It was a rough outing in yesterday’s NBA best bets article, as Jusuf Nurkic died on the hook, and Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers did not play well and lost a crucial game to an eliminated team. Paolo Banchero scored his most points since February 14th, and he did it with 10 made free throws. Such is betting, my friends.

 

 

 

Today is a new day, and the Association has four great games tonight. We’ll be looking to take advantage of Thursday's NBA odds. Two of the games are nationally televised on ESPN beginning at 7:30 PM ET in South Beach as the Miami Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers. There will be a straight bet on this Eastern Conference showdown. 

The late-night game is the Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers. There will be an NBA Same Game Parlay in this battle of top four Western Conference teams. The Bet of the Night, and the bonus bet, is taking place at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks host the Sacramento Kings in what should be a thrilling game.

Without further ado, let’s break down my favorite NBA picks for today, April 4th! Each selection’s NBA odds will be listed alongside.

 

 

 

NBA Props & Best Bets Today, 4/4

Jalen Brunson Props: Over 28.5 Points (-120 on BetMGM)

NBA Bet Of The Night

The Knicks have found themselves slipping in the last week. After losing to the San Antonio Spurs in what could be the game of the season, they lost against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Shai Gligeous-Alexander, and most recently lost in Miami to the Heat. A three-game losing streak has moved them to fifth in the Eastern Conference. 

Jalen Brunson has done everything he can to carry this team through an injury-filled season, but if he has a bad offensive game, the Knicks are scrambling to find someone to keep pace with their opponent. Even when he has the game of his life, as he did with sixty-one points against the Spurs, the Knicks still can lose. He has to have a good scoring game in order to take down the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings are in a battle of their own, they are currently eighth in the Western Conference, but only one game out of fifth place, and only one game ahead of ninth place. They could literally finish in five different rankings with only ten days left in the regular season. But even if they were to win tonight, Brunson can still cover his points.

The Kings allow 115.7 points per game this season, and the Knicks score an average 112.4 per game. Sacramento also allows the second most points to opposing point guards. Brunson averages 27.8 points per game, and has scored thirty or more in two of his last three games. The Kings average points allowed and the fact they are the second worst team against opposing point guards indicate Brunson is due for another big game. 

Not to mention as the leader of the team, he understands how beneficial it could be starting the playoff series in Madison Square Garden as opposed to on the road. To do that they will need to win, especially with Julius Randle opting for season ending surgery. Brunson is my favorite of all available NBA props today.

 

 

 

NBA Same Game Parlay Today, 4/4

Nuggets vs. Clippers Prediction: Denver ML + Michael Porter Jr. Over 2.5 Threes Made (+165 SGP on BetMGM)

The NBA evening closes with a top four Western Conference showdown at Crypto.com Arena. The Los Angeles Clippers host the Denver Nuggets beginning at 10:00 PM ET, which is the game I’ll focus this portion of my NBA predictions on. The Clippers are in a bit of a late season slump… which won’t surprise most followers of the NBA. However they are still the fourth seed in the Western Conference, and currently have a two game advantage over the Dallas Mavericks. 

The Denver Nuggets are tied for first in the Western Conference and have the most wins since the All-Star break. They are winning despite Jamal Murray not playing as he recovers from multiple injuries. In his absence Michael Porter Jr. has really stepped up his game. 

Porter Jr. has made three or more three-point attempts in six of his last nine games. He had sixty-eight three-point attempts last month and eight in the tough game against the San Antonio Spurs two days ago. He is successful on 40.4% of his threes this season, and will be letting them fly tonight versus the Clippers.

The Clippers will be without their best defender, if not their best player Kawhi Leonard. Norman Powell is a great forward, as is Paul George, but neither have the size to defend Porter. He has been attacking with dribbling to the rim, and it has set up unguarded second half three point attempts. 

The loss of Kawhi Leonard is also a boost to the two man game of Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic. The 2014 draft mates are developing an uncanny two man game, which we haven’t seen since Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In addition to that James Harden is absolutely wilting away without Kawhi Leonard, and you would think the opposite would be true. 

The Nuggets may start slow tonight (and if they do jump on their live moneyline; it has been very profitable), but they will be too big in the front court and should beat the Clippers.

 

 

 

NBA Predictions & Picks Today, 4/4

76ers vs. Heat Prediction: Miami Moneyline (-135 on DraftKings)

The Miami Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. As of now the 76ers have Joel Embiid listed as questionable but he did participate in the morning practice/drills. Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and Mo Bamba are listed as questionable too. If any of them are declared out then this line will move, if they play then they are playing with injuries.

The Heat are in sixth place in a crammed Eastern Conference. They are only three games away from third place but have the same record as the seventh place Indiana Pacers. Most importantly they are 1.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, and there will be a full game swing advantage for the winner. 

A win by the Heat would put them 2.5 games ahead of Philadelphia, and 0.5 games ahead of the Pacers. A loss means they are back in the play-in and only 0.5 games ahead of the 76ers. It is a pivotal game.

Terry Rozier has really been a great trade deadline acquisition for Miami. He played thirty or more minutes in all but one game in March and has carried them to victories behind his scoring. Philadelphia did win Embiid’s first game back, but the Heat are a better defensive team, and this game is on the road. Trust the defending Eastern Conference Champions to deliver tonight.

 

 

 

DraftKings NBA Promo: Bet & Get $1 For Every Three Pointer Made

Kings vs. Knicks Prediction: Donte Divincenzo First Three Made (+220 on DraftKings) *$25 MINIMUM

We have utilized this bet before in this NBA picks column and it went away during March Madness. But, it returned this week. It is a DraftKings special only, and it requires you to opt-in, and make the selection on your betting ticket. 

It is a bet and get, which means you select the player to make the first three of the game (which is difficult to do), and in return you get $1.00 for every three made in the game. Tuesday it returned $34 dollars, and you must wager at least $25.00 to activate this bet. The bonus for this bet will be mentioned tomorrow.

Donte DiVincenzo was selected because he is the best three point scorer in a game with the two most successful three point scoring teams. That is a mouthful, but the Sacramento Kings make the fifth most threes per game, 14.2 and the New York Knicks make the tenth most, 13.2. Collectively that is 27.4 per game, and that is the most of any game today. 

DiVincenzo has made thirty-six threes in his last five games! That is an average of over seven per game, and he has made 255 threes this season. The Knicks will need to come out aggressive to play with the Kings fast pace. A $25.00 bet on DiVincenzo returns $80.00 and we still get the bonus from the threes. 

 

Thanks for checking out my NBA best bets today! Don't forget to explore Fantasy Alarm for all your fantasy and betting needs.

 

 

 

Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy

*All NBA bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise