March Madness is surely dominating the airways on Thursday, but that shouldn’t keep you away from the NBA betting world completely. Thursday night has a lot to offer in the world of basketball, and if you deny the NBA fully, you’re missing out on a fun 8-game slate.
Truth be told, it looks like a pretty easy slate to call, but it still might be one that deserves a closer look. A few teams are playing the second of a back to back set and there are a number of teams tonight that are just tough to gauge (Phoenix and Memphis, to name two). Will home court mean anything? Will the star power of guys like John Wall and Paul George be enough to get wins? Let’s find out:
Line: Bulls -6 Total: 212
Chicago could be worn down tonight, as they play the second of a back to back set after losing to the Wizards on Wednesday. They’ll at least be at home, but they’ll be without both Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson. Considering it’s their second game in two days, we probably need to keep an eye on the statuses of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, as well. As long as those two can suit up, though, the Bulls should be a strong bet at the United Center, where they’re 21-12 on the year. Brooklyn poses a threat if Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young bring their A game, but the Nets are atrocious away from home (7-25), so they’d need a special effort to get the win, which would equate to a 2-1 season series win, as well.
Pick: Bulls 106, Nets 97
Line: Bucks -10.5 Total: 202
Milwaukee continues its rise behind versatile point guard Giannis Antetokounmpo, who no longer seems out of position and is more of a revelation. It may not work forever, but it’s allowing Milwaukee to win right now, as the Bucks host a severely banged up Grizzlies team searching for their fourth win in their last five games. Milwaukee is in a good spot, too, since they’re 20-13 at the Bradley Center this year and Memphis is down Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Memphis has been fighting hard, but it has only equated to three straight losses. Tonight is probably the fourth. That being said, Lance Stephenson and JaMychael Green are giving strong efforts and Milwaukee doesn’t defend that well, so I like Memphis to beat the spread.
Pick: Bucks 104, Grizz 101
Line: Spurs -11.5 Total: 204
Portland has been struggling ever since hitting the rough part of their late-season schedule, and it doesn’t get any easier as they head into Texas with just a 5-5 record in their last 10 games. The Spurs are a blistering 9-1 during that span, and have yet to lose on their home floor (33-0). San Antonio could rest a star or two, but they’ve proven all year that they don’t lose at home. Portland’s weak 14-21 road record doesn’t help matters, while a blowout is fairly likely.
Pick: Spurs 109, Blazers 95
Line: Pacers -1.5 Total: 203
Toronto visits Indiana for game three of a four-game season series. The two sides split the first two meetings, with the home team winning both battles. That could give the edge (as Vegas seems to agree) to the Pacers, who have been solid at home (20-11). Toronto has stumbled a bit with a couple of home losses recently, but otherwise continues to keep it together (7-3 in last 10 games). Both teams could be down a big man, too, as both Jonas Valanciunas and Ian Mahinmi are questionable to play. Kyle Lowry is also a candidate to rest in one of Toronto’s next two games, and could sit this one out. This one should be close, but we have to get the mildest of edges to the Pacers at home.
Pick: Pacers 102, Raptors 100
Line: Wizards -9.5 Total: 218
John Wall and the Wizards visit the Sixers in Philly for the fourth and final meeting between these Eastern Conference foes. Philly has been awful all year, but there’s no denying they can be scrappy – especially at home. Washington’s fast-paced offense suits the Sixers well, but not so much that they’re a real threat to stage the upset. After all, the Sixers are crumbling even more than usual thanks to injuries to Robert Covington, Jerami Grant and Jahlil Okafor. Okafor is out for the year, but keep an eye out for Philly’s two swing men, who could return tonight. Even if they do, however, the Sixers haven’t finished close with the Wiz yet this year, and it’s unlikely they start now. Washington has their sights set on the playoffs and after taking down Chicago last night, they’re not about to get tripped up by a team that hasn’t won even 10 games.
Pick: Wizards 109, Sixers 94
Line: Heat -4.5 Total: 209
Another rivalry game goes down in South Beach, as the Hornets and Heat square off in basically what amounts to a game for the first place lead in the Southeast Division. Charlotte has quickly become a problem for Miami, winning 8 of their last 10 games. The good news for Miami is outside of Chris Bosh being out, they’re pretty healthy and also tend to play their best ball at home (22-12). Charlotte is also as healthy as they’ve been on all year, but they’re down 2-1 in the season series and usually struggle on the road (12-19).
Pick: Heat 99, Hornets 97
Line: Hawks -7.5 Total: 211
Denver has a slim chance of chasing down a playoff spot in the oddly top-heavy Western Conference, but that path gets tougher tonight on the road against the Hawks. Atlanta is just about tied up with the Heat and Hornets and can ill afford to blow this home game, while they also come in hot with three straight wins. Denver can be a dangerous squad, but they’re still without Danilo Gallinari and aren’t great on the road (16-19). The Hawks do their best on their home floor, too (21-12), while they wrecked the Nuggets pretty good in Denver earlier this year, also.
Pick: Hawks 106, Nuggets 97
Line: Jazz -9.5 Total: 198
This might be the weirdest game of the night, as Utah is at home against what is usually a bad Suns team. The catch? Gordon Hayward might still be out (foot) and Phoenix has played a lot better ever since getting Alex Len involved. Brandon Knight will be suiting up for the fourth game since returning from a groin issue, too, so the Suns are suddenly a bit of a handful. While Phoenix could actually keep things interesting, they’re woeful (9-26) on the road and haven’t managed to beat the Jazz yet this season.
Pick: Jazz 97, Suns 92
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