Peter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today (Expert Predictions, Picks for Kevin Durant, Magic-Blazers)

It’s April, which means the NBA playoffs are nearing and there are plenty of teams fighting for position over the final weeks of the regular season.

How can we use that to our advantage when betting on the NBA? Well, we can target the teams that have a lot to play for – like the Orlando Magic tonight – and players that are critical to playoff teams having success.

With just six games in action tonight, that’s what I’m aiming to do with Monday’s NBA Best 

Bets. 

After a 4-1 showing over Saturday and Sunday, here are the two plays that I’m eyeing for a shorter slate on Monday night:

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NBA Best Bets Record to Date

• 2023-24 season record: 306-281-13 (+2.06 units)
• Overall record (last 2+ seasons): 931-839-21 (+42.01 units)

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

NBA Best Bets Today

• Orlando Magic -16 (-112) vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 0.5 unit
• Kevin Durant OVER 24.5 Points (-125) – 0.5 unit

Orlando Magic -16 (-112) vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 0.5 unit

Orlando was a massive favorite on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the team took care of business at home, winning by 30 points. 

That pushed the Magic to an NBA-best 17-5 against the spread as home favorites, and the team is looking to keep that going when it takes on the Blazers tonight. 

Portland is out of sorts due to injuries, and the team hasn’t even been great against the spread as a road underdog, going just 18-18 ATS in that spot this season. The team also lost by 60 points on Friday against the Miami Heat. 

Over their last 10 games, the Blazers rank 28th in offensive rating, 26th in defensive rating and 28th in net rating. Orlando, on the other hand, is No. 5 in net rating despite losses to the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors last week. 

I can’t trust this Portland team – at less than full strength – to hang around with the Magic. 

Kevin Durant OVER 24.5 Points (-125) – 0.5 unit

Kevin Durant has been playing at a high level, scoring 25 or more points in each of his last four games, and I expect that to continue as the season goes on. 

KD saw some down scoring games in March, but he’s still averaging 27.6 points per game for the Suns while shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from 3. Durant’s points prop has dropped into the low to mid-20s as of late, but he’s smashed it in four straight games. 

With the Suns looking to avoid the play-in tournament, I expect Durant to get plenty of shots in this offense. He also had 26 points back on Jan. 19 against New Orleans on 11-of-19 shooting.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.