NBA picks, best bets for Knicks vs. Pacers, Nuggets vs. Wolves: Why Jalen Brunson could have quiet Game 1

Now that the 2024 NBA postseason has begun, the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will be providing daily picks for the duration of the postseason. Sam Quinn will make at least one pick for every game between now and the NBA Finals.

Give Jalen Brunson credit. Any player having a pre-game points line of 34.5 under any circumstances is remarkably impressive. Still, it's a bit high under the specific circumstances of Game 1. Notably, Game 1 against Philadelphia saw Brunson hit his series-low in both points (22) and field goal attempts (26). He played over 41 minutes, which is obviously quite a bit of playing time, but he never played fewer than 43 minutes and 32 seconds the rest of the way. We're splitting hairs here, but the Knicks are a bit more conservative with Brunson early in series than they are later on. When you couple that with Rick Carlisle's track record of coming up with creative schemes to bug opposing stars, and Brunson will probably need a game or two to really get going against the Pacers. The Pick: Brunson Under 34.5 Points

Nikola Jokic prefers not to emphasize scoring. As we saw in Game 1, he's going to need to if Denver is to win this series. Jamal Murray went scoreless for a big part of Game 1 because of his calf injury and the stifling defense of Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. Rudy Gobert broke up multiple alley-oops from Jokic to Aaron Gordon. The Timberwolves are too athletic and too disciplined for Denver to rely on its system alone. Its star needs to be the best player in this series, and considering Jokic has averaged 29.8 points in his last 12 regular-season games against Rudy Gobert and just scored 32 in Game 1, it seems safe to assume that he can do it. The Pick: Jokic Over 29.5 Points

NBA picks, best bets for Knicks vs. Pacers, Nuggets vs. Wolves: Why Jalen Brunson could have quiet Game 1

NBA picks, best bets for Knicks vs. Pacers, Nuggets vs. Wolves: Why Jalen Brunson could have quiet Game 1

NBA picks, best bets for Knicks vs. Pacers, Nuggets vs. Wolves: Why Jalen Brunson could have quiet Game 1

NBA picks, best bets for Knicks vs. Pacers, Nuggets vs. Wolves: Why Jalen Brunson could have quiet Game 1

NBA picks, best bets for Knicks vs. Pacers, Nuggets vs. Wolves: Why Jalen Brunson could have quiet Game 1