NBA Best Bets Today, 3/15: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Saturday
The Cleveland Cavaliers easily covered the -2.0 spread against the Memphis Grizzlies, and it should have teased it up in order to receive a larger return on investment. The Sacramento Kings did not cover the spread against the Phoenix Suns, and continue to slip in the rankings. RJ Barrett played just 25 minutes, eight fewer than his average. That led to just 17 points as the Toronto Raptors comfortably cruised past the Utah Jazz.
NBA Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 3/15
The NBA has eight matches today, and several teams are playing on the second of back-to-back nights. Fantasy Alarm brings a betting sampler to NBA best bets today, and it starts with a straight bet against a team that played last night.
Bulls vs Rockets Prediction: CHI +8.5 (-110 on Bet365) *BET OF THE NIGHT
The Houston Rockets host the Chicago Bulls at the Toyota Center with an 8:00 PM ET tip off time. The Rockets played in-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks yesterday and blasted their way to a 37 point victory. They now host another tenth place team in the Chicago Bulls, but the Bulls are not trending in the same direction as the Mavericks.
Chicago has won four games in a row, and done so with different starters out of their lineup. They have safely put themselves in the play-in with a 4.5 game lead over the Toronto Raptors, and are encroaching on playoff eligibility. The Bulls are only 1.0 games back from ninth place Miami Heat, 2.0 games back from eighth place Orlando Magic, and 3.5 games back from seventh place Atlanta Hawks.
The Bulls are playing with a purpose and although Josh Giddey is listed as doubtful the Bulls have a great chance to cover the +8.5 spread. They average 116.6 points per game which is three more than Houston. They have taken down four Eastern Conference teams in the past four games, and they may not win against the third place Western Conference Rockets, but this bet does not need them to.
The Bulls backcourt of Coby White, Kevin Huerter, and Tre Jones has proven to be a lethal scoring combination. Put a unit for the Bulls to cover this spread against the Rockets playing in the second of back-to-back games.
Knicks vs Warriors Prediction: GS -2.5, Buddy Hield 2+ Three’s made, Karl-Anthony Towns 7+ Rebounds (+120 SGP on Bet365)
It’s Saturday and that means Slam Dunk Saturdays from Bet365. Simply opt-in to the promotion offer and place a wager of $50 on three or more selections in a same game parlay (SGP) and receive $25 in bonus bets regardless of the outcome.
This SGP focuses on the New York Knicks versus Golden State Warriors which is nationally televised on ABC with a 8:30 PM ET tip off. They both come into this match with a winning streak, the Warriors have won six in a row, and the Knicks have won two games without Jalen Brunson. Brunson will be out once again, and the Golden State Warriors are -7.0 favorites partially due to it.
This SGP has been teased down across all three predictions, beginning with the spread. A -2.5 spread is suggested just in case the Knicks keep their offensive rhythm up against a less than average front court defense. The Warriors have been playing well and Jonathan Kuminga is back which should help their front court. With three selections needed to be successful the wise move is to tease down the spread, although Golden State could cover it with ease.
Buddy Hield is a forgotten member of Golden State. Brandin Podziemski is out once again and Hield will receive more minutes due to it. He has played 20 or more minutes in five of his last six matches, and the 2025 three point participant is attempting several from behind the arc.
Hield has attempted 15 threes in his last two matches and made ten of them. He has attempted 35 in his last five matches, and has made three or more threes in four of his last six matches. With the Warriors rediscovered success, Stephen Curry is receiving more defensive attention. This has left Hield with several catch-and-score opportunities. Look for him to make the teased down, alternate line of 2+ threes made.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been so good to Fantasy Alarm NBA best bets, and today we put our money on him again. It was tempting to take his set rebounding line of 11.5, but his rebounds have been teased down as well. Towns has not been rebounding at his season average of 13.2 rebounds per game lately. He has only covered that in three of the Knicks last ten matches. Towns has recorded seven or more rebounds in each of his last eight games, three of those games he recorded exactly seven.
Teasing his rebounds down to 7+ on the alternate line does not give much boost to the odds, but it meets the requirements of Slam Dunk Saturdays. This SGP has a great opportunity to be successful, and with great odds. The goal is to win the prediction and cash in on a bonus bet.
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Best NBA Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 3/15
The player propositions are limited with several teams in back-to-back games, and player numbers can be unpredictable in those performances.
The last NBA best bet today focuses on a player that did not play many minutes yesterday.
Heat vs Grizzlies Prediction: Zach Edey O7.5 Rebounds (+100 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Zach Edey only played 11 minutes in the Memphis Grizzlies blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He earned three rebounds in those short minutes though. Can the Grizzlies turn around and win against a Miami Heat team that has really been struggling? If so Edey will need to be a rebounding force.
Fellow teammate Santi Aldama has missed the last four games and six of the last seven total. Aldama does not have any proposition lines available and that can be an indicator that he is unlikely to play. That should give Edey opportunity to play more minutes against the Heat.
Edey averaged 20.7 minutes per game this season, and previously played his average or more in his previous eight games prior to Cleveland. Edey has earned eight or more rebounds in six of his last nine matches, and the thought is he was rested in a blowout loss to be prepared to take on more minutes in this match.
The Heat are an average rebounding team, allowing 51.9 per game to opposing teams. That number increases to 53.6 on the road, and at 7’ 4” Edey will tower over Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. Put a unit on Edey to earn over 7.5 rebounds at even odds on DraftKings.
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Player News
Ivica Zubac had a productive outing, finishing with 27 points (11-of-15 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), five rebounds, one assist and two blocks in the Game 5 loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Zubac continued to score the ball well, finishing with a series-high in points on efficient shooting. However, Zubac’s usual impact on the glass was absent as he secured just five rebounds in Game 5 after tallying at least nine in the previous four, with his one assist also tying his lowest output of the series. Down in the series 3-2, the Clippers head back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Thursday, where they face a must-win situation to keep their season alive.
James Harden concluded Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets with 11 points (3-of-9 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in 35 minutes.
Harden had a quiet night on Tuesday, barely cracking double figures in scoring and failing to register double-digit shot attempts. The 2018 NBA MVP has faced a stifling Nuggets defense that, over the last few games, has forced the ball out of his hands, leading to inferior performances compared to earlier games in the series. Harden will look for a bounce-back performance on Thursday as he tries to lead the Clippers to a season-saving victory in Game 6.
Kawhi Leonard stuffed the stat sheet in Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets, posting 20 points (8-of-15 FGs, 3-of-7 FTs), nine rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, two blocks and one three-pointer.
Leonard did a little bit of everything for the Clippers in Game 5. The two-time NBA Finals MVP posted a series-high in assists and also hit the glass hard, resulting in a near-triple-double. Leonard has scored at least 20 points in all five games of this series. However, the Clippers may need even more from him going forward as they look to extend their season beyond Thursday’s Game 6 at the Intuit Dome.
Nikola Jokic earned a triple-double in the Nuggets’ Game 5 win on Tuesday over the Clippers, finishing with 13 points (4-of-13 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), 10 rebounds, 12 assists, one steal, two blocks and one three-pointer.
The three-time NBA MVP had a relatively quiet game by his standards, but still came away with his third triple-double of the series. Jokic struggled with shooting efficiency, and his scoring output was the lowest of the series. Yet, his points were not as necessary in this game, given how well the rest of the Nuggets shot the ball. Nevertheless, Jokic will be in line for another big performance on Thursday when the Nuggets face the Clippers in Game 6.
Russell Westbrook came off the bench and produced 21 points (8-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, one assist and three three-pointers in the Nuggets’ Game 5 win over the Clippers on Tuesday.
Westbrook was electric in his first game back in the lineup following a foot injury that kept him out of Game 4. His second-quarter scoring ignited the crowd and helped set the table for what would be his highest-scoring game of the postseason. The 2017 NBA MVP has had himself a nice series thus far from a scoring standpoint and will have a chance to end his former team’s season on Thursday in Game 6.
Jamal Murray had a dominant Game 5 performance in the Nuggets’ win over the Clippers on Tuesday, tallying 43 points (17-of-26 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, seven assists, three steals, one block and eight three-pointers.
Fresh off a series-low 13 points in Game 4, Murray exploded for a series-high on Tuesday. He totaled nearly as many three-pointers in this game as he had in the previous four combined, while still managing to dish out seven assists. Murray got hot early in this one and never cooled off, and now has provided his Nuggets the opportunity on Thursday in Game 6 to eliminate the Clippers for the second time in the last five seasons.