Odds, picks, betting tips for Sunday's Game 7, second round Game 1

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 Sunday are provided by Caesars Sportsbook.

What you need to know for Sunday's games

On Sunday, we close out the first round of the playoffs and start a second-round series. The Heat and Knicks rekindle one of the magical rivalries of the 1990s with a new generation of tough, hard-nosed players on both sides that are likely to produce a defense-oriented series with individual stars providing the scoring.

Out West, the Warriors and Kings play the first Game 7 of these playoffs, in a series in which the scoring has typically come from every angle. But keep in mind that this is a Game 7, and Game 7s tend to be more defensive in nature. This series has produced totals as high as 251 points or as low as 211. What will we see for Game 7?

It should be a great day of action, so let's dig further to find some interesting plays.

Breaking down today's slate

Records (against the spread)Heat: 44-38 (30-49-3)

Knicks: 47-35 (45-35-2)

Line: Knicks (-4.5) Total: 207.5
BPI projection: Knicks by 9.1
Money line: Heat (+162), Knicks (-195)

Injury report:
Heat: Bam Adebayo, (GTD -- hamstring); Tyler Herro, (OUT -- hand); Victor Oladipo, (OUT -- knee)
Knicks: Julius Randle, (GTD -- ankle); Quentin Grimes, (GTD -- shoulder); Jericho Sims, (OUT -- shoulder)

Best bet:Jalen Brunson over 24.5 points. Brunson faced the Heat twice in the regular season just before missing games due to injury, and once just after. He scored 25 points in each of the first two meetings, playing normal minutes. In the third meeting, the game after returning from injury, he scored only 12 points in fewer minutes than usual. However, in the seven games Brunson has played since that last Heat game, he has averaged 27.9 PPG. And with Julius Randle still dealing with an ankle injury, Brunson is likely to be called upon to lead the way for the Knicks on Sunday.

Best bet:Julius Randle under 19.5 points. Randle injured an ankle late in the regular season, then tried to return for the playoffs. He played but his scoring was well below his typical level with averages of 14.8 PPG through the first four games of the series vs. Cleveland before aggravating the injury and having to leave Game 5 early. Randle scored more than 19.5 points in only one of his first four games against the Cavaliers. While he is still a game-time decision for Game 1 against the Heat, even if he does return, it seems unlikely he would play at a higher level than he played in the last round.Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings
Game 7: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Records (ATS)Warriors: 44-38 (39-42-1)

Kings: 48-34 (45-37-0)

Line: Kings (-1) Total: 229
BPI projection: Kings by 2.7
Money line: Warriors (+105), Kings (-125)

Injury report:
Warriors: Patrick Baldwin Jr., (OUT -- toe); Andre Iguodala, (OUT -- wrist); Ryan Rollins, (OUT -- foot)
Kings: Matthew Dellavedova, (GTD -- finger)

Best bet:Klay Thompson over 22.5 points. Thompson has earned the nickname "Game 6 Klay" because he has a history of huge efforts in closeout games, particularly in Game 6s. Well, in this series he was solid but unspectacular in Game 6. But if you look at Games 4-6, he averaged 24.3 points, with at least 22 in all three outings. The Warriors will look for him to go big Sunday, in a closeout game in which he'll have to be at his best for the Warriors to have a chance to defeat the high-scoring Kings.

Best bet:Keegan Murray over 12.5 points. This has been a tale of two series for the rookie. Murray averaged only 3.3 PPG on 23.1 FG% through the first three games of the series, but the game has slowed down for him and he's jumped up to 16.0 PPG on 51.4 FG% in the past three outings. Even in his lowest-scoring game in that stretch, Murray had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the first quarter before not getting another shot the rest of the game. The Kings need his scoring to win, and now that he has settled into the series, Murray seems likely to deliver.