Top NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Sunday (4/14)
It's the final day of the 2023-24 NBA regular season. All 30 teams are in action on Sunday afternoon. Although the 20 teams moving onto the postseason have been determined for about a week. The matchups are still up in the air. There is a lot to play for amongst these teams and that gives us some solid value. Here are my favorite picks of the day.
Sunday’s Best NBA Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks
On paper, this one seems like a blowout. The Knicks have an opportunity for the 2-seed with a win here and a Milwaukee loss. This means they would get a matchup with the winner of the 7-seed versus 8-seed playoff game. They'd go an extra two days without knowing their opponent. In addition, they'd go an extra two days without playing by the time their series starts next weekend.
The home-court advantage in the second round would be a nice prize, but given their possible opponents the 3-seed may be more advantageous. Orlando, Indiana, Philadelphia, and Miami are all still jockeying in the 5-seed through 8-seed standings. All four teams are favored in tomorrow's games with three of them by double digits. As it stands Philadelphia and Miami could be in the 7-seed spot with a win on Tuesday. That is not an ideal playoff opponent compared to a young, playoff-inexperienced Orlando or Indiana.
The Knicks should win this one and the rest may still work out in their favor, but I'm not certain the motivation for them to win is any greater than a Chicago team that is locked into hosting the 9-seed versus 10-seed game on Wednesday. If they do get off to an early big lead, they will likely be more apt to coast to the finish line. With a massive line like this, the edge is on Chicago.
Pick: Bulls +15.5 (-110)
Detroit Pistons at San Antonio Spurs
Last May, the Spurs edged the Pistons out in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. As we look on the final day of the season, neither of these teams will be making the playoffs, but one has a little bit more to be excited about heading into next year. San Antonio has a star in the making with Wembanyama. He is already one of the best defensive players in the league, if not the best, and he is capable of getting his points on offense as well. Detroit meanwhile is toiling at the bottom of the standings yet again and cannot afford another disappointment on Lottery night.
San Antonio has continued to show heart in the wake of some tough losses this year. Case in point, Friday's comeback victory over the Nuggets. Sure, every win takes them further from the Lottery's best odds, but they have a solid core that they're excited about. It is much more important for them to end this season on a high note to take that into next year.
Meanwhile, Detroit needs a loss here to clinch the worst record in the league for a second straight season. Due to injury or bad roster fit, their young core hasn't gelled the way they hoped and they need to acquire more high-end talent. The motivation here is all in San Antonio's favor. Even without Wembanyama, I expect them to win this game handily.
Pick: Spurs -5.5 (-110)
Phoenix Suns at Minnesota Timberwolves
The Suns won the offseason last year when they acquired Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. To say the marriage between him, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker has been a match made in heaven would be a bit of a stretch. They're a solid team, 8th in adjusted net rating, but currently the 7-seed in the Western Conference. In order to avoid the Play-In tournament where they could face off with Lebron James and the Lakers, they need to win and have the Pelicans lose.
Minnesota is in a tie with Oklahoma City and Denver for the 1-seed in the West. For a young team like Minnesota, this is a huge step forward towards legitimate contender status. By adjusted net rating, they've been the best of the three, albeit by the slimmest of margins, so this has been no fluke. They have the best defensive rating in the NBA and have been propelled by DPOY candidate Rudy Gobert. They need a couple of other things to go their way, but a win on Sunday could help them secure the 1-seed or 2-seed.
The Target Center will be rocking for this matchup. It's been a tumultuous few months for the Timberwolves organization off the court but the play on the court has fans excited about this playoff stretch. With Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup, the Timberwolves are at full force and ready to show they belong amongst the elite in the NBA. A win over the off-season darling Suns will help push that narrative.
Pick: Timberwolves -3.5 (-110)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Sunday: