The NBA season is coming down to the final stretch in the waning days of March. Thursday night provides a solid slate of games that has plenty of exciting matchups. Let's take a look at a few of them for our top NBA picks & predictions.
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Thursday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook)
Orlando Magic at Charlotte Hornets
Not many would have guessed that a late March matchup between the Magic and Hornets would have so much riding on it. Both of these teams are jockeying for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference and playing some of their best basketball of the season. Something has to give in a game that will likely have a playoff feel to it.
After struggling for large portions of this season on the offensive end, Orlando has had to rely on their defense to stay afloat despite a myriad of injuries. They've done a phenomenal job of getting defensive rebounds and not allowing their opponents second-chance scoring opportunities. Only a few teams have a better defensive rebounding rate in the league, but Charlotte is one of those teams. The Hornets have been one of the top four rebounding teams on both sides of the ball, but there is another edge the Hornets’ defense has.
The Hornets are one of the best teams in the league at not fouling. That is bad news for a Magic offense that is fairly reliant on getting to the free-throw line. If the Hornets can negate that strength, this game could be a bit of a rock fight. I'll bet on the playoff atmosphere and take the under.
Pick: Under 226.5 Points (-110)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls
This game is expected to be lopsided, and the spread indicates that. It's no surprise, as Cleveland is one of the four best teams in the Eastern Conference, and is coming into this game rested and relatively healthy. Chicago will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back. So much is riding against the Bulls in this matchup, yet their side is so juicy.
Even without a roster that is primed for tanking season, the Bulls have rarely been blown out in March. They're also an impressive 3-1 against the spread (ATS) at home this month and 2-2 straight up (SU). Before Wednesday night, the Bulls had been playing pretty well offensively at home in that span, averaging 120 points per game (PPG) in those first three matchups. Led by Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, the young Bulls have shown glimpses of what the future could look like.
This isn't just backing an undervalued Bulls team, but it's also fading a Cavaliers team that doesn't always take the regular season seriously. There is a reason that Cleveland is 28-41 ATS on the season. Recent results have them losing against the spread in four of their last five games when favored by double digits, even losing one of them straight up. Chicago will look to get right after a whooping at home on Wednesday. I like them to cover.
Pick: Bulls +13.5 (-114)
Milwaukee Bucks at Utah Jazz
Two teams that are headed straight to the lottery will face each other on Thursday night in Salt Lake City. This is far from the most intriguing matchup, but it provides one of the most interesting edges on the board. Milwaukee should be relatively healthy for this matchup. Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner and Kevin Porter Jr. are all listed as game-time decisions, and their addition to the lineup should be helpful from an offensive standpoint. Utah is still without many of its star players.
The Jazz are 24-10 to the over on the season at home. Their offense gets kicked into a whole other gear when they play in front of their home crowd. However, since the beginning of February, they've rarely been at home. This will only be the eighth home game for Utah in the last seven weeks, and they've still gone 5-2 to the over despite all the injuries sustained.
By having nearly their full complement of players, the Bucks should be able to have success against a putrid Jazz defense ranked 29th in defensive rating. They have the worst effective field-goal rate defense in the league and are going up against the third-best effective field-goal rate offense in the Bucks. Utah should show out in front of their home crowd. Plenty of points will be scored in this game.
Pick: Over 228.5 Points (-114)
