The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a total of five games on tap for Monday evening. That includes a doubleheader on Peacock and NBCSN. The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder meet at 7:30 p.m. ET in the first end of the double dip, while the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers meet at 10:00 p.m. ET in the second end. Let’s build our bankroll with our best NBA picks & predictions for Monday, March 9th.
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Monday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
Denver Nuggets (+225) at Oklahoma City Thunder (-275) | O/U 230.5 (-110/-110)
The Nuggets (39-25) and the Thunder (50-15) square off at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City at 7:30 p.m. ET in the first game of the Peacock/NBCSN doubleheader.
Oklahoma City has won the first two meetings this season. First, they posted a 121-111 victory as a 7-point favorite in Denver on February 1st, as the over (225.5) cashed. Then, the Thunder held on for a 127-121 overtime victory as a 6.5-point underdog, as the over (234.5) cashed in Oklahoma City on February 27th.
In that most recent matchup, Jamal Murray went off for 39 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, a block and seven three-pointers to lead the Nuggets, while Christian Braun and Nikola Jokic each went for 23 points apiece. Of course, Jokic was good for a triple-double, adding 17 rebounds and 14 assists. Defending MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 36 points on 12-of-29 shooting, while adding nine assists with two steals and two blocks. Chet Holmgren had 15 points and 21 rebounds while blocking three shots.
Murray is considered questionable for this one due to a sprained left ankle, so let’s be a little cautious here. Peyton Watson is also out due to a strained right hamstring. The Thunder will be without Isaiah Hartenstein due to a left calf contusion, while Holmgren carries a questionable tag as he deals with the flu.
Denver is just 3-4 straight up (SU) in the past seven games, while going 1-3 against the spread (ATS) in the past four outings. The over and under have alternated in each of the past seven games since February 22nd. Oklahoma City has won five in a row, but is 0-5 ATS in that span, with the under going 4-0 in the past four outings.
Let’s take the Nuggets and the points, and we’ll go with the under.
Picks: Nuggets +7.5 (-112) & Under 230.5 Points (-110)
New York Knicks (-132) at Los Angeles Clippers (+112) | O/U 220.5 (-110/-110)
The Knicks (42-24) and the Clippers (31-32) meet at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles at 10:00 p.m. ET in the second end of the nationally-televised doubleheader.
New York won 123-111 as a 5-point favorite, as the over (222.5) cashed on January 7th at Madison Square Garden. That snapped a three-game win streak in the series by the Clippers. Los Angeles is also 3-1 ATS in the last four games in the series. The over is 3-1 during that span.
New York suffered a 110-97 loss at Crypto.com Arena against the Lakers on Sunday, falling as a 4.5-point favorite, as the under (226.5) cashed. That halted a five-game cover streak for the Knicks. The under has cashed in four of the past five outings, and seven of the previous nine games, too.
For the Clippers, they’ve won four of the past five games, including a narrow 123-120 win in Memphis last time out on Saturday, but they failed to cash as a 7.5-point favorite. Los Angeles is 5-1 ATS in the past six games and 10-2 ATS across the previous 12 outings. The over has hit in three in a row, and seven of the previous nine contests.
Both of these teams have been hot against the number, but the Knicks are playing in a back-to-back. That’s generally good news for New York, as it is 4-1 SU/ATS in the past five when playing on no rest. Let’s back the Knicks and go with the under.
Picks: Knicks -2.5 (-108) & Under 220.5 Points (-110)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe.