There will be six NBA games tonight, including one between teams that both have at least 40 wins. What should we expect from that matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks?
Then, can the Philadelphia 76ers shake off recent offensive struggles against the worst defense in the league? And who will win the meeting between the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks? Below are the best NBA picks & predictions for Wednesday, March 4th.
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Wednesday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Oklahoma City Thunder at New York Knicks
While the Knicks and Thunder are both very good offensively, their defenses have been excellent this season. The Thunder are allowing just 107.8 points per game, second-fewest in the league, while the Knicks are allowing only 110.9 points per game.
The Knicks enter tonight’s game having held four of their last five opponents to fewer than 100 points. That includes holding the San Antonio Spurs and their sixth-ranked scoring offense to just 89 points. And in the one game during their last five that they did allow more than 100, the Cavaliers scored 109.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have held back-to-back opponents to 108 points or fewer, and they could be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tonight. He missed last night's game, and though the Thunder still scored 116 points, they were facing the league's 26th-ranked scoring defense. Even if Gilgeous-Alexander plays, at least one team is going to struggle to crack 100, keeping this a low-scoring game.
Pick: Over 221.5 Points (-102)
Utah Jazz at Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers have scored fewer than 100 points in back-to-back games. However, there's no better medicine for a struggling offense than facing the worst defense in the NBA.
The Jazz are allowing 125.8 points per game, the most in the league by 2.8 points. Five of their last six opponents have scored at least 123 points against them. And while the 76ers are only averaging 12.7 made three-pointers per game, the Jazz are allowing a league-worst 15.5 made three-pointers per game, so I expect the 76ers to have no problem going over their season average tonight.
Though the 76ers have struggled offensively in their last two games, they've scored at least 124 points in three of their last five contests, reaching 135 points in two of those games. And while this is the first time the 76ers have faced the Jazz this season, they have faced the Washington Wizards three times. The Wizards rank 29th in scoring defense, and the Jazz topped 130 against them twice.
Pick: 76ers Team Total Over 124.5 Points (-115)
Atlanta Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks
I understand that the only time these two teams have met this season, the Bucks beat the Hawks in Atlanta by a score of 112-110. However, the way each of these teams is playing entering tonight's game has me feeling as though the Hawks are being severely undervalued.
The Hawks have won four consecutive games, with each victory coming by at least 11 points. They've held three consecutive opponents to 101 or fewer, including the Portland Trail Blazers, who are averaging 115.2 points per contest.
Meanwhile, the Bucks have lost three straight games, getting blown out in each. They've scored 98 or fewer points in every game during that stretch, losing all three contests by at least 23. Maybe the Hawks will struggle playing on the road for the first time in five games, but I'm taking the hot team over the staggering one tonight.
Pick: Hawks Moneyline (-105)
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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.