Tuesday’s Best Bets: NBA, College Basketball & NHL (3/7)
No matter your sport of choice, there’s always sports betting action to be had. We’ll have you covered each and every day with our daily best bets. Here are all of our best bets across each major sport in action today.
Today’s Best Bets
Here are today’s best NBA bets.
NBA Best Bets
NBA Same Game Picks
Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
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- Leg 1: Thunder Moneyline (+145)
- Leg 2: Draymond Green Assists o6.5 (+115)
The Warriors’ road woes cannot be overstated. Golden State is an abysmal 9-22 ATS and 7-24 SU when playing away from the Chase Center, as their Pts/Poss differential plummets from 6th to 25th with the change in venue. It is worth noting that the Warriors have had OKC’s number this season, winning and covering each game– but we’ll elect to ignore this rather small sample size in favor of the Road Warriors’ entire body of work. Lastly, the advanced stats suggest the gap between these teams is not so vast, and the Thunder have also thrived on their home floor (20-14 ATS, 19-15 SU).
It’s not always a joy to bet on Draymond Green to light up the stat sheet, but we love him in this matchup. Green crossed this number with ease in these two team’s previous matchup in OKC, and the lineups will be more-or-less the same in this outing. Further, Green should continue to benefit from Steph Curry’s return to the floor, as Draymond averages 6.8 assists per game when he shares the floor with the 2x MVP.
Parlay Odds: +427
- Tommy Jurgens
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NBA Game Picks
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers
It’s been a minute, but we might see D’Angelo Russell back on the floor for the Lakers tonight. He’s listed as questionable and hasn’t played in a game for the Lakers since Feb. 23.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies will get back Dillon Brooks, who served a one-game suspension in Memphis’ last game due to earning his 16th technical foul. But the Grizzlies are still missing Ja Morant and won’t have Steven Adams back yet.
Memphis has lost its last two games on the road against the Nuggets and Clippers. Now they’ll face the Lakers on the road without their all-star point guard.
Memphis is shooting an effective field goal percentage of just 53.5%. They’re not getting the best of looks from the floor. However, the Grizzlies should be able to limit turnovers and earn some offensive rebounds. Getting to the foul line won’t be easy, though.
Memphis’ defense hasn’t been as good over the last two games. The Clippers just added 135 points against the Grizzlies in their last game.
The Lakers have been inconsistent this year. They’ve had so many moving parts. But this is the best Lakers team we’ll see until LeBron and Mo Bamba get back. The Lakers stunned the Warriors with a 113-105 win with Steph Curry back on the floor. The Lakers are capable of winning against any opponent moving forward. Anthony Davis needs to take control, and with Russell potentially back, he’ll at least have another genuine scoring threat on his side.
I’ll take the Lakers at -2.
Bet: Lakers -2 (-110)
- Jason Radowitz
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First Basket Scorer
Detroit Pistons vs. Washington Wizards
The Detroit Pistons are one of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to winning the tipoff. That will only get worse with Isaiah Stewart’s injury. That gives the Wizards the advantage when scoring the first basket tonight.
Kristaps Porzingis has the best chance to be the first player to score first in this matchup. He averages the most points for the Wizards with 22.8 per game and has the most significant matchup advantage. With the Stewart injury, the Pistons lack someone to defend Porzingis, giving the Latvian big man the most betting value here.
Pick: Kristaps Porzingis (+400)
- Cameron Lynch
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NBA Prop Bets
Gordon Hayward Under 4.5 assists (+110 DraftKings)
For your value play of the day, I am fading the former Butler Bulldog in a tough matchup on the road against the Knicks.
New York’s 11th-ranked defense should mark trouble for Charlotte and their 28th-ranked offense. Without many scoring opportunities, I don’t expect Hayward to reach his assist total. Not only that, but New York plays at one of the slowest paces in the league, so the possession numbers simply won’t be there either.
Hayward has only averaged 3.7 assists per game, so this line I am a bit more confused by this as well. Despite overperforming of late. He is due for some solid regression, and this is the perfect opportunity for that. I’ll be betting a single unit on this play.
- Ryan Coleman
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College Basketball Best Bets
Louisville vs. Boston College
In many ways, Boston College has endured yet another disappointing Men’s Basketball season, being relegated to one of the four teams playing on the first day of the ACC tournament. However, there is plenty for the Eagles to build upon, like the fact that they won nine ACC games for the first time since 2011. In addition, the Eagles beat three ranked teams at home this year, the biggest being a 15-point home win over Virginia when they held the Cavaliers to a season-low 48 points.
Louisville has only won four games this year, and not a single one cam away from home, so the Cardinals are likely playing out the string today. Louisville ranks last among all ACC teams in turnover rate (22%) and should cough the ball over plenty to an Eagles defense that forces turnovers at the league’s fourth-highest rate (17.4%). In addition, Boston College should dominate the points in the paint, as the Eagles get the highest percentage of their points among all ACC teams from inside the arc, and face a Cardinals defense that has been a sieve inside (ACC-worst 54.2% 2-point shooting allowed).
Boston College is just 1-8 as favorites this season, but seven of those non-covers came as home favorites, and we expect a better result with a more reasonable point spread at a neutral site.
Bet: Boston College -6 (-110 at DraftKings)
- Mike Spector
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Check out our best NHL bets.
NHL Best Bets
NHL Game Picks
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins return home to kick off a five-game homestand, where they’ll be tasked with taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight. Pittsburgh enters tonight’s Metropolitan Division clash with 71 points, while Columbus is dead last in the East with 46 points. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from PPG Paints Arena.
With the Penguins returning home, where they’re 16-9-4 on the year, I expect them to roll this Columbus club. The Blue Jackets are one of the worst teams in the league, especially on the defensive end of the ice. I believe that will open up the opportunity for the Penguins to win this game and cover the puck line.
Columbus will likely turn to Elvis Merzlikins in net tonight, and the Latvian-born netminder is just 7-17-2 this season with a 4.15 GAA and .879 SV%. Merzlikins has made two starts against the Pens this year, and they’ve tagged him for 10 goals, which translates to a 5.12 GAA. With Pittsburgh right in the thick of the Wild Card race, look for them to come out firing in a game where they need to secure two points.
Bet: Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 (-125 via DraftKings)
- Trenton Pruitt
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NHL Same Game Parlay
Calgary Flames vs. Minnesota Wild
Calgary came away with an upset win in Dallas on Monday night. We were all expecting overtime until Jonathan Huberdeau made a precise pass through the neutral zone to Tyler Toffoli on the move, and he was able to light the lamp with seven seconds left.
That broke the Flames’ five-game losing streak, but the team is still likely out of playoff contention. Dan Vladar will get the start between the pipes, and his only win in his last five games has been against the Coyotes.
Minnesota comes in winning four straight, and it’s thanks to goaltending. The tandem of Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson starting every other game has been working, and together they are allowing 2.62 goals per game and a .918 save percentage.
Parlay Odds: +636
- John Supowitz
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NHL Player Prop Bet Picks
Bo Harvat Anytime Goal (+155)
The Sabres have dropped three out of their last four and are three points behind the final Wild Card spot. Every game is now crucial in these last few weeks.
The offense that was once the best in the league hasn’t played well recently. Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, and Dylan Cozens have a combined 20 goals in the last ten games, but no one else in the lineup has more than three.
For the Islanders, the defense continues to be their strong point. Ilya Sorokin has been incredible by allowing just 1.96 goals in his last seven games, and he’s helped by a blue line allowing that’s been playing well lately.
The offense got a boost with the addition of Bo Harvat, and he’s proving his worth with five goals in eight games.
Buffalo has been unable to figure out its goaltending problem and is allowing the seventh-most goals this year. Harvat will continue to contribute tonight.
- John Supowitz
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