Germantas Kneita
The NBA delivers an 8-game slate for us on Friday night with a pair of exciting nationally televised games on ESPN. The first will see the Memphis Grizzlies take to the floor against the Dallas Mavericks, with the hosts looking to salvage something from their season. That will be followed up with Phoenix visiting the Denver Nuggets, with the visitors hoping to displace the reeling Mavericks in the Western Conference play-ins. You can see our NBA picks for tonight’s matchups, but for now, let’s dive into my NBA best bets for EVERY game tonight.
Cavaliers vs Hornets best bet: Jusuf Nurkic over 8.5 rebounds (-125)
Bosnian center Jusuf Nurkic has hit the over on this line in 4 of the last 5 games in which he has played at least 20 minutes. With the size of the Cavaliers’ frontline and with Mark Williams being out for the Hornets, he should hit that playing time threshold once more. The Cavaliers are 18th in opponent offensive rebounds per game over the last 10 games, which Nurkic should be able to use to inflate his rebounding numbers tonight.
Read our full Cavaliers vs Hornets prediction
Grizzlies vs Mavericks best bet: Grizzlies -10 (-110)
The hosts simply have too many injuries to contend with. Without the scoring prowess of Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and P.J. Washington, it is hard to see the Mavs keeping pace with a Grizzlies team that has Ja Morant at the helm. In Dallas’ last 2 games, they have put up 98 and 107 points, respectively. The Grizzlies have the capabilities to blow them out if they cannot improve on that here.
Read our full Grizzlies vs Mavericks prediction
Jazz vs Raptors best bet: Collin Sexton under 17.5 points (-115)
Collin Sexton has been missing games recently due to an ankle issue. The Jazz have been cautious with this, keeping him below 21 minutes of action in both of his games in March. With the team tanking, do not expect them to rush him back here. Over the last 10 games, the Raptors are 6th in defensive rating and 23rd in pace. It does not bode well for Sexton scoring the ball in his limited action here.
Timberwolves vs Heat best bet: Rudy Gobert under 20.5 points+rebounds (-120)
The Frenchman is questionable to play due to a back problem, but if he does take to the floor, this line is great value. He managed 20 points+rebounds against the Heat earlier this season in 33 minutes of playing time. He has missed 8 straight games so if he does take to the floor, it would be a shock if he sees that same level of involvement. Going against a great defender in Bam Adebayo does not help matters.
Read our full Timberwolves vs Heat prediction
Trail Blazers vs Thunder best bet: Under 229.5 (-110)
The likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will be rested tonight which should really impact the firepower of the hosts. However, with the likes of Alex Caruso stepping in, they should be able to continue getting stops here. I expect their pace to slow too considering they will have a tougher time breaking down opposing defenders without the MVP candidate. As a result, I like the Under is this game.
Suns vs Nuggets best bet: Nikola Jokic to record a triple-double (-125)
Over his last 7 games, Nikola Jokic has been able to record 3 triple-doubles. On 3 other occasions, he was just a rebound or an assist shy of doing so. Over that same stretch of games, the Suns are 25th in opponent assists per game. They also lack the size on the inside to keep Jokic off the glass. Nick Richards and Mason Plumlee also do not space the floor, so Jokic should be in great rebounding position all night.
Check out our expert’s Suns vs Nuggets Same Game Parlay picks as we look for our 4th SGP win in the past week!
Spurs vs Kings best bet: Jonas Valanciunas over 11.5 rebounds (-105)
Since stepping in for Domantas Sabonis, Jonas Valanciunas has played 30 or more minutes in 2 of his last 3 games. He recorded 13 and 14 rebounds in those games. He will see time against Bismack Biyombo, who offers little floor spacing. Valanciunas is also much taller than his counterpart and should be able to use this length to win plenty of rebounds over the Spurs center.
Knicks vs Clippers best bet: Josh Hart over 6.5 assists (+120)
With Jalen Brunson injuring his ankle, Josh Hart will have to become the primary facilitator tonight. Miles McBride will likely see a bump in minutes, but he averaged just 1.4 assists in February. Hart on the other hand averages 5.6 assists per game and should see a bump on that with increased usage here. He has managed 40 or more minutes in 5 of his last 8 games so he should have no shortage of time to rack up assists.
Don’t miss JutPicks’ 2 best NBA player prop bets for tonight
