The NBA regular season is almost over as six games will be played on Friday, April 10, 2026 (AEST). A pair of games tip off at 9:10am with the highlight matchup being the Celtics at Knicks which begins around 9:40am. Here are our three best bets for Friday's NBA action!
NBA Betting Tips: Friday, April 10th 2026
Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (9:10am AEST)
The Miami Heat (41-38) have made another Play-In tournament, something they are accustomed to doing. If they fail to qualify for the Playoffs, this season will be best remembered for Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game. Facing them is the Toronto Raptors (44-35) who desperately need a win to try and avoid the Play-In with automatic Playoff security.
With such high stakes and a clean injury front, the Raptors can look to their star players Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes to lead the way. RJ Barrett is a good scorer and will also play a big role while Immanuel Quickley is having another nice season. For the Heat, their leading scorer Norman Powell is questionable and if he misses, the edge firmly lies with the Raptors at home.
Miami is 16-23 on the road this season and Toronto are 22-17 at home. Combine that with a slight defensive edge for the Raptors and more efficient field goal percentage, and the -3.5 handicap appeals in this matchup.
Raptors -3.5
$1.90 (1 Unit)
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks (9:40am AEST)
Two Playoff bound teams collide with the visiting Boston Celtics (54-25) matching up against the New York Knicks (51-28). In a competitive Eastern conference, both teams here could appear in the Conference Finals. The Knicks are 28-9 at Madison Square Garden this season and they have a clean bill of health. It will be four game-time decisions for the Celtics with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta all listed as questionable.
New York have won their past three games with wins over the struggling Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls, before a 108-105 victory in Atlanta. Boston has four-straight wins to their credit with wins over the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets coming in their last two matches.
The Knicks will be hoping to be efficient from deep, something they have done for most of the season. Both teams are top five in fewest turnovers committed which is no surprise given their win-loss record. The Knicks also play a slow-paced brand of basketball through Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. New York looks a strong chance to cover the -3.5 handicap with their excellent home record and full-strength squad available.
Knicks -3.5
$1.92 (1 Unit)
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors (12:10pm AEST)
A team’s fortunes can change quickly in the NBA and that is the case for the Los Angeles Lakers (50-29) who were looking likely to be the third seed in the West. Injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves quickly derailed those plans with the Lakers in free-fall. They have lost their past three games, two of them blowout losses to the OKC Thunder. Awaiting them is the Golden State Warriors (37-42) who will be in the Play-In tournament.
One positive is that LeBron James returns for the Lakers and the 41-year-old will have to carry this team if they are to get back on track with a win. The most recent loss to the Thunder showed how much depth the Lakers lack with their bench players receiving significant minutes without much impact. The injury list is massive for the Warriors and a lot hinges on Steph Curry’s availability who is questionable for the game. Kristaps Porzingis is out, while Gui Santos is questionable.
There will be a lot of question marks surrounding this game. The Warriors are locked into the 10th seed and may opt to rest Curry as part of knee management. With LeBron back and support from Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard and Jake LaRavia, the Lakers appeal as +5.5 underdogs.
Lakers +5.5
$1.87 (1 Unit)
