The NBA is back in full swing, with eight games tonight and a number of teams fighting for the playoffs in action. With stars and playoff hopefuls in action, here are some of the best bets as the season dwindles:
NBA Best Bet #1: Washington Wizards -9.0 (-115)
The Washington Wizards are currently the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, the last spot that qualifies for a play-in spot. Every game that they play is a must-win if they want to hold onto that position or even move up. This game presents a golden opportunity to get back on track.
In their way are the Detroit Pistons, who have the worst record in the NBA and played last night. They’ve lost eight games in a row and are bottom-five in both offensive and defensive ratings. The first time these teams met, the Wizards came out on top, 120-99.
Detroit is 3-8 in the second half of back-to-backs this season. The line on this game has been moving in Washington’s favor. Try to catch this before it becomes worse.
NBA Best Bet #2: Dallas Mavericks -3.5 First Half (-110)
Dallas’ shiny new duo may not be winning as often as they envisioned, but starting slow hasn’t been their issue. In their last five games, they’ve taken a lead into halftime, and all four leads were by at least three points. If they could finish, the discourse around Dallas would be much different right now.
Utah’s issue is the exact opposite. The Jazz have trailed at the halfway point in their last five games, and four of those deficits were at least nine points. Two of those games came against the Spurs, who have the third-worst record in the NBA.
Epect the trends will continue for both sides tonight, and Dallas will take a sizable lead into halftime.
NBA Best Bet #3: Oklahoma City Thunder Money Line (+150)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the cusp of the Western Conference’s final play-in spot, trailing four teams by half a game. Tonight, they host the Golden State Warriors, which on paper should be a tough fight.
Except, Golden State stinks on the road this season. Away from the bay, the Warriors are 7-24 this season, with an active six-game losing streak in away games. Not even the return of Steph Curry could save them on Sunday.
OKC is one of the few destinations where the Warriors have won, but don’t anticipate it happening again. The Thunder have a higher net rating than the Warriors this season, ranking one spot higher than them in offensive rating and defensive rating. They’ve also won their last two games, both at home.
Take the Thunder to win this game.
