NBA picks, best bets for Celtics-76ers Game 2: James Harden scores less, creates more; Jaylen Brown steps up

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

Vegas continues to be slow to adjust to the reality of Boston's defense. The Game 1 point total line was at 213.5 and the final total was 236. Their series against the Hawks routinely went into the 240's and 250's. The Celtics are an offense-first team right now. Al Horford's age is finally starting to show, and Boston never quite knows which version of Robert Williams III or Marcus Smart it is going to get on a given night. Expect the points to continue to flow. The Pick: Over 216

The Celtics got torched by James Harden in Game 1, and their natural inclination is going to be to adjust their defense to turn him into more of a playmaker, even with Joel Embiidsaying it's a "possibility" he plays. They'll want to make the other 76ers beat them, and Harden, one of the NBA's best passers will deliver. Expect his point total to dip, but his assist total to rise, and with nice odds on a double-double, we can turn a nice profit here. The Pick: Harden to earn a double-double (+172)

Jaylen Brown took only 10 shots in Game 1, but he made eight of them. The Celtics are going to make a concerted effort to keep him engaged early on for a number of reasons. Philadelphia's perimeter defense is relatively weak, and Brown's speed can help them both get to the rim and attack the 76ers in transition, where they struggle defensively. There's no excuse for your second-best player taking only 10 shots. That is going to be rectified in Game 2. The Pick: Brown Over 24.5 Points