NBA Playoff Best Bets and Predictions for Tuesday, April 21
Written by: Danny Burke
Last Update: Tue Apr 21, 2026, 11:57 am ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
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The NBA Playoff festivities carry on to Tuesday evening, where we have three more first round games to work with.
The Celtics look to extend their series lead to 2-0 against the 76ers, as will the Spurs against the Trail Blazers and the Lakers versus the Rockets.
Let's get ready for the action and explore my NBA Playoff best bets and predictions for Tuesday, April 21.
For additional information on picks, props, moneylines, and more on today's slate, take a look at our NBA Picks Page or our NBA Odds Page.
NBA Playoff Best Bets and Predictions for Tuesday, April 21
Shaedon Sharpe Under 11.5 Points (-125)
In 22 minutes of play, the 22-year-old Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe finished his first career playoff game with 10 points on 30.8% shooting, failing to knock down any triples.
I'm expecting Sharpe to stay around, if not lower than, that scoring mark in his second postseason game.
Sharpe is evenly spread in terms of his shot attempts at the rim, from mid-range and from deep, but the San Antonio Spurs counter effectively, finishing the season ranking third in field goal percentage allowed at the rim and eighth from both mid-range and beyond the perimeter.
Portland is clearly at a disadvantage in this series, and I'm not expecting an inconsistent scorer like Sharpe to exceed his average in this spot, so let's take advantage of the books not moving his points prop quite enough.
Marcus Smart Over 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-105)
Once again, the Los Angeles Lakers will be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, which opens the door for a role player like Marcus Smart to step into a bigger role, and that's where the edge lies with his three-point prop tonight.
In Game One, Smart took five shots from deep but only connected on one, finishing with 15 points in 34 minutes.
On the season, he's averaging 28.5 minutes, 9.3 points and 4.7 attempts from beyond the arc.
With those key pieces out, Smart should be in line for a similar run and a green light to keep firing. He looked comfortable enough in that first matchup to keep letting it go in Game Two.
At this number, you're getting a good price on a player who should have plenty of chances to get there.
Rui Hachimura Under 14.5 Points (-114)
While I expect Marcus Smart to benefit from the absences, I'm not necessarily expecting the same for Rui Hachimura.
That's not to say he can't be impactful and still score in double figures, I just don't foresee him eclipsing 14.5 points this evening.
Hachimura finished Game One with 14 points, knocking down a pair of triples and shooting an efficient 60% from the floor in 42 minutes.
Like Smart, his numbers could see a slight bump from his regular season averages due to increased opportunity, but I don't expect it to be anything drastic. He averaged 11.6 points per game on 51% shooting during the regular season.
A majority of Hachimura's looks come from beyond the arc and mid-range, and Houston ranked fourth in opponent three-point percentage and 12th against mid-range shots.
I'd be surprised if Hachimura knocks down 60% of his looks again, and if the Houston Rockets don't take control of this game and limit the Lakers' offensive success overall.
Let's look for Hachimura to stay below 15 points again.
NBA Bets:
- Shaedon Sharpe Under 11.5 Points (-125 at Lucky Rebel)
- Marcus Smart Over 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-105 at Lucky Rebel)
- Rui Hachimura Under 14.5 Points (-114 at Lucky Rebel)
NBA Record: 192-161-1 (+11.41 units)
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Danny Burke is a betting analyst with a decade of sports media experience. He got his start at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, sharing picks on the local ESPN affiliate. After college, he hosted shows for VSiN in Las Vegas before returning to Chicago to launch 'Rush Hour', the first daily sports betting show from an Illinois casino. He also co-hosted 'Props and Locks' on Fox32’s Bears pregame show and ran 'Bet On, Chicago' on WLS-AM 890.
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