Happy Sunday everyone, hopefully you are ready for some great NBA action. There are eight games today, four of which are on national television. The first game of the day is the Philadelphia 76ers at Dallas Mavericks and it begins at 1:00 PM ET. There are three bets alone from this game, one rebounding prop on a Dallas player and a two-step ladder on a Philadelphia guard. This should be a close and contested game as the first of a doubleheader on ABC. The second game is the Golden State Warriors at Boston Celtics which features a proposition bet on Stephen Curry. It has a 2:30 PM ET start time at TD Garden. There are several withheld player props in the two other games, and live betting could be the better angle. 

 


EXPERT NBA BET FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 3: TWO-STEP LADDER

TYRESE MAXEY OVER 2.5 THREE POINTERS MADE (-166 DraftKings Sportsbook)

TYRESE MAXEY 4+ THREE POINTERS MADE (+135 FanDuel Sportsbook)

As stated the ladder is on All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey to cover a small, two-step ladder bet. The bet utilized the best lines available at the time, but if you want to place both on the same book for convenience please do so. Maxey has been doing some heavy shouldering since the injury to Joel Embiid. He has played over 35 minutes in his last nine games, sometimes well exceeding that number. 

He has attempted 30 three-point attempts in his last three games and made at least three in every game of that span. He has made four or more in three of his last five games and has the good fortune of playing the Dallas Mavericks who are a bottom tier defense. Dallas allows the second-most points, the most rebounds, the fourth-most assists, and sixth-most fantasy points to opposing guards. Maxey will be able to screen or move to an advantageous spot and has no problem letting it fly from behind the arc. 

Inversely Dallas does have a great scoring offense and Maxey will need to score to keep up with the great backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. His point line is set at 28.5, which is two points above his season average. Those points could come from successful three-point attempts against a weak defensive team. 

 

NBA PLAYER PROP BETS FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 3

DERECK LIVELY II UNDER 6.5 REBOUNDS (-125 DraftKings Sportsbook)

Dereck Lively II was playing better than expected for a rookie center, and then he broke his nose which required surgery. He has played in every game since the All-Star break, and one game prior to it, and is the starting center for the Dallas Mavericks. Although his minutes played have gone up over the past three games he has yet to earn seven rebounds. He has competition with recently acquired teammate PJ Washington, and Luka Doncic for rebounds. Meanwhile a deep and utilized bench cuts into his minutes via Max Kleber, Dwight Powell, and Daniel Gafford. 

Philadelphia is not the great rebounding team it once was, but has a great forward in Tobias Harris, as well as serviceable centers in Mo Bamba and Paul Reed. Depending on the game script and foul trouble he could see less than twenty minutes. Put a unit on the rook’s under tonight.

STEPHEN CURRY OVER 4.5 REBOUNDS (+125 ON MGM) 

The two hottest teams from the Eastern and Western Conference collide tonight. The Boston Celtics have won ten straight games and the Golden State Warriors have won eight of their last 10 games. 

The Celtics are in a rhythm worthy of the praise they have been receiving from anyone associated with the NBA. They have an almost perfect record at home and host a team that has been perfect on their current road trip. The Golden State Warriors are playing like a veteran team, turning it on after the All-Star break, and trying to climb the brutal Western Conference. They are currently in ninth place but only three games away from fifth, which would put them out of the play-in.

Stephen Curry has been the drummer of the group too (although it’s more like Phil Collins in the fact he is also the lead singer). That is to say Curry is reliable, on time, and always in rhythm. The Warriors have experienced chaos, drama, and injuries this year with Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. Despite that, Curry has been pounding away, keeping the beat. Now they are rolling, and rocking in a rhythm… or rocking n’ rolling if you prefer. 

Curry has stepped it up with his effort and it has translated to more rebounds. He has five or more rebounds in the previous three road games, and one flaw of the Boston Celtics is they allow the seventh-most rebounds to opposing point guards. He is not normally a rebounder but was very aggressive against the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. That should continue tonight as it will take maximum effort from the four-time NBA Champion. Five or more rebounds at plus odds on a 2024 All-Star and all-time great is a great angle tonight. 

Thanks for reading. Remember to check out Fantasy Alarm for all your fantasy and betting needs across multiple sports. 

Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy

*All Bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise