NBA picks, best bets for Play-In Tournament: Expect 76ers, Heat to light it up as Bulls will handle Hawks

Lean on the home teams in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday

Now that the 2024 NBA postseason has begun, 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 game lines courtesy of SportsLine consensus unless otherwise specified.

Yes, you should be afraid of Jimmy Butler going "you chose Tobias Harris over me???" all over the 76ers again, but he really isn't the most problematic matchup in this game. How does Miami plan to slow down Tyrese Maxey? The 76ers and Heat have played three teams since Valentine's Day. Maxey scored 97 combined points in those matchups and was never held below 30. Philadelphia beat Miami on its home court less than two weeks ago, and before you start citing Miami's postseason history, remember, the Heat lost their first play-in game to Atlanta last season before going on a Finals run. The 76ers are the better team, and they'll prove it Wednesday. The Pick: 76ers -5