The final week of the regular season is rapidly approaching. Thursday night’s menu, however, gives fans a tasty doubleheader to sink their teeth into. Tonight’s 6-game spread is headlined by the OKC hosting LeBron and company in Lakers vs Thunder, which is preceded by the Timberwolves and Pistons clashing on Amazon Prime Video. The action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET. You can find our NBA picks for all of today’s matchups along with EVERY GAME throughout the regular season and postseason. But for now, here are our expert NBA best bets for each of today’s 6 games on Thursday, April 2.
Suns vs Hornets NBA best bet: Hornets -5.5 (-110)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
I guess the Hornets really are taking things to the next level. The Hornets are now 4 games over .500 and have gone 29-13 SU over their last 42 games after they walked into Brooklyn and won by 31 on Tuesday. If you drop the logos and look at the data, Charlotte’s profile is not too far from the likes of the Spurs or Thunder, which is crazy to think, considering this team started off the season 11-23.
Phoenix, meanwhile, may have the better record on paper, but they just got upended in Orlando thanks to the Magic. The Suns are a team that, away from home, can run into trouble and get bogged down like they did against a team as physical as Orlando on their home court. The problem is the Hornets can play at any pace and on both ends of the court. This is a spot tailor-made for the Hive to buzz. Back Charlotte.
Read our full Suns vs Hornets prediction
Timberwolves vs Pistons NBA best bet: Pistons -3 (-110)
Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing.
Detroit is the cleaner side because this is not just because they have a better record handicap, it is a same-opponent rematch in which the Pistons already showed they can impose the exact game script they want. On Saturday, Detroit beat Minnesota 109-87 and won the second half 60-43. Since then, the Pistons clinched the Central and improved to 55-21 with Tuesday’s 127-116 win over Toronto, while Minnesota sits at 46-29.
Detroit is 29-9 at home and they play a brand of basketball that can give the Timberwolves fits. Minnesota relies on their defense, but the Pistons can match that energy. Plus as mentioned, Detroit already showed it can keep the Wolves out of rhythm and turn this into a physical, half-court game on their terms. Lay the points.
Read our full Timberwolves vs Pistons prediction
Lakers vs Thunder NBA best bet: Thunder -9 (-110)
Odds available at bet365 at time of publishing.
The market loves to fade the Thunder when they are spotting big points to name-brand sides, but the market seemingly fails to realize how scary the defending champs actually are. It is still giving the Lakers respect for their 13 wins in 14 games despite OKC already solving this matchup twice, displaying the exact traits that create separation: elite defense and tempo control.
Oklahoma City is allowing 107.6 points per game compared with 114.7 for the Lakers, and the earlier meetings finished 121-92 and 119-110 for the Thunder. When a team has already shown it can both blow you out and beat you handly on several occasions, I’m more willing to lay a bigger number. This feels less like betting against the Lakers and more like backing the one home favorite on the board whose season-long profile actually supports margin. OKC minus the points, please.
Read our full Lakers vs Thunder prediction
Cavaliers vs Warriors NBA best bet: Cavaliers -10 (-110)
Odds available at bet365 at time of publishing.
It may seem incredulous to see the Warriors priced as such a big underdog at home, but the times have changed. The case for Cleveland starts with the state of Golden State. The Warriors were just routed 127-113 by San Antonio, never led, trailed 70-49 at halftime and were straight-up depleted. Stephen Curry remains out and has missed 23 games. His status remains a huge question mark. Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody are out for the season, while other rotation pieces have been in and out. This is a team that is beaten up and in free fall.
That is why a number in this range makes sense. Cleveland has its mind on the playoffs and while Golden State is situated to go as well, they are defaulting in because the back-end of the West has lost too many games. These are 2 teams in polar opposite states. Golden State is not close to full strength and just got manhandled against an elite opponent. The cleaner read is that Cleveland’s offense is too stable and Golden State’s current roster too compromised to trust the Warriors falling inside this number.
Read our full Cavaliers vs Warriors prediction
Pelicans vs Trail Blazers NBA best bet: Over 232 (-110)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
This is the one play on your list that is less about who wins and more about environment. Portland’s recent games have had enough offensive juice to justify an over when the opponent cooperates even a little. Portland has 6 healthy double-figure scorers; Deni Avdija is leading that group at 23.1 points per game, while Jrue Holiday just hit 7 threes against the Clippers. The Clips, incidentally, are notoriously good at defending the perimeter.
The over is further supported by New Orleans’ side of the equation. The Pelicans have lost 5 straight, but those games were not all low-scoring slogs; they just gave up 134 to Houston on Sunday. Portland is jostling for play-in position, so there is no incentive for them to sit on the ball if they get a lead. With one team playing urgent offense and the other defending poorly enough to keep over alive, this is an easier bar to clear.
Read our full Pelicans vs Blazers prediction
Spurs vs Clippers NBA best bet: Clippers ML (+150)
Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing.
This is an eerily soft number considering all the factors in play. San Antonio is 58-18 and has won 10 straight, but the Spurs are also on the second night of a road back-to-back after dismantling Golden State last night. The Spurs’ stock is white-hot, while the Clippers are sitting just above .500 after taking a loss to the Trailblazers. Put it all together and this is the kind of spot where the unthinkable lives.
San Antonio won the first 2 meetings, but both were competitive enough to show that the Clippers have teeth here. Notoriously strong at home where they take opponents out to the deep-end, Los Angeles can shrink the game and make this a contest won in the margins. Should that happen, the Clips can pull off the upset. They have done it already this year against Denver and the Knicks. The low-hanging fruit with the Spurs suggests they are in position to strike again.
Read our full Spurs vs Clippers prediction
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