NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (3/11)
Last night, Bam Adebayo dropped 83 points, the second-most in a single game in NBA history. There won't be the same fireworks tonight, but there are still six NBA games on the schedule, with quite a few interesting matchups.
Can Donovan Mitchell score 30 points for the third time this season against the Orlando Magic, while leading his team to a win? Will the Charlotte Hornets fully take advantage of the Sacramento Kings' terrible defense? And what should we anticipate when the Denver Nuggets host the Houston Rockets?
Below are the best NBA picks & predictions for Wednesday, March 11th.
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Wednesday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic
I'm starting my best bets of the day with a parlay. The Cavaliers are traveling to Orlando to take on the Magic, and I absolutely love this matchup for Donovan Mitchell and his team. The Cavaliers are 2-0 versus the Magic this season.
Not only have the Cavaliers beaten the Magic twice, but both victories also came by at least 14 points. Therefore, it's a little surprising that the Cavaliers are only favored by 3.5 points, even if the Magic have won four consecutive games. But for the first leg, let's play it safe and avoid the spread, instead simply backing the Cavaliers to get the win.
After all, Mitchell scoring at least 30 points is what is going to elevate these parlay odds. He scored 36 and 45 points in the two games against the Magic this season, so the fact that the Magic have the 11th-best scoring defense doesn't concern me. Plus, Mitchell is averaging 28.4 points per contest, and he's scored at least 30 points twice in his last five games.
Pick: Cavaliers to Win + Donovan Mitchell Over 29.5 Points (+206)
Charlotte Hornets at Sacramento Kings
The Kings have been a disaster this season. They're just 16-50 overall, and they're allowing 120.9 points per game, which is the third-most in the NBA. However, oddsmakers are overvaluing the Hornets in this matchup.
The Hornets enter this contest averaging 115.7 points per game. To expect them to score six more points than their season average against one of the worst defenses in the league isn't crazy. But the Hornets have struggled offensively of late. They've scored 120 points or fewer in six consecutive games, failing to top 103 points in back-to-back contests.
With a game against the San Antonio Spurs on the horizon, this game has the potential to be a lookahead spot for the Hornets. And considering how bad the Kings have been, this could end up being a blowout early, leading to the Hornets benching some key players down the stretch.
Pick: Hornets Team Total Under 120.5 Points (-115)
Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets lead the season series 2-1, with the Rockets' lone win coming in Denver by a score of 115-101. But these two teams haven't met since December 20th, and the Nuggets are playing much worse now than the team we saw earlier in the season.
The Nuggets have lost back-to-back games, and though they almost took down the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Monday, they lost by 39 points at home against the Knicks last Friday. Since February 1st, the Nuggets are just 6-10.
Meanwhile, the Rockets are 6-3 in their last nine games, with one of their three losses coming by just two points. They've already won in Denver this season, and though I don't know if they'll be able to pull off the upset tonight, especially since Jamal Murray is expected to play, I still believe they can keep this close. After all, the Nuggets haven't won a game by more than seven since February 25th.
Pick: Rockets +6.5 (-115)
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Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.