NBA picks, best bets: 76ers' Tyrese Maxey primed for big Game 1 vs. Celtics; more points in Nuggets-Suns

Now that we're in the thick of the NBA playoffs, 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. All lines courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

Featured Game| Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers

If you exclude the 2020 bubble due to Ben Simmons' injury, the Philadelphia 76ers have now played 1,502 postseason minutes with Joel Embiid on the floor. They've won those minutes by 371 points. However, they've played 948 postseason minutes without him in that time. They've lost those minutes by 159 total points. Paul Reed has stepped up and become a solid backup center, but asking him to play starter minutes just isn't realistic. Miami won the first two games of last season's second-round series between the Heat and 76ers due to Embiid's injury. It would be irresponsible to pick Philadelphia without knowing if Embiid is playing. The Pick: Celtics -10

The last five games of Boston's first-round series against the Hawks saw an average of 242.2 points scored. Yes, Atlanta's pace had quite a bit to do with that, but it should be noted that Philadelphia's pace increases by roughly two possessions per game when Embiid is on the bench. They're not exactly the Showtime Lakers, but they can hit the turbo button when necessary, and Boston's scoring is going to force their hand. The Pick: Over 213.5

Speed has been Boston's biggest weakness all season. It hasn't just been stars like Donovan Mitchell torching Boston's defense. Immanuel Quickley dropped 38 on the Celtics in March, and several players of similar stature, both literal and figurative, gave Boston fits this season. Well, Tyrese Maxey is one of the fastest guards in the NBA, and with Joel Embiid likely out for Game 1, the 76ers are going to need him to increase his scoring volume. Expect a big Game 1 performance from Philadelphia's ascending guard. The Pick: Tyrese Maxey Over 24.5 Points

Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets

Featured Game| Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns

The Suns and Nuggets combined for 232 points in Game 1 despite combining to make just 27 free throws. Phoenix alone averages 23.2 of them per game in the first round against the Clippers, and while their 3-point volume has been a problem for three years now, we should still generally expect them to make more than seven of them in a game. The defense issues Phoenix had defending the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray pick-and-roll, however, will persist. Expect the points to keep rolling in here. The Pick: Over 227

Devin Booker had a huge series against the Clippers largely because Los Angeles switched against him. They had the personnel to do so effectively against him in theory, but in practice he simply wound up beating whatever defender the Clippers threw at him. Denver was more aggressive. They blitzed Booker in pick-and-roll to force the ball out of his hands. There are certainly ways to beat the blitz, but they rarely involve scoring many points. Expect Booker to be more of a distributor and less of a scorer in Game 2. The Pick: Booker Under 29.5 Points