The NBA Playoffs shift into high gear on Wednesday with three more Game 2s. After the home teams delivered dominant or gritty Game 1 wins, the visitors have major adjustments to make if they want to avoid falling into 0-2 holes. Here are our best bets for the night!
NBA Playoffs Betting Tips: Wednesday, April 22nd 2026
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics (9:00am AEST)
Boston delivered a historic beatdown in Game 1, crushing Philadelphia 123-91 in what became the Celtics’ largest playoff-opening margin ever. Jayson Tatum looked like his old self with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in his return from Achilles surgery, while Jaylen Brown added 26 points as the Celtics shot lights out and locked down the Sixers on the other end.
Philadelphia got 21 points from Tyrese Maxey but shot just 39 percent from the field and a brutal 4-of-23 from three. The supporting cast went quiet and the defence had no answers for Boston’s pace. TD Garden will be rocking again and the Celtics have the talent and momentum to cover this big number and push for a 2-0 lead.
Celtics -14.0
$1.90 (2 Units)
Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs (10:00am AEST)
Victor Wembanyama announced his playoff arrival in spectacular fashion, dropping a 35 points in Game 1 as San Antonio rolled to a 111-98 win over Portland. The 7-foot-4 phenom went 13-of-21 with five threes, five rebounds and two blocks while De’Aaron Fox chipped in 17 points and eight assists. The Spurs closed strong with a 10-2 run to seal it.
Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 30 points and 10 rebounds but the rest of the roster couldn’t keep up with San Antonio’s energy and length. Wembanyama’s presence on both ends created constant problems and the young Spurs core looked playoff-ready at home. Expect them to ride that confidence and cover again.
Spurs -11.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers (12:30pm AEST)
The Lakers scraped out a 107-98 Game 1 win despite missing key contributors. Luke Kennard exploded for a playoff career-high 27 points with five threes while LeBron James delivered a vintage 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds to keep Houston at bay.
The Rockets were without Kevin Durant and struggled to generate consistent offence, with Alperen Sengun (19 points) and Amen Thompson (17 points) doing most of the heavy lifting. Houston’s superior depth and switch-heavy defence should show up much better in Game 2 now that they have film on the short-handed Lakers. On the road the Rockets have the edge to bounce back and cover.
Rockets -5.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
