NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions for Kevin Durant, Cade Cunningham and Hornets-Pelicans)
By Peter Dewey
We've got plenty of NBA action to get to on Monday night, as the NCAA Tournament and the Sweet 16 will have to wait a few days.
I may have a hot take here, but I need some NBA basketball back in my life after watching some ugly shooting performances and a rather low quality of basketball in the NCAA Tournament this past weekend. Sure, it makes for exciting games, but let's not act like it is basketball in its purest form.
That being said, I'm ready for some offensive action tonight with two player prop overs and a total to focus on for Monday's matchups.
Let's get into today's picks!
All odds via WynnBET Sportsbook.
NBA Best Bets Record to Date
- NBA Best Bets Record: 157-154-3
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record in the NBA this season here.
NBA Best Bets Today
- Kevin Durant OVER 30.5 Points (-110)
- New Orleans Pelicans-Charlotte Hornets OVER 233.5 (-110)
- Cade Cunningham OVER 24.5 Points (+100)
Kevin Durant OVER 30.5 Points (-110)
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has cleared this line in four of his games since returning from injury, but they’ve come with monster performances, as he’s averaging 30.0 points per game over that stretch.
The more impressive thing is Durant has taken on a much bigger scoring role at home when Kyrie Irving can’t play, scoring 31, 53, 23 and 38 points in those four games.
Tonight, he gets a Utah Jazz team that is on the second night of a back-to-back, and I think Durant (who is matchup proof) can take advantage of some tired legs on the other side.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Charlotte Hornets: OVER 233.5 (-110)
The New Orleans Pelicans have struggled without Brandon Ingram this season, going 5-16 straight up, but they won last night against Atlanta.
This may be tougher against a Charlotte Hornets team that has beaten the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks in their last two games, as Charlotte is humming offensively as of late. The Hornets have put up the league’s No. 2 offensive rating over the last 10 games, but they rank 21st in defensive rating over that stretch.
As for the Pelicans, they are eighth and 10th in those respective categories, and I think we see plenty of points in this matchup. The last game between these teams saw 262 total points, and the Hornets have cleared 234 points in seven of their last 10 games.
This game may be a track meet with the way Charlotte loves to push the pace, so I’ll take the over with the Pels on a back-to-back.
Cade Cunningham OVER 24.5 Points (+100)
We’re going prop heavy tonight, although I do like the Detroit Pistons in a moneyline parlay if there is another team you feel strongly about, as the Portland Trail Blazers are a mess right now.
The Pistons are 16th in offensive rating and 12th in defensive rating over their last 10 games, while the Blazers are dead last in the NBA in both categories over the same stretch.
Cunningham has cleared 24.5 points in just three of his last 10 games, but he’s facing a team that just lost by 30 to the Indiana Pacers and is arguably the worst defensive team in the NBA. Cunningham’s points, rebounds, assists number was a bit too high for me, so I’d rather have the value at +100 for him to go over this number.