Wednesday’s Best Bets: NBA Picks & NHL Predictions (3/22)
No matter your sport of choice, there’s always sports betting action to be had. We’ll have you covered each and every day with our daily best bets. Here are all of our best bets across each major sport in action today.
- Today’s NBA Player Prop Bet Rankings, Picks & Predictions
- March Madness Sweet 16 Betting Guide
- 2023 WGC-Dell Matchplay Best Bets
Today’s Best Bets
Here are today’s best NBA bets.
NBA Best Bets
NBA Game Picks
Denver Nuggets vs. Washington Wizards
Living in the DC area for almost seven years now, I’ve followed this Wizards team each year. One thing I’ve noticed is when they slide, they slide hard, and we are in the midst of another one. After starting the month with hopes of playing in the postseason, the Wiz have now lost seven of their last 10, including three straight, failing to cover in all three.
For the West-leading Nuggets, they come into this one for their final game of a five-game road trip they’ve so far split 2-2. Largely healthy and facing a Wizards team likely without Kuzma, I like for the Nuggets to roll in this game.
Bet: Nuggets -6 (-110)
- Johnny Perun
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First Basket Scorer
Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks
I love picking on the Mavericks. Dallas has won only 32 percent of tips and scored the first basket in only 38 percent of games this season. On the other hand, the Warriors have scored 58 percent of the first baskets and have won the tip in 47 percent of games.
The Warriors won the tip in both previous matchups this season. The Mavericks scored first in one of those two games, but there’s a much higher probability that the Warriors will score if they get the ball first.
Klay Thompson has scored the first basket in 12 games this season and has attempted the first shot in ten games. He leads the team in both categories and will likely be the first one attempting a shot in tonight’s game against the Mavs.
Bet: Klay Thompson (+440)
- Jason Radowitz
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NBA Prop Bets
Joel Embiid Over 34.5 Points (-102 FanDuel)
The Philadelphia 76ers are pushing to get the #1 or #2 seed. They want to get the top seed to avoid playing the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics as long as possible in the playoffs. That means they are playing hard every night to get the ideal seed.
Joel Embiid is also pushing to win the MVP. He averages 33.6 points per game and is the best offensive center in the NBA. Embiid has scored over thirty points every night since March 2nd. That means he is consistently scoring points against some of the best defensive teams. Tonight Embiid has the most betting value.
- Cameron Lynch
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NHL Best Bets
NHL Game Picks
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Penguins are sliding out of control right now, losing four straight games and slipping outside of the top two spots in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. Things won't get any easier tonight as they take on the defending champion Avalanche, who have won their last six games. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver, CO.
I'll ride the hot hand in this one and back the Avs on the moneyline. Colorado has been clicking on both ends of the ice, outscoring their opponents 28-12 over the six-game streak. On the flip side, the Pens have scored just seven goals over their recent four-game skid.
Statistically, one of the reasons for the mediocre season from Pittsburgh has been their special teams’ play. The Penguins are 17th on the power play (21.2%) and 16th on the penalty kill (79.7%). They'll be tasked with slowing down the fourth-ranked power play unit tonight, an Avs club that's finding the back of the net on 24.8% of their man-advantage opportunities.
Ultimately, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin can only carry this team so far. They need someone else to step up and contribute, and Pittsburgh simply isn't getting that from anyone else on the team right now. Let's back the red-hot Avalanche tonight.
Bet: Colorado Avalanche Moneyline (-165)
- Trenton Pruitt
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NHL Same Game Parlay
Arizona Coyotes vs. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are sitting in third place in the Pacific but are still within striking distance of the Kings and Golden Knights to win the division.
The top line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl feels like a cheat code. McDavid leads the league in everything, including 136 points, and Draisaitl is second with 106.
Now they also have the goaltending to take the pressure off the offense. Stuart Skinner has excelled since taking over the starting gig, and he's 7-1-0 with a .910 say percentage in his last eight games.
The Coyotes are eliminated from the playoffs, but they're playing well with the season wrapping up. Just like Edmonton, they are coming in with a four-game winning streak.
Three of those games were against non-playoff teams and also just by one goal. I don't like them keeping up with the Oilers, who are currently playing great two-way hockey.
Parlay Odds: +636
- John Supowitz
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