No. 6 Atlanta Hawks head to Madison Square Garden to battle the No. 3 New York Knicks. Atlanta has found a new identity since the January trade of Trae Young, leaning on a versatile, defensive-first system led by Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. However, the Knicks' physicality at home is a different beast entirely. New York won the season series 3–1, with Jalen Brunson consistently finding ways to exploit Atlanta’s defensive rotations. The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns has given the Knicks a spacing element that Atlanta's frontcourt will struggle to match. Given the Knicks' 30–10 home record and their relentless rebounding, they should outwork a gritty but outmatched Hawks squad.
Knicks -5.5
$1.95 (2 Units)
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers (10:30am AEST)
The No. 5 Houston Rockets visit the No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers in a series opener completely redefined by the Lakers' injury report. With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves both sidelined, the Lakers lose their primary playmaker and their most reliable secondary scorer. While Kevin Durant is the primary focal point for Houston, the Rockets' roster depth remains vastly superior in this matchup. Houston’s switch-heavy defence is perfectly built to swarm LeBron James and force the Lakers' role players into uncomfortable shot-creation roles. Houston's defensive intensity and the Lakers' depleted backcourt make the Rockets a very strong play to win and cover on the road.
Rockets -5.0
$1.90 (2.5 Units)
