The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a total of just four games on the schedule today, but there is still a nationally-televised doubleheader. The Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers meet at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, while the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns square off at 11:00 p.m. ET in the second end of the TV doubleheader.
Let’s build our bankroll with our best NBA picks & predictions for Tuesday, March 24th.
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Tuesday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
Sacramento Kings (+870) at Charlotte Hornets (-1500) | O/U 229.5 (-114/-106)
The Kings (19-53) and Hornets (37-34) meet at Spectrum Center in Charlotte at 7:00 p.m. ET. This is their second meeting in the past two weeks. Charlotte picked up a 117-109 victory in Sacramento on March 11th as a 14.5-point favorite, as the over (224.5) cashed. The Kings have won three of the past four meetings, while going 4-0 against the spread (ATS).
Sacramento hit 54% (45-of-83) from the field against Charlotte in the first meeting, while the Hornets hit just 46% (41-of-90) from the field. The difference was from long distance, as Charlotte was 47% (19-of-40) from behind the three-point line, while Sacramento managed to shoot just 32% (8-of-25) from deep. Charlotte was also +6 on the boards, while the Hornets were a +5 on assists, +2 on steals and -2 in total turnovers. The Hornets also had a 14-to-5 advantage in fast-break points.
LaMelo Ball hit 10-of-22 from the field, including 6-of-13 from behind the arc, finishing with 30 points in the win over the Kings, while Miles Bridges was an efficient 11-of-15 from the field, going for 26 points. Rookie Kon Knueppel ended up with 24 points and five triples, while Brandon Miller was good for 20 points.
For the Kings, swingman DeMar DeRozan ended up with 39 points on 17-of-22 from the field, while adding six assists, four rebounds and two steals with a block. Rookie Nique Clifford was good for 18 points.
Sacramento posted a 126-122 win over the Brooklyn Nets last time out, although it is 0-3 ATS in the past three outings. However, the Kings are a respectable 4-4 straight up (SU) and 5-3 ATS in the past eight games. The over has cashed in three in a row, and they have allowed 122+ points in each of the games. The Kings have scored 116+ points in four of the past five games.
Charlotte is heating back up again, winning three in a row, posting 124+ points in each outing, while averaging 130 points per game (PPG). The Hornets have covered three in a row, while going over in two of the previous three outings.
Let’s side with the Kings, who are 5-3 ATS in the past eight games catching double-digit points. And, we’ll go high on the total, based on the poor defense from both sides lately.
Picks: Kings +17 (-106) & Over 229.5 Points (-114)
Denver Nuggets (-215) at Phoenix Suns (+180) | O/U 234.5 (-110/-110)
The Nuggets (44-28) and Suns (40-32) meet at 11:00 p.m. ET at NBC and Peacock. Denver earned a 130-112 victory in Phoenix as a 4-point favorite, as the over (233.5) cashed in the most recent meeting on November 29th. The Nuggets have won and covered each of the meetings this season, while the over has cashed in both outings. Denver has won four in a row in the series, while going 3-1 ATS in the span. The over has hit in three in a row, too.
Denver’s offense has been on fire lately, going for 118+ points in eight consecutive games, while allowing at least 112 points in five of the past six outings. It is aiming for its third straight victory. Sadly, the Nuggets haven’t won three or more games in a row since rattling off four straight victories from January 11-17. On the road, Denver has lost the past two games, while going 1-3 SU. The over is 10-1 in the Nuggets’ past 11 road games.
Phoenix is coming off an impressive 120-98 win as a 4.5-point underdog on Sunday over the Raptors, halting a five-game losing streak. Despite the skid, the Suns are 6-3 ATS in the past nine outings, while the under has cashed in four in a row. The Suns have scored 105 or fewer points in three of the past four, while allowing 108 or fewer points in three of those outings.
Despite Phoenix’s under run lately, let’s back the over, which has cashed in three in a row, including both meetings this season. Denver has averaged 131.5 and allowed 111.5 PPG in both meetings this season. Denver has covered in both meetings, so let’s back the Nuggets and the points. It’s that simple.
Picks: Nuggets -5 (-112) & Over 234.5 Points (-110)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe