Top NBA Betting Picks for Thursday, March 18
As March Madness approaches, it’s easy to lose sight of the NBA. However, there is still plenty of professional basketball worth targeting, and our experts are here to give you their leans and locks for today’s six-game slate.
Here are the top NBA betting plays for Thursday, March 18, provided by BettingPros experts Raju Byfield and Isaiah Sirois (Main game odds courtesy BettingPros Consensus; lock and prop odds sites may vary):
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Betting Lock of the Day
Sirois: Knicks -5 (-114 at FD Sportsbook)
The Knicks are the NBA’s third-best team against the spread. They trail only the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz, both of which are double-digit favorites tonight. I’ll avoid the wide spreads and target the Knicks against the banged-up Magic instead. Two of their starters, Cole Anthony and James Ennis, remain out. Three more players, Evan Fournier, Terrence Ross, and Aaron Gordon, are all questionable. The Knicks just have to win by a six-point margin to cover this spread, and they toppled a healthier Magic squad by seven the last time they met in New York. My efficiency-based betting model favors the Knicks by a 6.4-point margin, which points to over a point of edge against this spread.
Top Team Prop of the Day
Sirois: Pelicans Over 119.5 (-108 at FD Sportsbook)
The Pelicans have played the Trail Blazers twice this season, and they scored exactly 124 points in both games. They also have the NBA’s highest over percentage (72.5%)! New Orleans will be looking for a measure of revenge after Damian Lillard willed the Trail Blazers to a late come-from-behind victory on Tuesday. Portland ranks second-worst in defensive efficiency on the year and third-worst over their last three outings. Expect the Pelicans, who rank seventh in offensive efficiency and first over the last three games, to sail over the total again.
Top Player Prop of the Day
Sirois: Enes Kanter Under 10.5 Rebounds (+104 at FD Sportsbook)
I don’t understand this total — or the juice on it. Kanter has played the Pelicans twice this season, and he has nine rebounds — total! He recorded four in the first and five in the second. We can’t blame Jusuf Nurkic for his underperformance, as Kanter started both games. Yes, Kanter almost always goes over this total. He has recorded 11 or more rebounds in 10 of his last 12 games. But again, those two busts came against the Pelicans. New Orleans allows the fewest total rebounds and the third-fewest rebounds per game to centers (12.8). At .27 rebounds allowed per minute to the position, Kanter would need to play 40-plus to go over, and he hasn’t done that once all year. Exploit the plus money and play the under.
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day >>
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