Another successful night for our NBA picks last night, going 10-8, including 4-2 in total points markets for over $160 profit for a $100 bettor.
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San Antonio Spurs @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 7:30PM ET
The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to start two from two in their four game homestand when they host the San Antonio Spurs tonight. They got the surprise win over Boston on Wednesday but will have to impress again as the Spurs are coming off a nice 106-99 win in Chicago, all without DeMar DeRozan.
With their star out of the lineup again, the Spurs needed their depth to come through to pick up the win. Six different players scored in double figures and Jakob Poeltl was the pick of the bunch with 20 points and 16 rebounds. This was San Antonio’s second straight win on the road and they will look to add another against a struggling Cleveland side.
San Antonio have both their wins thanks to their defense, keeping their opponents to 99 points each time. They have a perfect opportunity to make it three from three against the Cavs who average the least amount of points per game in the comp.
Back in the W column! #BeTheFight
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 18, 2021
Cleveland do score better when playing at home, evidenced by their 117-110 win over the Celtics two nights ago. Collin Sexton was on fire for the Cavs, putting up 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Darius Garland added 25 points and six assists of his own. Larry Nance Jr, in just his fourth game back from injury, had a massive night with 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The Cleveland trio will be a lot for the Spurs to handle, but their defense is far superior and should do a better job of controlling the flow of the game. The Cavs are a much better team at home but the Spurs thrive on the road with an 11-6 record and we think they should get the job done here.
NBA Pick – San Antonio Spurs (-125)
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Sacramento Kings @ Boston Celtics – 7:30PM ET
After a disappointing road loss to the Cavs on Wednesday, their second straight and third in four games, the Boston Celtics will be looking to bounce back on their home floor against the Sacramento Kings tonight.
Playing the fourth game of their east coast trip, Sacramento will be hoping for a similar result as their last matchup. After dropping their first two games, a 121-119 win in Washington on Wednesday night helped right the ship. De’Aaron Fox had another superb game, finishing with team highs of 28 points, seven assists and a massive five steals. Both Harrison Barnes and Richuan Holmes added 18, the former also having a team high eight rebounds and five assists while the latter had seven boards and two blocks.
The Kings managed to get to the line 35 times, sinking 29 of them, whilst also having seven less turnovers for the game. Those are some very impressive numbers but they still only beat the Wizards by two points. Washington are just 14-25 overall (7-14 home) compared to Boston who are 20-20 overall (12-6 home).
Despite the 110-117 loss, both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had big nights for the Celtics. Tatum had an equal game high 29 points with five rebounds, three assists and two steals while Jaylen Brown had 28 points, four assists, three blocks and two steals. Boston were without Kemba Walker and Tristan Thompson for the clash, however only the former will be back for tonight’s clash.
When these sides met in Sacramento earlier in the season, the Kings escaped with a five point win. They were in the midst of a four game winning streak at the time and have gone just 4-13 since that streak ended. Despite winning three of their last six, one was against a depleted Lakers outfit, against the struggling Rockets and then the slight upset over Washington. Boston meanwhile relishes being at home and needs to bounce back and start accumulating wins.
NBA Pick – Boston Celtics (-280)
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Indiana Pacers @ Miami Heat – 8PM ET
For the first time this season we have a rematch of the opening round of the 2020 Eastern Conference playoffs series between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat. The latter swept the series and there is some bad blood between the sides, however TJ Warren, Indiana’s main perpetrator will still be out for this one.
That won’t stop Jimmy Butler from getting stuck in and giving his all, especially given how well he is playing at the moment. Butler has scored at least 24 points in eight straight games while averaging eight assists, seven boards, three steals and helping the Heat go 7-1 over that stretch. However, their most recent performance was a low scoring, scrappy loss in Memphis on Wednesday. The score was just 85-89 as the Heat shot a miserable 36% from the field and 23.5% from deep.
Things don’t get any easier against an Indiana side that, albeit losers of two straight and four of their last five, have been playing some good basketball of late and are a modest 10-10 on the road this season. Wednesday saw the Pacers host a Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant-less Brooklyn side and jump to a 40-25 lead after the first but slowly saw that dwindle away, eventually losing 115-124.
The clash between Butler and Malcolm Brogdon as well as Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis will make this a must watch game, but the outcome might not be as close as we would like. The Heat should win this one as the Pacers are still having teething issues integrating Caris LeVert into the lineup and Miami have been playing exceptionally well of late.
NBA Pick – Miami Heat (-185)
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Brooklyn Nets @ Orlando Magic – 8PM ET
The Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic face off for the third and final team for the season and the Magic will be hoping it ends sooner rather than later. Brooklyn have claimed the first two matchups and the most recent one, just three weeks ago, was a 37 point margin.
With Kyrie Irving joining Kevin Durant on the sidelines in Indiana on Wednesday, James Harden thrust his name near the top of the MVP charts, fueling a come from behind 124-115 win. Harden put in a massive 40 point, 15 assist, 10 rebound triple double as the Nets used a 35-24 last quarter to pick up the win. Joe Harris was the pick of the rest, scoring 19 points on 5/7 shooting from deep.
James Harden’s last 15 games:
27.3 PPG
10.0 RPG
11.2 APG
1.3 SPG
48% FG
38% 3PT
86% FTBrooklyn 14-1 pic.twitter.com/0FUnNEIBpG
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) March 18, 2021
They should be able to pick up another win here, especially with Orlando having a tough one point loss in New York last night. Evan Fournier returned to the line up to score a game high 24 points while Nikola Vucevic added 17 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
While Fournier is a great addition to the lineup, Brooklyn is a completely different side to New York and the Magic are just 3-4 on the second night of back to backs. The Nets should be able to comfortably get the season sweep tonight.
NBA Pick – Brooklyn Nets (-425)
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Utah Jazz @ Toronto Raptors – 8PM ET
What a disappointing showing by the Utah Jazz last night. Coming up against the lowly Wizards, who were on the second night of a back to back, and Utah gave up 131 points in the loss. They have an opportunity to bounce back right away against a Toronto Raptors side that has welcomed back some important players but still lost to Detroit and may need some time to integrate their pieces.
Despite the return of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, the Raptors still fell 112-116. Normal Powell put up an absurd 43 points and Kyle Lowry had 15 assists, but a slow start hindered them from being able to win. They allowed the Pistons to shoot better than 50% from the field, 40% from deep whilst sending them to the line 32 times.
They now face a Utah side that has the second best offensive rating in the league and had a disappointing loss last night that they will want to atone for. Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles gave their all, scoring 42 and 34 points respectively. They combined for 12 threes and 60% shooting from the field but the Jazz gave up a massive 131 points, which is far too many.
Mike Conley rested in the loss to prepare for tonight’s game and the Jazz will be wanting to fix up their errors from last night. Utah are 8-2 following a loss and 5-1 in a game with no rest.
NBA Pick – Utah Jazz (-225)
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Detroit Pistons @ Houston Rockets – 8PM ET
A battle between two of the league’s worst two teams this season sees the Detroit Pistons attempt to win their second straight whilst also handing the Houston Rockets their 19th consecutive loss.
Despite the return of former Piston Christian Wood to the lineup, the Rockets were no match for the Warriors on Wednesday, going down 94-108. It was Wood’s first game back after missing the previous 17 and he managed 21 points and nine rebounds in just 26 minutes. Kevin Porter Jr continues to be the shining light for Houston however, scoring a game high 25 points and adding a team high seven assists.
Victor Oladipo missed that clash due to rest but he will return for this one, forming a dynamic trio with Wood and Porter Jr, something that Detroit may struggle to handle. Afterall, they only defeated a Toronto side that had lost five straight heading into the clash and was missing three starters due to COVID-19 protocols, by four points. Saddiq Bey led the charge with 28 points and 12 rebounds while Delon Wright and Mason Plumlee both had double doubles as well.
The Pistons seemed to find some form but now get on the road, where they are just 4-18 for the season, and may struggle to slow down the Houston trio. While Houston have lost 18 straight, Wood missed 17 of them while Oladipo missed eight. When the two have shared the court together, Houston are 3-1 and we like them to bounce back and snap their skid tonight.
NBA Pick – Houston Rockets (-145)
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Golden State Warriors @ Memphis Grizzlies – 8PM ET
The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors will face off for the first time this season tonight in what is the first of a back to back set between the two sides. Both sides come in off wins however the big news is that both Steph Curry (tailbone) and Kelly Oubre Jr (foot) are unlikely for the clash.
The pair both managed to play over 30 minutes in the Warriors’ 108-94 win in Houston on Wednesday but these injuries must be serious if they are already unlikely more than 24 hours out from the jump. Second year guard Jordan Poole stepped up to score a team high 23 points while Draymond Green had a triple double in the win, but Golden State are seriously shorthanded at the moment after already losing two to the COVID-19 protocols.
Tonight @DeAnthonyMelton (13 PTS, career-high 10 REB, 6 AST) became the fifth @memgrizz player ever with a PTS-REB double-double and 6+ assists off the bench.
Melton joins…
Mike Miller (1/10/06)
Brian Cardinal (4/19/06)
Lance Stephenson (3/16/16)
Zach Randolph (1/6/17) pic.twitter.com/EGYm2NQsMx— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) March 18, 2021
Memphis will be looking to capitalize on that and build on their 89-85 win over Miami two nights ago. It was a seriously lacklustre affair as both sides shot 36% from the field or worse and combined for ust 18/76 from deep, but Memphis managed to pull away. Ja Morant, Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton all top scored for the Grizz with 13 points, with the latter being pick of the bunch adding 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals off the bench.
If Curry and Oubre are out then Memphis win this game. Even if Oubre plays and Curry is out, Memphis probably wins this game. Since they are both unlikely to suit up and the Warriors are missing multiple key players, the Grizzlies should be able to notch up their second straight here.
NBA Pick – Memphis Grizzlies (-525)
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Chicago Bulls @ Denver Nuggets – 9PM ET
The Denver Nuggets are rolling right now, winning two straight and three of four since the break. They will now put that to the test when hosting the Chicago Bulls tonight, a team that is struggling for consistent form but is a surprising 9-7 on the road this year.
However, the Bulls were at home last time out and suffered a 99-106 loss to the Spurs. Zach LaVine had 29, six and six while Thad Young had an efficient 16 point, eight rebounds and five assists but Chicago had a massive 17 turnovers and couldn’t keep up. The worst bit is, they actually led by 18 at halftime but had a 19-39 last quarter that put them to bed.
The Bulls, weirdly enough, perform eight points better offensively when on the road this season and they will need every one of those points against a Denver side that is fifth in the league for scoring and has eclipsed 120 in each of their last two wins.
Wednesday night saw Denver jump to a 12 point halftime lead over Charlotte, before extending that to 28 after three and then coasting in the last quarter. Michael Porter Jr had game highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds while Nikola Jokic had another triple double.
The Nuggets are playing with such a nice rhythm at the moment and despite not being 100% healthy, have some solid rotation players back in the lineup and helping their chemistry get back to a level that saw them reach the Conference Finals last season. Chicago may perform better on the road but the trip to Denver is extremely tough and even tougher when the Nuggets are rolling like this.
NBA Pick – Denver Nuggets (-290)
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Minnesota Timberwolves @ Phoenix Suns – 10PM ET
After playing each other last night, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns duel once again and Minnesota will be looking to get a mini sweep after pulling off the surprise 123-119 win. Phoenix closed as 10 point favorites but threw the game away in the last quarter, giving up a massive 40 points to the Wolves.
Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 20 points in the decisive fourth period and Phoenix just weren’t able to keep up. Edwards had a career best night and continued this purple patch of form, finishing with a game and career high 42 points while Towns added 41 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the road team.
Devin Booker did everything he could to keep the Suns in it, scoring 35 points on 59.1% shooting, but his lack of consistent and efficient help was the undoing of Phoenix. Both Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton battled foul trouble for most of the game and the Suns’ defense just left too many holes without them.
The best thing about the NBA, especially this year, is that you get an opportunity to bounce back from poor performances almost instantly. Minnesota needed 83 points from Edwards and Towns to beat the Suns by just four points. Will that happen again tonight? We don’t think so. After such a big performance, we expect the Wolves to cool off while the Suns will be looking to bounce back after their terrible fourth quarter effort.
NBA Pick – Phoenix Suns (-850)
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Dallas Mavericks @ Portland Trail Blazers – 10PM ET
The Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers are set for a two game series in Portland to finish the week, with the first contest being tonight. Both sides come in with some mixed form but had a win in their last game and with Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard sharing the floor, we are expecting an exciting and close contest.
Dallas comes in off an impressive 105-89 win over the Clippers on Wednesday night where Doncic had an exceptional evening to steer the Mavs to victory. His 42 points were complimented by nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks while all other starters scored in double figures.
BLAZERS WIN
BLAZERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/IV7QiHEOKf— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 19, 2021
Portland on the other hand is coming off a tough two game set with New Orleans, winning the first by one point before a 101-93 victory last night. Lillard led all scorers with 36 points while both Enes Kanter and Robert Covington had double doubles. Portland shot just 37.9% from the field, 32.6% from deep and only had 11 assists but were able to lock it down on defense.
They will need to do the same again tonight, with tired legs after a close one last night, and against a Mavericks side that can score with the best of them when hitting their shots. Dallas is an impressive 6-2 when playing with a rest advantage and is also 6-2 when they are road favorites.
NBA Pick – Dallas Mavericks (-155)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of Bet365.
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