The National Basketball Association has six games on the schedule for Thursday night, including the nationally televised games of the Phoenix Suns vs. Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, both on TNT.
We’ll try to keep building up that bankroll for the next big basketball betting events, including March Madness and then the NBA playoffs. Let’s get started!
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Thursday’s Best NBA Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit
Phoenix Suns (+205) @ Boston Celtics (-250) | O/U 227 (-110/-110)
The Suns (37-27) and Celtics (51-14) hook up at TD Garden, meeting for the second time in less than a week. Boston just polished off Phoenix 117-107 in the Valley on Saturday night to cover a 5.5-point number on the road.
Phoenix kicked off a four-game Eastern Conference road trip with a 117-111 win in Cleveland against a shorthanded Cavaliers side, but the challenge will obviously be much greater against the Celtics on their court. The Suns lost by 10 points on their home floor Saturday despite shooting a robust 51% from the field (44-of-87) while knocking down nine triples. Phoenix didn’t have a poor game by any means, although it did turn the ball over 14 times.
Kevin Durant was an efficient 18-of-26 from the field in Saturday’s loss to Boston, finishing with 45 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while knocking down four triples. However, he didn’t receive much help outside of Bradley Beal. That’s the rub. The Suns aren’t nearly as deep, and SG Eric Gordon is considered questionable due to a knee, while SG Josh Okogie is out. The good news is that Devin Booker is back after missing the Boston game, and he just dropped 27 against Cleveland.
Still, the Celtics should be able to get the job done at home. Boston has covered three in a row while going 9-2 ATS in the past 11 games, including a perfect 4-0 ATS at TD Garden.
Bet: Celtics -6 (-112)
Washington Wizards (+265) @ Houston Rockets (-330) | O/U 226.5 (-112/-108)
The Wizards (11-54) and Rockets (30-35) lock horns at the Toyota Center in H-Town. This is actually their first meeting of the season, with the teams slated to face each other in the nation’s capital again on March 19.
Lately, Washington has been all about the Under. The Wizards have averaged just 106.3 PPG while yielding 105.7 PPG in the past three games. The Under has cashed in all three games, including a stunning road win in Miami as an 11.5-point underdog.
Houston has also been on that Under tip, going low in the past two outings in San Antonio and Sacramento, both wins. They’ve hit the Under at a 7-2-1 clip across the past 10 games overall. The Under is 3-1-1 in the past five home games for the Rockets at Toyota Center, too. The Under is a good play in this battle of sub-.500 teams who are both playing surprisingly well of late.
Bet: Under 226.5 (-112)
Dallas Mavericks (+385) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (-500) | O/U 235.5 (-110/-110)
The Mavericks (38-28) and the Thunder (45-20) hook up at the Paycom Center in OKC for the third battle of the season. When these teams meet, a lot of points are sure to follow. We had 257 combined points in a blowout by the Mavericks on Feb. 10, easily exceeding the total (239). Meanwhile, OKC won in the Metroplex in the first meeting on Dec. 2 by a 126-120 score, with the Over (234.5) also cashing. In fact, we’ve seen the total go high in each of the past six meetings in this series.
In addition, Dallas comes in on a four-game win and cover streak, while Oklahoma City has won three of the past five outings, but it is just 1-4 ATS against the number during that span. OKC is just 4-4 ATS in the past eight instances as a double-digit favorite. The Thunder were favored on the road at Dallas in the most recent meeting and returned home with its tail between its legs following a 35-point loss. Dallas is the play, catching double digits, and always go with the Over when these teams meet.
Bet: Mavericks +10.5 (-114) & Over 235.5 (-110)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:
- NHL Prop Betting Cheat Sheet
- Top NHL Odds, Picks & Predictions
- College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions
- NBA First Basket Scorer Odds, Picks & Predictions
- Top NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions
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Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.
