NBA Tips for Thursday, April 16th 2026

We have NBA picks and predictions for Thursday, April 16th, which features the Magic vs. 76ers and Warriors vs. Clippers, which is NBA play-in action.

Our picks include a best bet and NBA same game multi, and we’re looking forward to the NBA action this week.

Magic vs. 76ers Best Bet

76ers –1.5 @ $1.90

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The 76ers have more momentum coming into the playoffs after winning their last two games against the Pacers and Bucks. The opposition wasn’t good, but they’re playing better than the Magic, who couldn’t close out Boston without their star players.

Losing to a Boston team without Jalen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White isn’t a good look, especially considering what was on the line. Therefore, we’re picking the 76ers to get the job done at home.

They don’t have Joel Embiid, but Tyrese Maxey and Paul George can lead them to victory, and the –1.5 line is worth including in NBA picks this week.

Magic vs. 76ers SGM

76ers -1.5, Tyrese Maxey Over 29.5 Points, Paul George Over 20.5 Points, Under 222.5 Points @ $8.00

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Maxey is a proven scorer in the NBA, which is why his line is at 29.5 points. Given the situation, we predict him measuring up, and he has enough experience in the league handle the pressure. Back Maxey to score more than 29.5 points.

Another experienced player is George, who hasn’t been the most consistent player since returning from suspension. However, he has loads of playoff experience, which should see him go over 20.5 points for the 76ers.

Our NBA predictions have the Magic struggling to put points on the board. They could score around 110 points, which should be enough to cash under 222.5 points.

Warriors vs. Clippers Best Bet

Clippers -5.5 @ $1.90

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The Warriors and Clippers met in their most recent game, with the Clippers winning 115-110.

The Clippers will need to improve on that effort to cover the –5.5 spread, but the Warriors have a terrible recent record against teams with a winning record, and despite getting Steph Curry back, they can’t seem to win a game.

The Warriors have trended in the wrong direction for most of the season, and we expect them to crash out of the playoffs in the play-in game. There is only so much Curry can do, so look for Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland to be too much for the visitors.

Warriors vs. Clippers SGM

Clippers –5.5, Kawhi Leonard Over 29.5 Points, Kristaps Porzingis Under 18.5 Points, Over 221.5 Points @ $8.50

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Leonard is a player punters can rely on during the NBA playoffs. He keeps coming up big for the Clippers, and although the 29.5-point line is in the high region, we have him scoring around 33 points on Thursday afternoon.

Kristaps Porzingis hasn’t scored very well in his last three games, with a high score of 12 points. He’s not a player we want to bet on when his confidence levels are down, so include under 18.5 points in NBA same game multi bets.

They combined for 225 points in their meeting last week, and we see no reason why the offences would slow down. Over 221.5 points is a good multi bet inclusion.

Editor In Chief

Daryl Curnow

After graduating from the University of Auckland (BA - English), Daryl was thrown into the world of sports and horse racing journalism.

Having worked as a racing journalist for two years, he decided to move into the online world of horse racing and sports writing. After years of honing his craft, Daryl became a professional punter in 2009 - with a focus on horse racing, NRL, AFL, NBA, Rugby, NFL, and US college sports.

Daryl's tips have been featured on various websites around the world before joining the GoBet team. When he's not working, Daryl tries to avoid making bogeys on the golf course.