NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (3/20)

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has five games on the slate Thursday, as it won’t go head-to-head against the NCAA Tournament. We do have a nationally televised doubleheader on NBA TV, as the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers meet at 7:00 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, while the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings square off at Golden 1 Center at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Let’s get on track with some winning picks for Thursday, March 20th.

• More NBA Betting Advice
• Player Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
• First Basket Cheat Sheet
• NBA Consensus Odds

Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>

Thursday’s Best NBA Picks

NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit

Brooklyn Nets (+295) at Indiana Pacers (-370) | O/U 226 (-112/-108)

The Nets (23-46) take on the Pacers (39-29) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the first of two meetings in a back-to-back set in Indianapolis. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Brooklyn suffered a 104-96 loss on the road against the Boston Celtics last time out on Tuesday, but it was able to cover as a 13.5-point underdog as the under (211.5) cashed. The Nets are 3-0 against the spread (ATS) in the past three games while going 5-1 ATS in the past six contests. The under has a slight 4-3 edge in the past seven outings, too.

The Pacers outlasted the Dallas Mavericks 135-131 on Wednesday night, but Indiana was unable to cover as a 10.5-point favorite. Indiana has won four of the past five games, but it is just 1-7 ATS in the past eight games. The over has cashed in three in a row.

The big injury news for the home side is that point guard Tyrese Haliburton is nursing a back ailment. He is considered day-to-day. If Haliburton cannot play, the Nets are that much more attractive catching the points.

For Brooklyn, shooting guard Cam Thomas is done for the season due to a hamstring injury. Small forward Cameron Johnson is expected to rest. He is second on the team with 18.9 points per game (PPG), so that’s a big loss.

Let’s back the Nets catching the points, as they’re 4-0 ATS in the past four games when catching nine or more points. And, we’ll go with the under. The total has gone low in six of the past nine games for the Pacers when playing on no rest.

Picks: Brooklyn Nets +9 (-110) & Under 226 Points (-108)

Toronto Raptors (+610) at Golden State Warriors (-900) | O/U 224.5 (-110/-110)

The Raptors (24-45) and the Warriors (40-29) meet at Chase Center in San Francisco, with a tip-off time set for 10:00 p.m. ET.

Toronto was pounded 129-89 in Phoenix on Monday, playing on no rest. It was unable to cash as a 9-point underdog as the under (224.5) cashed. Toronto is wrapping up a four-game road trip. It started nice, winning in Utah, but it lost 105-102 in Portland on Sunday before the rout in the Valley of the Sun. Still, the Raptors are 4-1 ATS in the past five games and 7-2 ATS in the previous nine outings. The under is 3-1-1 in the past five games.

Golden State topped the Milwaukee Bucks 104-93 as a 2-point underdog at home on Tuesday, playing on no rest. The under (225) cashed for the third consecutive game. The Warriors have won eight of the past nine games, but it is just 2-4-1 ATS in the past seven outings.

These teams met in Toronto, with the Raptors going for a 104-101 win as a 5-point underdog on January 13th as the under (229.5) cashed. Guard Steph Curry was good for 26 points with seven assists and seven rebounds while knocking down four three-pointers. Raptors center Jakob Poeltl went for 13 points and 13 rebounds, while forward Scottie Barnes was good for 23 points with eight rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and two steals in 40 minutes.

These teams have split 5-5 straight up (SU) in the past 10 in the series since March 5th, 2020, with Golden State holding a 5-4 ATS edge. The under has cashed in each of the past two meetings, both in Toronto. The Raptors won 133-118 in the most recent meeting in San Francisco on January 7th, 2024, cashing as a 2-point underdog as the over (237) came through.

Let’s take the Raptors with the points and we’ll go high on the total.

Picks: Toronto Raptors +14.5 (-112) & Over 224.5 Points (-110)