No better way to finish the week off than four free winners courtesy of our NBA picks. We have gone into detail on all four games throughout the day today to make sure we have the best bets for you!
Each game has its own in depth analysis, studying each team’s form and how they will matchup today. We endeavour to provide you with all the information you need before placing your bets, so you can become a winner. Look below to find out who we have selected tonight.
Phoenix Suns @ Charlotte Hornets – 1PM ET
The Charlotte Hornets have taken over leadership for the race for fourth place in the Eastern Conference thanks to a handy three game winning streak, however it will be put to a very tough test when they host the Phoenix Suns this afternoon. Phoenix managed to escape Tampa Bay with a four point win over Toronto and will be looking to carry momentum from that into the final game of their four game road trip.
Against a revamped Toronto side, Phoenix just managed to hit more shots in a relatively even contest. Both sides had 90 field goal attempts but the Suns shot 6.5% better and it helped them pick up the win. Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul both had 19 points, the former adding a team high nine rebounds while the latter had eight assists and six boards himself.
PG 💯 CP3 had himself a game!@FanDuel | Stat Line of the Night pic.twitter.com/52molJhsdm
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 27, 2021
It was quite a lacklustre affair for Phoenix as they had more turnovers than usual and shot just 25% from deep, but they have multiple players at different positions to pose as nightmare matchups for most teams. That rings true against a Charlotte side that has won all three games since losing LaMelo Ball and has had exceptional play from the entire roster to fill his void.
Malik Monk, who is listed as probable (foot) for tonight’s clash, had a game high 32 points in just 26 minutes off the bench, in Charlotte’s 110-105 home win over the Heat on Friday. Terry Rozier continued his fine form with 26 points and 11 assists, leading the Hornets to shooting 42% from deep.
Charlotte’s play this week has been extremely impressive however Phoenix will be the toughest team they have faced over this stretch. The Suns are third in net rating and fourth in defensive rating for the season and should prove too much for the Hornets to handle.
NBA Pick – Phoenix Suns (-250)
NBA Spread – Unlock Premium Picks
Total Points Pick – Unlock Premium Picks
Portland Trail Blazers @ Toronto Raptors – 7PM ET
We have an intriguing clash between trade partners from the deadline as Norman Powell, Gary Trent Jr and Rodney Hood prepare to face the teams that just traded them a couple of days ago. The Portland Trail Blazers have won both their games since the deadline, with Powell playing, and playing well, in just the most recent of the pair. The Toronto Raptors on the other hand had a narrow loss to Phoenix in their only game since and their two new pieces look like they may need some time to acclimatise.
Trent Jr and Hood combined for just 10 points in the Raptors’ 100-104 loss but it was an all around poor team effort, shooting worse from the field, having less assists and less rebounds. Pascal Siakam was the clear standout with game highs of 26 points and 11 rebounds while also adding six assists.
We expect the Raptors to shoot better than 26% from deep and Trent Jr to go better than 0/5, especially against his old side. They will certainly need it against a Blazers side that looked good in their 112-105 win over Orlando, despite the margin being smaller than expected.
Damian Lillard was a late scratching of that clash and allowed Powell to get some volume in his first game for the club. He shared team high honours of 22 points with CJ McCollum while Enes Kanter had 15 points and 15 rebounds off the bench. He moved to the bench with the return of Jusuf Nurkic who played well in his 19 minutes for eight points and eight boards.
With Lillard still being just ‘questionable’ for this clash with a knee contusion, the Raptors have taken slight favoritism in what is essentially a pick ‘em. If he isn’t going to suit up, then Toronto should be able to get over the top here. Given Portland doesn’t play again till Wednesday, it would be smart to give him the night off here so he gets nearly a full week off, so we are going to take Toronto with a cautious bet and will be following the lineup announcements closely in the lead up.
NBA Pick – Toronto Raptors (-116)
NBA Spread – Unlock Premium Picks
Total Points Pick – Unlock Premium Picks
Atlanta Hawks @ Denver Nuggets – 9PM ET
The Denver Nuggets return home from a three game road trip to host the Atlanta Hawks tonight. Denver went 2-1 over their road trip while the Hawks are now playing their fifth straight on the road, going 2-2 so far.
Most recently they were against the Warriors, coming out on top by 16 points. The Hawks shot an incredible 54.8% from the field on their way to 124 points for the game, the most they have scored in over a month of action. John Collins led the charge with 38 points and 12 rebounds, Trae Young added 21 points and 15 assists while Clint Capela had 18 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Double-double gang‼️ These three showed out in last night’s dub 🔥@jcollins20_: 38 PTS & 12 REB@TheTraeYoung: 21 PTS & 15 AST@CapelaClint: 18 PTS & 15 REB pic.twitter.com/XJIZp6fp8f
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) March 27, 2021
That trio for Atlanta is becoming deadly, dominating on multiple levels and are both ends of the floor. They will need to be at their best again in Denver when they look to sweep the season series after an eight point win when these sides met five weeks ago. Nikola Jokic, the MVP frontrunner, was kept to just 15 points on 33.3% shooting in that game as Capela and Collins dominated inside.
However that wasn’t what happened in New Orleans on Friday, as Jokic went off for 37 points on 56.7% shooting, adding nine assists and six rebounds too. Michael Porter Jr had 25 points and Jamal Murray had 23 points and 11 assists in the 113-108 win. What won the game for Denver was their defense down the stretch, keeping the high scoring Pelicans to just 45 points in the second half.
Given the Hawks have just had their best offensive game for some time, the Nuggets should be looking to turn to their defense again. However, they are in the bottom 10 for defensive rating, often buoyed by their high powered offense, fourth in scoring and fourth in offensive rating. The Hawks come in at ninth for offensive rating, proving they can hold their own in that area but it just might not be enough to keep up. If Jokic can have a Jokic-like game, the Nuggets should take care of this.
NBA Pick – Denver Nuggets (-200)
NBA Spread – Unlock Premium Picks
Total Points Pick – Unlock Premium Picks
Orlando Magic @ Los Angeles Lakers – 10PM ET
An interesting battle between two lacklustre teams as the gutted Orlando Magic start off their five game road trip against the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers tonight. Orlando traded half of their main rotation, including All Star Nikola Vucevic, looking towards the future and abstaining from being competitive this season.
The Lakers, who just snapped a four game losing streak with an impressive performance over Cleveland, should be looking to capitalize on this and get another win on the board here. LA actually trailed by seven at halftime and were down as much as 10 at one stage but used a 28-10 third quarter to pick up their first win of the season without LeBron in the lineup.
Montrezl Harrell was dominant in the win, putting up 24 and 10 off the bench while Dennis Schroder and Kyle Kuzma shared team high honours with seven assists. That trio will need to be at the top of their game for the Lakers if they are to continue being competitive without both James and Davis, but against an Orlando side that barely has any regular rotation level players available, they should be able to get their second straight.
In their 105-112 loss to Portland, Chuma Okeke, in just his 29th career game and third ever start, was Orlando’s best player. He finished with 22 points, six rebounds and two steals while Khem Birch was dominant inside with 14 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and two blocks.
The positive for Orlando is that their younger players get increased opportunities and it showed with seven different players scoring in double figures. It just doesn’t seem like it will be enough though, especially with a firing Lakers side in Staples Center.
NBA Pick – Los Angeles Lakers (-290)
NBA Spread – Unlock Premium Picks
Total Points Pick – Unlock Premium Picks
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our NBA hub page for all your basketball needs.
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
Want more picks? We have just launched our Premium Picks service, and for a limited time only, it is free! *T&Cs Apply.
