It’s a busy Thursday of NBA basketball as we’ll have seven games, starting at noon EST and ending somewhere around midnight. There are some very important battles out West, considering the playoff picture is still being determined. With the lengthy schedule of games, things can change in a moment’s instance today.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the odds and best value plays from all seven of the games on the NBA slate. All of these lines are according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics
12:00 p.m. EST | Watch: NBA League Pass
Total: 226 points | Over: -112 | Under: -109
WSH | Spread: +2.5 (-109) | Moneyline: +115
BOS | Spread: -2.5 (-110) | Moneyline: -136
Betting Pick: Wizards Moneyline (+115)
The Wizards can’t go winless in the bubble, can they? Well, probably, but it’s worth taking a crack on. This game means absolutely nothing to the Celtics and in a sense, everything to the Wizards. Boston will be taking on Philly in its first-round matchup while Washington is heading out of the bubble. Might as well go home with ONE win.
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers
1:30 p.m. EST | Watch: NBA League Pass
Total: 222.5 points | Over: -112 | Under: -109
SAC | Spread: +4.5 (-109) | Moneyline: +155
LAL | Spread: -4.5 (-112) | Moneyline: -186
Betting Pick: Lakers -4.5 (-112)
The Lakers are only at 3-4 in the bubble and still have yet to win consecutive games. Think of this as more of a tune-up for the playoffs, but one with a little more vigor. Granted, you probably won’t see guys like LeBron James and Anthony Davis late in this game, but there are enough guys on the Lakers to get this job done today.
Milwaukee Bucks at Memphis Grizzlies
4:00 p.m. EST | Watch: NBA League Pass
Total: 226.5 points | Over: -112 | Under: -109
MIL | Spread: +3.5 (-109) | Moneyline: +130
MEM | Spread: -3.5 (-112) | Moneyline: -155
Betting Pick: Grizzlies -3.5 (-112)
Once again, we’ve got a team with nothing to play for against a team with their playoff livelihood on the line. Not to mention, Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss this meaningless game after heading-butting Moritz Wagner of the Washington Wizards. Ja Morant hasn’t been great in the bubble but this is the type of big-game situation we’ve seen him be accustomed to over the years in college. Look for the Grizz to get their focus back on track and officially get themselves into a playoff situation.
Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
4:00 p.m. EST | Watch: TNT
Total: 234.5 points | Over: -113 | Under: -108
DAL | Spread: +8.5 (-110) | Moneyline: +295
PHX | Spread: -8.5 (-110) | Moneyline: -375
Betting Pick: Over 234.5 (-113)
You would love to take the easy route and take the Suns to blow out at the Mavericks, in a game that means nothing to the latter. It’s astonishing to believe, but Phoenix is a perfect 7-0 in the bubble. There are some fascinating scenarios for the Suns to be seeded, with the one constant remaining – they need to win in order for any of it to matter. Dallas is going to be in straight-up IDGAF mode today, which will probably include a lot of 3-pointers and not so much defense.
San Antonio Spurs at Utah Jazz
6:30 p.m. EST | Watch: TNT
Total: 231 points | Over: -112 | Under: -108
SA | Spread: -8 (-110) | Moneyline: -335
UTA | Spread: +8 (-110) | Moneyline: +270
Betting Pick: Jazz +8 (-110)
This will be one upset pick I’m willing to lay my hat on in the night time. It’s very surprising to me that the Spurs would be favored by this much, even in a must-win scenario. However, it’s worth noting that by the time this game tips off, it may not even matter to San Antonio. This is why, much earlier before the game even starts, there is a tremendous amount of value in taking Utah at +8.
Portland Trail Blazers at Brooklyn Nets
9:00 p.m. EST | Watch: TNT
Total: 236.5 points | Over: -108 | Under: -112
POR | Spread: -10.5 (-110) | Moneyline: -560
BKN | Spread: +10.5 (-110) | Moneyline: +430
Betting Pick: Trail Blazers -9.5 (-110)
This is obviously a game that the Trail Blazers need while the Nets are already locked into the No. 7 seed. There was something interesting brought to my attention earlier today – Brooklyn may want to just outright lose this game. The reasoning: Memphis had two very disrespectful encounters with them this season. Wouldn’t it be clever if the Nets just outright dropped this one? Well, they may not even need to with the way Damian Lillard has been playing lately; he scored 61 points in his last game.
