We have a pair of young stars for today’s plays after taking a week off in this column. The first is the face of the franchise from the Detroit Pistons in Cade Cunningham against the New Orleans Pelicans. For our second play, we’re heading west where we’ll find Shaedon Sharpe of the Portland Trail Blazers against the Washington Wizards.
We took a bit of a break last week, and it was a rough day to leave with our streak of splits coming to an end with a reverse sweep. Donte DiVincenzo made it close. He hit three 3-pointers, and he had the volume with nine attempts. Despite that, he couldn’t get a fourth to fall. The volume was there in the Toumani Camara world, but it wasn’t his night either. He took 13 shot attempts, but he went just 2-of-13 from the floor, including 1-of-6 from 3-point range.
Best Bets Record to Date
- 2025 record: 12-16-2 (-.97 units)
Find Gage Bridgford's FanSided betting record here.
NBA Best Bet Today
- Cade Cunningham 10+ Assists (-106) - 1 Unit FanDuel
- Shaedon Sharpe 20+ Points (+115) - 1 Unit Bet365
Cade Cunningham 10+ Assists (-106) FanDuel
Our first play of the night is targeting Cade to get rolling again after a rough game last time out against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Over his last 13 games, Cade has only hit this line six times, but he’s finished with exactly nine assists in three of the seven games where he came up short. Over his last eight games, where he’s finished with nine assists three different times, he’s averaging 15 potential assists per game. Over his last three, that number jumps to 16.7 potential per game.
The Pelicans are allowing the sixth-most assists per game to point guards over their last 30 games. When you expand the view even more, they’re allowing the second-most assists per game since January 1st. Detroit is one of the fastest teams in the league this year with the seventh-fastest pace, and the Pelicans are just above league average at 14th. This game should see a ton of points, and I think Cade can run up some assists as a result.
Shaedon Sharpe 20+ Points (+115) Bet365
Our second play of the night is going back to Portland. This is a great matchup for Shaedon, and he feasted the last time he faced off against Washington. On February 26th, Sharpe played 33 minutes off of the bench, and he poured in 36 points on 26 shot attempts. He also went 3-of-7 from 3-point range in that game, along with one of the best dunks of the year off of a steal in the first quarter. As a starter, Sharpe averages 18.5 points per game compared to 15.4 when he’s come off of the bench, and he can thrive here.
Portland currently find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture, but there is a chance for them to find their way into the Play-In Tournament. They’re 3.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks, who have reached an injury status that makes it nearly impossible to field a full team some nights. Portland plays the Wizards tonight. Over their last 30 games, they’re allowing the sixth-most points to opposing shooting guards, and I think there isn’t much they can do to keep Sharpe from attacking the rim at will.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.