Top NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (3/21)
The National Basketball Association has seven games on tap for Thursday night, which is a bit surprising going up against the NCAA Tournament. There are even two games on NBA TV, as the New Orleans Pelicans and Orlando Magic square off in the early-window game on NBA TV at 7 p.m. ET, while the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns tangle in the late-window game at 10:30 p.m. ET.
We’ll be looking to build up some bankroll to use heading into the weekend in the NBA, as well as the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and beyond. Let’s get started!
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Thursday’s Best NBA Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit
Sacramento Kings (-590) at Washington Wizards (+440) | O/U 236.5 (-110/-110)
The Kings (39-28) make the second stop on a three-game Eastern Conference road trip against the struggling Wizards (11-58). Washington has managed to win just four of its 32 games at home, which is absolutely awful. If you think laying double digits with the road team is a concern, bet this line with confidence.
Sacramento heads in 11 games over .500, and it cashed as a double-digit road favorite in Toronto to kick off the trip on Wednesday, winning 123-89 in a laugher. There is risk, as Sacto is 1-5 ATS in the past six games as a double-digit favorite, so obviously that is concerning. But, again, that lone cover came yesterday.
In addition to betting the line, Same Game Parlay bettors will want to kick the tires on the Under. The Kings have seen the total go low in five of the past six games, holding teams to 112 or fewer points in six straight outings. As long as the Kings don’t go absolutely bonkers against an awful Wizards defense that allows 124.2 PPG, we should see this line cash low. Kick off your NBA night with a nice parlay in the early window.
Bet: Kings -11 (-112) & Under 236.5 (-110)
Brooklyn Nets (+370) at Milwaukee Bucks (-480) | O/U 220.5 (-112/-108)
The Nets (26-43) head to Cream City to tangle with the Bucks (44-25) on Thursday. Milwaukee has won four in a row in the series while going 8-2 straight up (SU) in the past 10 meetings. The Bucks are just 2-2 ATS in the past four meetings at Fiserv Forum, so there is obviously some risk.
The Nets are on a four-game losing streak, and have failed to cover any of those games while scoring 106 or fewer points in each of the contests. Brooklyn is also just 1-6 ATS in the past seven outings.
On the flip side, the Bucks have won just three of the past seven games. However, one of those losses was a narrow 122-119 in an Eastern Conference showdown on the road against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. Milwaukee covered as a 10-point underdog, and the Bucks have cashed in three in a row, four of the past five, and 10 of the previous 13 outings. Milwaukee is 5-5 ATS this season in 10 games when playing on no rest.
Bet: Bucks -10 (-108)
New York Knicks (+340) at Denver Nuggets (-430) | O/U 225.5 (-110/-110)
The Knicks (41-27) tangle with the Nuggets (48-21) in the Mile High City, and New York looks to use its suffocating defense to keep the defending champs down.
New York enters on a 3-0-1 ATS run, including 2-0-1 ATS in the first three games of the four-game road trip which wraps up on Thursday. Defense has been a major part of the recent resurgence of the Knicks lately, allowing 93 or fewer points in five of the past six games. However, two of those games were against the banged up Philadelphia 76ers, missing their MVP Joel Embiid. Denver has its two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, so be careful. The Knicks did hold the Kings to just 91 points in Sacramento, though, and that was quite impressive.
The Nuggets have failed to cover the past two games, and they’re just 4-6 ATS in the past 10 games at Ball Arena. New York might not come away with a straight-up victory in Denver on Thursday night, but it should be able to keep it within single digits with its suffocating defense. In addition, the Under is 3-1 in the past four games for Denver, while going 11-2 in the past 13 games for New York. Again, SGP bettors might find some value playing the Knickerbockers while also going low.
Bet: Knicks +9.5 (-110) & Under 207.5 (-110)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:
- NHL Prop Betting Cheat Sheet
- Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions
- Top NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions
- NCAA Tournament Odds, Picks & Predictions: First Round (Thursday)
- 2024 NCAA Tournament Player Props Bet Odds & Picks: Round 1 (Thursday)
Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.