Shane McNichol makes his NBA predictions for Friday night, with four best bets.
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The NBA’s race to the playoffs is carving its space in the sports landscape. College basketball hosts its Final Four this weekend, while baseball takes off with a new season, though the NBA is eager to keep fans engaged down the stretch.
With two-thirds of the NBA in action on Friday night, there should be plenty of highlights across the slate. These are my four favorite bets on the board.
Philadelphia 76ers (-5.5) vs. Toronto Raptors {ODDS:1111433150:1.90}
At this late point in the NBA season, each team’s motivation can be a major factor when wagering. It’s hard to imagine a team more motivated than the Sixers currently.
Philadelphia is jockeying near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, angling for the two-seed in the playoffs. That seed would grant Philly home-court advantage in the second round, which could prove critical when facing the rival Boston Celtics.
On top of the team’s overall push for wins, Joel Embiid is incentivized to continue playing high level basketball, chasing the elusive MVP award. Most would have Embiid deadlocked with Nikola Jokic as we round into the home stretch, with every game a chance to earn eyeballs and votes.
In front of a home crowd, the Sixers should be positioned to turn their motivation into success. Philly is 24-14 ATS playing at home this year and 32-31 ATS as a favorite. In home games as the favorite, the 76ers are 19-15 ATS, having covered in seven of their last ten chances.
Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5) vs. Indiana Pacers {ODDS:1111433093:1.95}
Speaking of motivation, there’s a major imbalance at play in this game. The Thunder are scratching and clawing their way up the standings, trying to earn a spot in the play-in. OKC has won 10 of 15 games, rebounding after a five-game skid that could have doomed their season.
Indiana, meanwhile, has little interest in the postseason, preferring a chance to win the NBA Draft lottery to pair another star with Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers have dropped four straight and six of their last seven games. Indiana fans have seen just one home win since February 16.
In their last 20 games, the Pacers are allowing 125 points per game, well above the league average. That shoddy defense is plenty of reason to back bullish Oklahoma City side.
Orlando Magic (+1.5) vs. Washington Wizards {ODDS:1111433058:1.90}
Orlando has become the dirty little secret in the NBA. Over their last 50 games, the Magic are a respectable 27-23. When accounting for the spread, Orlando has been a cash cow. The Magic are 38-22-1 ATS as an underdog this season and have been particularly hot of late, going 8-2 ATS in their last 10 (with five outright wins).
Meanwhile, the Wizards are slowly fading. Washington is just 4-10 in its last 14 games. Rumours about contract extensions for prominent Wizards have been swirling, a baffling decision for a team safely outside playoff contention.
I’m happy to grab points plus the young Magic battling against a Wizards team on auto-pilot.
Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors) under 0.5 3-pointers made vs. San Antonio Spurs
For all the shooting success the Warriors have had during their championship runs in the last decade, that magic touch has always eluded Draymond Green. Flanked by the Splash Brothers of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Green has always happily eaten up the dirty work, while slowly becoming a less and less reliable outside shooter through the years.
This year has been no exception to that trend, especially lately. In the month of March, Green is averaging 1.6 attempts from beyond the arc, making just 22 percent of those looks. In 14 games this month, Green has made a deep ball just five times and hasn’t even taken one in three of those games.
The odds on this prop will cost you more than even money but are well worth a look given Green’s history.
