12:00 PM ET

ESPN's fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips cheat sheet is your pregame destination for basketball betting predictions and our best intel and data, featuring ESPN's proprietary Basketball Power Index (BPI) to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds for Friday, April 28 are provided by Caesars Sportsbook.

What you need to know for Friday's games

The final stages of the first round could play out on Friday evening. The Golden State Warriors are in position to finish their contentious and competitive series against the Sacramento Kings while the Los Angeles Lakers similarly are positioned as home favorites in a close-out opportunity against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Editor's Picks

This four-team player pool does present some interesting paths to value, such as Kevon Looney's ascent as an elite rebounder and distributor. Leveraged as a weapon in direct hand-offs, commonly called DHO plays, Looney has dished 21 dimes over the past three games. Not only is Looney my model's highest-rated player for DFS lineups, he's also a sound target to exceed his passing prop of 2.5 assists.

It's an ideal night to build around superstars such as Stephen Curry and LeBron James, which will require finding some bargain spots in lineups. Each team, thankfully, seems to claim at least one standout value at guard, including the likes of Austin Reaves, Malik Monk, Desmond Bane, and Jordan Poole as key examples.

-- Jim McCormick

Breaking down the slate

Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors
Game 6: 8:00 p.m. ET, Warriors lead 3-2

Records (Against the Spread)
Kings: 48-34 (45-37-0)
Warriors: 44-38 (39-42-1)

Line: Warriors (-7.5) Total: 234.5
BPI Projection: Warriors by 3.4
Money Line: Kings (260), Warriors (-335)

Injury Report:
Kings: Matthew Dellavedova, (OUT - Finger)
Warriors: Andre Iguodala, (OUT - Wrist); Ryan Rollins, (OUT - Foot)
Note: BPI numbers factor players who are ruled out but assumes GTD players will play

Best bet: De'Aaron Fox under 26.5. It worked out for me in Game 5 so I'm going with it again in Game 6. Dude has a broken/fractured index finger on his shooting hand and while he played very well and flirted with greatness in the last game with 24 points, I'm still not dismissing the injury. He hit just 9-of-25 shots in that game and while he'll likely be going all out in this one with the series on the line, I'll take the medical side of things in this one. Malik Monk is going to have to score 30 for the Kings to extend the series and the Warriors have won three straight. - Steve Alexander

Best bet: Klay Thompson over 23.5 points. Klay had 25 and 26 points in the last two games of this series, both Warriors' wins, and he's going to have to go off again on Friday night. He's hit 19-of-34 shots (56%) in the last two games and should be able to keep it going tonight at home. Klay is back and no one is going to want to face these Warriors going forward, including the Lakers, who are up 3-1 on the Grizzlies. If Thompson doesn't score 25 points, the Kings will probably win. -Alexander

Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers
Game 6: 10:30 p.m. ET, Lakers lead 3-2

Records (Against the Spread)
Grizzlies: 51-31 (37-42-3)
Lakers: 43-39 (39-41-2)

Line: Lakers (-4.5) Total: 219.5
BPI Projection: Lakers by 0.3
Money Line: Grizzlies (175), Lakers (-210)

Injury Report:
Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke, (OUT - Achilles); Jake LaRavia, (GTD - Calf); Luke Kennard, (GTD - Shoulder); Steven Adams, (OUT - Knee)
Lakers: Anthony Davis, (GTD - Foot); Dennis Schroder, (GTD - Achilles); LeBron James, (GTD - Foot)
Note: BPI numbers factor players who are ruled out but assumes GTD players will play

Best Bet: Ja Morant over 28.5 points. Morant had 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven dimes in Game 5 and will be going all out in Game 6 in hopes of extending the series to a Game 7. He scored 45 at L.A. in Game 3 with nine rebounds and 13 assists and is going to have to have another monster game tonight. Morant's back is up against the wall, along with the Grizzlies, and he's going to score at least 40 tonight or the Grizzlies won't be in the game. -Alexander

2023 nba playoffs odds picks betting tips first round game 6 friday 04 28 23

2023-04-29 00:00:33