Three Best Bets For 'Tourniquet Tuesday' In The 2025 NBA Playoffs

I have to stop the bleeding on Tuesday in the 2025 NBA Playoffs or I won't have enough blood to donate to cover these losses. Following an 0-2 Monday, I fell to 4-12 in the NBA Play-In tourney and postseason. I've reset my playoff betting goals from trying to recoup my regular-season losses to hoping there is still a roof over my head after the playoffs. 

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Nonetheless, I've been gambling on the NBA my whole adult life and the PGA TOUR is doing a weird team event, so I'm not betting golf this week. I have to bet (responsibly) on something, and I'd rather stick to the NBA postseason than waste my money on the crapshoot known as the "2025 NFL Draft." Who am I kidding? I'm gambling on both. 

2025 NBA Playoffs Betting Card: April 22 

The odds are the best available at the time of writing. 

• Milwaukee Bucks SG Gary Trent Jr. OVER 8.5 points (-118) vs. Indiana Pacers via FanDuel, risking 0.59 units (u).
• UNDER 229.5 (-110), down to 227, in Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder via FanDuel, risking 1.1u.
• OVER 209.5 (-110), up to 211, in Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers via DraftKings, risking 1.1u.

Bucks SG Gary Trent Jr. OVER 8.5 points vs. Pacers 

Trent scored 14 points on 54.5% shooting in Game 1. He should get good looks throughout the series because the Pacers have a mediocre defense, and they will focus on stopping two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star PG Damian Lillard, whenever he plays. Lillard told reporters he is playing Game 2. 

However, since Giannis and Dame get so many touches, and rightfully so, the biggest question you have to answer before betting on one of Milwaukee’s role players is "Will they get the volume to go Over?" Well, Trent had Milwaukee’s third-highest usage rate (18.4%) in Game 1 and second-best offensive rating (131). 

During the regular season, Trent averaged 11.1 points per game (PPG) on 41.6% shooting from behind the arc, and he was second on the Bucks in 3-point attempts. Even if Lillard returns for Game 2, Trent should still get enough shots to score 10+ points because he is one of Milwaukee’s best role players and "3-and-D, glue guys."

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UNDER 229.5 in Grizzlies at Thunder 

After pushing on the total in their first regular-season meeting, the last four Grizzlies-Thunder games have gone Under, including Oklahoma City's 131-80 Game 1 win. What's crazy about that is that OKC has scored 120+ points in all five meetings. Because defense is mostly about communication and effort, I'm more confident Memphis locks in defensively than offensively in Game 2. 

Also, the Thunder are -14.5 favorites Tuesday and blowouts are where Overs go to die since the pace slows down late. These teams combined for 36 fourth-quarter points in Game 1. They averaged 117.8 first-half points, compared to 109.4 points in the second half of their four regular-season meetings. The Thunder have a +25.2 scoring margin vs. the Grizzlies in the regular season and playoffs. 

There are plenty of factors supporting a bet on the Over Tuesday, such as both teams play at a fast pace, send their opponents to the foul line often, and generate offense by turning teams over. But, Unders are 8-2 thus far in the 2025 NBA Playoffs despite most of the totals being several points lower in the postseason vs. the regular season. 

Prediction: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 106

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OVER 209.5 in Timberwolves at Lakers 

Forget everything I wrote above about Unders being profitable in the playoffs. Minnesota is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the NBA and the Lakers have to pack the paint since they don't have any bigs besides C Jaxson Hayes, who would be a backup for most other playoff teams. The T-Wolves hit half of their 3-pointers in Game 1 (21-of-42), which should continue Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, the Lakers shot 36.6% from behind the arc (14-for-41) on Saturday even though LeBron James went 1-for-5. All in all, LeBron scored just 18 points, and I cannot imagine him scoring fewer than 20 points again in Game 2. Timberwolves PF Julius Randle defended LeBron for most of Game 1, and Julius is more of an offensive threat than a defensive stopper. 

The Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday for Game 2 in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. (Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

The Lakers only attempted 16 free throws in Game 1, and averaged 23.2 per game during the regular season. Whether it be aggressiveness out of desperation to avoid going down 0-2 in this series or the referees giving them some "home cooking," the Lakers will get to the charity stripe more Tuesday. 

Game 1's total (215) stayed Under because only 40 fourth-quarter points were scored in Minnesota's 117-95 blowout win. That said, I'm applying the old-school "zig-zag theory" here. This is a profitable betting system where you take the opposite side of the previous game. Will it work? Probably not. But, at least you can fade my dumba** in all three NBA playoff games Tuesday. 

Prediction: Lakers 112, Timberwolves 106

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Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants. I'll add bets to my NBA 2024-25 betting record via X all season.