NBA betting: Four bets that stand out for Wednesday's playoff games

The 2025 NBA playoffs continue Wednesday with three games. First the Boston Celtics face the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. ET. The Celtics look to build on a dominant Game 1 victory in TD Garden but might be without Jayson Tatum, who is listed as doubtful with a wrist injury. In the second game of the night, the Miami Heat face the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. ET and in the final game of night the Golden State Warriors take on the Houston Rockets at 9:30 p.m. ET after a back-and-forth first game at Toyota Center.

Here are some of the bets that stand out for Wednesday's games.

Odds are as of publication time. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET

Bets for Wednesday

Jaylen Brown over 26.5 points and assists (-110)

Tatum is doubtful for Game 2, opening the door for Brown to see increased usage. Brown had 16 points and two assists in 30 minutes in Game 1 and he has cleared this line in four of seven games without Tatum, averaging 18.0 field goal attempts and 10 potential assists. -- Moody

Amen Thompson over 13.5 points (-105)

The Rockets struggled in Game 1 and Thompson was no exception with only eight points in 33 minutes. He should continue to play heavy minutes as Houston relies on his defense. The Rockets half-court offense has been middling all season, and is at its best when forcing turnovers and running in transition. Thompson leads the team in fast-break points and I expect him to be aggressive attacking the paint against a Warriors team lacking size. -- Moody

Magic (+10.5)

Even with Tatum's injury, I still expect the Celtics to win this game. With that said, the Magic have been playing good ball for an extended period and have been competitive against the Celtics all season. The Magic won nine of their last 12 regular season games before sitting all their starters in the finale, then won their play-in game in a 25-point blowout. The Magic split their two regular season games against the Celtics (not including the one late in the season where the Celtics sat their starters), and they were winning Game 1 at the half before they got blown out late. With Tatum likely sidelined for Game 2, I look for the Magic to play well enough to keep the game competitive and within single digits. -- Snellings

Darius Garland over 19.5 points (-105)

Garland entered the playoffs on a scoring heater and continued it in Game 1. In his last three games, including Game 1, Garland has averaged 27.0 PPG on 58.8 FG% and 50.0 3P%. The only reason he didn't have more than 27 in Game 1 was because his backcourt-mates Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome were equally as hot and combined for 56 points themselves. But Garland has played well against the Heat all season, averaging 21.7 PPG in their three games with at least 23 in two of the three. I look for another good scoring effort in Game 2. -- Snellings

Projections and Injury Reports

Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET

Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics
7 p.m. ET on TNT

Line: Magic 10.5 (-102) | Celtics -10.5 (-112)
Money line: Magic +425 | Celtics -650
Total: 196.5 (-104 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Celtics by 9.5, straight up 78%, 200.9 total points.

Injury Report:
Magic: Jalen Suggs, (OFS - Knee); Moritz Wagner, (OFS - Knee)
Celtics: Jayson Tatum, (GTD - Wrist)

Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers
7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV

Line: Heat 12.5 (-115) | Cavaliers -12.5 (EVEN)
Money line: Heat +475 | Cavaliers -750
Total: 212.5 (-107 O, -107 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 12.5, straight up 84%, 220.3 total points.

Injury Report:
Heat: Terry Rozier, (OUT - Ankle); Dru Smith, (OFS - Achilles)
Cavaliers: None reported

Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
9:30 p.m. ET on TNT

Line: Warriors 3.5 (-104) | Rockets -3.5 (-110)
Money line: Warriors +140 | Rockets -165
Total: 204.5 (-107 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 1.8, straight up 56%, 213.8 total points

Injury Report:
Warriors: None reported
Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate, (OUT - Ankle); Jock Landale, (OUT - Knee)