Top 5 NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (3/3)
There are seven games on the slate in The Association this evening, so there is certainly no shortage of options to explore. Let's not waste any more time and jump right into some of our favorite picks for Monday, March 3rd.
Monday’s Best NBA Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Since acquiring Jimmy Butler before the trade deadline, the Warriors have only lost two contests in eight games. Butler was not available Saturday for their matchup against Philadelphia. However, he is listed as probable for this contest against Charlotte.
Golden State is averaging 120.4 points over the last eight games and faces a Hornets team conceding 123 points each contest over the last five games. When these two teams matched up last on February 25th, the Warriors scored 128 points.
Golden State has eclipsed 118.5 total team points in their previous five games and appears to be in line to once again exceed that threshold tonight. The Warriors are shooting 48% from the field and 42% from beyond the arc in the last five games.
Portland Trail Blazers Moneyline (+136)
While this may not be the most attractive contest on the slate this evening, this selection returns a positive profit betting against the Philadelphia 76er - a team that has only one win in their last 10 games.
Portland hasn't been much better this season. However, the Trail Blazers have won five of their last 10 games and took the top team in the league (Cleveland) to overtime yesterday.
The Trail Blazers have five wins in nine games where the team is playing on consecutive nights. Philadelphia has played in 14 games as a home favorite this season. The Sixers are successful in 42.9% of the contests when in this situation.
With two teams essentially out of the playoffs and one playing for the second time in as many nights, this isn't an ideal spot. Having said that, we are getting plus action against a team that lost nine games straight before winning on Saturday.
Quentin Grimes Under 14.5 Points (-105)
Quentin Grimes was looking to have a bigger role going into a contract season. He has responded by averaging 16.8 points over the last nine games. When the Sixers played last on Saturday, Grimes knocked down six three-pointers on the way to 44 points.
If we are being candid, that's what this total is mainly predicated on. The Philadelphia guard has only cleared 14.5 points in three of his previous nine contests. If you exclude the 44-point performance, that average drops to 13.3 points per game. Before Saturday, Grimes combined for 12 points in two contests.
With the increased amount of playing time, you are no doubt going to see games where Grimes is going to go off. Having said that, consistency is certainly an issue as well. The newly acquired guard has not scored 15 points or more in two consecutive games since joining Philadelphia.
Houston Rockets @ Oklahoma City Thunder Race to 60 Points First Half - Neither (+200)
Houston is faced with a litany of injuries that have prompted sportsbooks to declare them as heavy underdogs for this contest. Fred VanVleet will be out tonight, while Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun and Jae'Sean Tate are all listed as questionable.
While the Rockets do have the youthful exuberance to still score this evening, we have our doubts about the combined total in this matchup. The Rockets are 1-4 against the halftime team total when playing on the first leg of a back-to-back this season. That is when they are at full strength, which will not be the case this evening.
Whereas Oklahoma City is 5-7 against the over/under in the first half when playing on the second leg of consecutive games. The Rockets are averaging 56.3 points in the first half this season. This will not only be a back-to-back for the Thunder, but it is also the third game in four nights and the fourth contest in the last six days for them.
These two teams rank first and second in the fewest amount of points allowed in the first half - less than 54 points, on average, conceded for each.
Sacramento Kings -1 (-105)
We close out the evening in Sacramento, where things seemingly keep getting worse for the Mavericks as we round out the 2024-25 campaign. P.J. Washington will not be available for this contest, and that only adds to the already injured frontcourt of Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively.
Sacramento will be without the services of Domantas Sabonis on the other end of the floor. Yet, we are still confidently backing the Kings tonight. Things couldn't have played out worse for Dallas since the trade deadline, with four wins in their last eight games.
The Kings are 9-8 in situations where they are playing at home as the favorite. When these teams played last on February 10th, the Kings picked up a one-point overtime victory. DeMar DeRozan scored 40 points in that contest, as the Mavericks had no answer on the defensive end.
The Kings have been playing well as of late, winning six of their last eight games, and get an extremely vulnerable opponent at home this evening.
Enjoy the games throughout the day and best of luck with your picks.
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Monday: