The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a total of six games on the slate for Thursday. That includes two nationally televised games featuring the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics at 7:30 p.m. ET and the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers at 10:00 p.m. ET. Both will be televised on TNT and Max.
Let’s pick some winners and get on the plus side of things in this initial column. While I’ve been in the industry for a while, this is my very first column for BettingPros. Thanks for having me and enjoy our best NBA picks for Thursday, March 6th.
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Thursday’s Best NBA Picks
NBA odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit
Indiana Pacers (-158) at Atlanta Hawks (+134) | O/U 248 (-108/-112)
The Pacers (35-25) hit the road for State Farm Center in Atlanta to tangle with the Hawks (28-34) at 7:30 p.m. ET.
This is just the second meeting of the season, with Indiana winning 132-127 in the first meeting on February 1st at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Hawks covered as a 9-point underdog that evening and the over (242.5) cashed. That’s been a frequent occurrence in this series, as the total has gone over in two in a row and five of the past six meetings. The over is also 8-2 across the previous 10 meetings since March 13th, 2022.
Indiana has won five in a row against Atlanta and scored at least 126 points in each of those games. The Pacers have also amassed a ridiculous 150+ more points in three of the past five victories, including a wild 157-152 win in Atlanta on November 21st, 2023 - a game that didn’t even go to overtime.
The Pacers are coming off a much more tame 115-102 win against the Houston Rockets, cashing as a 4.5-point favorite as the under (230.5) cashed. Indiana has hit the under in four of the past five outings, with the defense allowing 112 or fewer points in three of the four games. Indiana is 3-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past four tilts, too, while posting a solid 5-2 ATS mark in the past seven games.
The Hawks have managed at least 119 points in each of the past three outings, going 1-2 straight up (SU)/ATS in the span. The over is on a 4-0 run, as the Hawks just refuse to play any semblance of defense, giving up 127+ points in four in a row and six of the past eight games. Atlanta is just 2-6 SU and 3-5 ATS in that eight-game span, too.
Let’s back Indiana laying the points, as they seem to have Atlanta’s number lately. While it is an enormous number, that never seems to be a deterrent for these teams to go over when they’re on the same floor together. Let’s go high and shoot for 250.
Picks: Indiana Pacers -3.5 (-108) & Over 248 Points (-108)
Houston Rockets (-188) at New Orleans Pelicans (+156) | O/U 230.5 (-110/-110)
The Rockets (37-25) head to the Big Easy to take on the Pelicans (17-45) in this battle between Gulf of Mex…err, Gulf of America rivals. They tip off at the Smoothie King Center at 8:00 p.m. ET in New Orleans, LA.
This will be the third meeting of the season and the second in the Crescent City between these two teams. Houston has won the first two meetings by an average of 18.5 points per game (PPG), including a 128-111 win at the Smoothie King Center as a 7-point favorite as the over (221.5) cashed. The Rockets have covered each meeting this season rather handily and the over has also hit in both.
The Rockets are a solid 17-14 on the road, while the Pelicans are a dismal 11-19 on their home floor. While Houston has lost three in a row, those setbacks came against playoff contenders Indiana, Oklahoma City and Sacramento. The Rockets are still a decent 3-3-1 ATS in the past seven games. The under has gone 4-1 across the past five contests.
The Pelicans were dismantled 136-115 in Los Angeles against the Lakers last time out on Tuesday, failing to cover for the third consecutive outing. The over has hit in four straight games for the Pels, as they’ve allowed at least 121 points in three in a row.
New Orleans has covered three in a row at home, so that could give backers of Houston some pause. In addition, the Rockets haven’t been too hot themselves lately. Based on the series history, and recent play of both, let’s go with the Rockets to get the job done against the number, while going high on the total.
Good luck with your plays.
Picks: Rockets -4.5 (-110) & Over 230.5 Points (-110)
