Top NBA Picks and Predictions for March 28 (Back Nuggets, Grizzlies and More on Monday)
The basketball world will have to wait a few days for March Madness to resume, so in the meantime, why don't we bet on the NBA?
BetSided's Peter Dewey and Joe Summers have put together their previews for the games on Monday, March 28, and here are some the top picks to make, with all odds via WynnBET Sportsbook.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers Prediction and Pick
Oklahoma City is putting on a masterful tank job. The Thunder are staying competitive and getting valuable minutes for their young guys while ensuring they do not actually win. So what happens now that they're favored for just the fourth time all season?
The Thunder have been an amazing spread bet. They're 45-25-4 ATS on the year and have covered in 12 of their last 14 on the road. But again, they're actively trying to lose. So throw that out the window since they can't cover and lose tonight.
Instead, let's take advantage of two of the three worst offensive teams in the sport. Neither team cracked 100 points in either of the first two matchups between these squads and the under is 7-2 in Portland's last nine at home.
Give me the under in a creative masterclass of tanking as both teams slow the pace down and are content to escape the game without injury.
Pick: Under 222.5 (-110) -- Joe Summers
Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies Prediction and Pick
Golden State has sat Thompson, Porter Jr. and others pretty regularly on back-to-backs, but the Warriors are still 7-5 against the spread in those games.
Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga will get a chance to shine in extended minutes tonight, and it’s worth noting that Moody had a 30-point performance in a spot similar to this against the Denver Nuggets.
Despite that, Memphis has been on fire as of late, covering in five straight wins and winning those games by 25,30,12, 24 and 33 points.
I can’t trust this Warriors team with so many key players out against the best team against the spread in the NBA.
Lean: Grizzlies -10 (-110) -- Peter Dewey
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record in the NBA this season here.
Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks Prediction and Pick
These two teams have been on a completely different trajectory over the last 10 games even though New York is still on the outside looking in off the play-in tournament.
The Knicks are 15th in offensive rating and second in defensive rating over that stretch, while the Bulls are 27th and 19th in those respective categories.
Chicago has been hurting with Lonzo Ball still out of the lineup, but there is a trend that makes this a bit tougher, as the Bulls are 9-7-1 against the spread as a road favorite this season while the Knicks are just 3-9 ATS as a home underdog.
Usually, this is a strong enough trend to back, but the Knicks, who are on a back-to-back, are the best team in the NBA ATS in that spot this season, going 7-3.
I’m going to circle back to the current form of these teams, as the Knicks simply have been playing better basketball as of late. New York has to basically win out to have a chance at the play-in, and I think it can at least keep this close at home.
Lean: Knicks +3.5 (-110) | Sprinkle Knicks Moneyline (+140) -- Peter Dewey
Denver Nuggets vs. Charlotte Hornets Prediction and Pick
This is an intriguing matchup for a variety of reasons.
Nikola Jokic is trying to secure a second-straight MVP award while carrying the Nuggets, and the Hornets utilize a balanced approach and lead the league in assist percentage.
Charlotte has been the better team of late. The Hornets rank sixth in the NBA in net rating in March (6.2) compared to the Nuggets' ranking 13th (0.6) thanks to the second-best offense in the league. That's bad news for a Denver defense that's 25th in rating over their last 10 games.
But this is the second night of a back-to-back for Charlotte and they've been a disaster in these spots all year. They're 1-12 (!) with no rest this season and 3-10 against the spread (ATS). Last night's game was in Brooklyn too, so they had to travel to Charlotte to get set for a quick turnaround.
And Denver has been fantastic on the road, going 8-3 ATS in their last 11 and 5-2 ATS in their last seven as a road favorite. The Hornets, on the other hand, are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine as a home underdog.
The Nuggets have a significant rebounding advantage, ranking seventh in March in rebound percentage compared to 26th for Charlotte. With the tired legs the Hornets are likely to have, I expect that advantage to be even larger.
I know Charlotte has been playing fantastic recently, but this line feels like bait. "The Hornets just beat the Nets and the Nuggets barely beat the Thunder, of course Charlotte is going to win!" However, that's exactly what sportsbooks want us to think.
This is a great opportunity to fade a Hornets squad in spot that they've mightily struggled in all year and buy low on Denver. Give me the Nuggets to cover on the road.
Pick: Nuggets -3 (-110) -- Joe Summers