The 2026 NBA playoffs will officially get underway on Saturday, April 18, as 16 NBA teams will begin their pursuit of an NBA championship.
With the NBA Play-In Tournament in the books, there are plenty of opportunities to make NBA predictions during Saturday’s four-game slate on PrizePicks Team Picks.
Let’s dive into our top NBA playoff predictions and expert picks for Saturday, April 18, including a player projection for PrizePicks.
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Top NBA Playoff Predictions and Expert Picks for Saturday, April 18
Saturday’s stack of games begins with the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the No. 5 Toronto Raptors at 1:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video, and wraps up with the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Lakers taking on the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
The Western Conference showdown between the Lakers and Rockets could be one of the more intriguing showdowns on Saturday’s schedule. Despite being the lower seed, PrizePicks Team Picks has tabbed Houston as 5.5-point favorites.
Meanwhile, the No. 3 seed New York Knicks will face off against the No. 6 seed Atlanta Hawks at 6:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video. With the two teams playing three fairly close games during the regular season. More of the same could be on tap in Game 1 on Saturday.
Stay tuned to Playbook’s NBA coverage for continued predictions and picks throughout the NBA postseason and NBA Finals. Let’s break down our favorite NBA predictions and expert picks for Saturday, April 18, on PrizePicks Team Picks.
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Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks Prediction on Spread – 4/18/26
NBA Spread Pick: Atlanta Hawks +6.5 (1.78x) | New York Knicks -6.5 (1.96x)
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: Prime Video
Lock in your Hawks vs. Knicks prediction on PrizePicks before the line moves.
- The Hawks have a 14-12 against-the-spread record as road underdogs, producing a 53.9% cover rate (11th-best in the NBA).
- Atlanta has covered the spread in three of its last five meetings vs. New York. Two of their three meetings during the 2025-26 season have been decided by three or fewer points.
- According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Hawks have the third-best assist/turnover ratio (2.1) in the league, behind only the Denver Nuggets (2.2) and Toronto Raptors (2.2). In addition, Atlanta leads the league in assists per game (30.1).
- The Hawks are shooting 37.1% on 3-pointers, which ranks fifth in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Knicks allow their opponents to shoot 36.2% from beyond the arc (20th).
- Atlanta SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been on a scoring tear lately, averaging 26.2 PPG over his last five contests. That’s quite an increase from his 20.8 PPG season average.
- The Knicks are just 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games entering the NBA playoffs.
Hawks G Dyson Daniels vs. Knicks Projection: 23 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Daniels has averaged a combined 27.9 points, rebounds, and assists per game over his last 10 appearances.
- The Hawks' versatile guard has tallied at least 24 points, rebounds, and assists in seven of his last 20 contests.
- According to databallr, Daniels secures 12.6% of available defensive rebounds, which ranks in the 92nd percentile.
- Daniels has connected on 56.0% (61-of-109) of his shots from the field over his last 10 contests. He’s also drained at least one 3-pointer in seven games in that split.
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Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction on Spread – 4/18/26
NBA Spread Pick: Houston Rockets -5.5 (2x) | Los Angeles Lakers +5.5 (1.75x)
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Lock in your Rockets vs. Lakers prediction on PrizePicks before the line moves.
- The Lakers are 6-8 against the spread as home underdogs this season.
- According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Rockets lead the NBA in offensive rebound percentage (38.8%) and rebounds per game (48.1).
- The Lakers are 3-2 ATS since PG Luka Doncic went down with a hamstring injury on April 2 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, the Suns and Thunder were the only teams the Lakers faced with winning records during that span.
- The Rockets have held their opponents to 110.0 PPG (fourth in the NBA) and 35.1% shooting from deep (seventh) this season.
- Houston G Amen Thompson has thrived when facing the Lakers in 2025-26. In three games vs. the Lakers, Thompson has averaged 23.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 4.7 APG.
- The Rockets are 3-1 ATS in their last four games entering the 2026 NBA playoffs.
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Will the Rockets be able to cover the spread against the shorthanded Lakers on the road? On the other hand, the Hawks will aim to play the role of spoiler against the Knicks in their Eastern Conference series opener.
Don’t wait until lock — make your NBA Playoffs picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
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