Monday's NBA playoff action features two compelling matchups with strong betting opportunities. Here's the analysis and top picks:

Best Bet Parlay (+238 at FanDuel):

• Pistons First Half +4.5 (-118)
• Nikola Jokic Over 27.5 Points (-110)

Pistons vs Knicks Analysis: Detroit showed strong competitiveness in Game 1, leading by 8 points in the fourth quarter before a late Knicks run. Key factors supporting the Pistons first-half cover:

• Jalen Brunson appears limited by ankle issues after playing 40 minutes in Game 1
• Cade Cunningham likely to improve from his 8-21 shooting performance
• Historical trend: Only 1 of 4 matchups this season saw Detroit trailing by >4 at half

Clippers vs Nuggets Analysis: Jokic's scoring projection looks promising based on:

• Averaged 29.6 PPG in regular season
• Scored 29 in Game 1 despite shooting below season average
• Strong history vs Clippers (41 and 28 points in full-minutes games)
• Expected faster pace under interim coach Adelman compared to Game 1's sluggish 91.92

Best value can be found at DraftKings (-110) for the Jokic points prop, while FanDuel offers the best parlay combination at +238.

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