NBA Best Bets Today, 4/8: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Tuesday
Meatloaf is back on the NBA predictions menu, and +0.65 units were gained thanks to it! Not bad on a short day, Miami just cleared over 114.5 points, scoring 117 points. That is also what The Detroit Pistons scored, but they allowed the Sacramento Kings to score 10 more points ruining the under.
Jalen Duren remained under 11.5 rebounds despite having 9 in the third quarter. The accurate predictions were a great start to the last regular season week of the NBA, but our NBA best bets are rolling into a loaded Tuesday schedule.
NBA Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 4/8
There are ten games today with playoff seeding implications tied directly to who wins and who losses.
Today’s first of our NBA best bets today will look at one of those games.
Timberwolves vs. Bucks Prediction: Minnesota -5 (-110 on Bet365) *BET OF THE NIGHT
A battle of neighboring states takes place as the Milwaukee Bucks host the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Fiserv Forum. Both of these teams are in a positional battle within their respective conferences. Although each team could use the rest, they are in a critical game and must play everyone they can.
The Bucks are 1.5 games ahead of the Detroit Pistons and have four games remaining on their schedule. The Sacramento Kings upsetting the Pistons yesterday, gave the Bucks a small amount of room for error. Winning today would give them a 2.0 game advantage, and the Pistons only have three games remaining.
The Timberwolves are in a bizarre four-way tie, fifth through eighth in the Western Conference. The teams listed in current position are: Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies. All teams are expected to win, which would move them to 17.5 games back from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and tied with the Denver Nuggets. Five teams tied with three games remaining in the schedule is textbook sports insanity.
The Timberwolves have played more consistent basketball and have the longest active winning streak in the Association with five wins. They have a much better defense, allowing 3.5 points per game less than the Bucks, 109.4 to 112.9. The Bucks have a slightly better offense with 114.9 to 114.0 points
The wild card in this match is the return of Bobby Portis, he could have a good game or could be rusty. Either way his Milwaukee teammates will welcome him with arms wide open, and so will the fans at the Forum. He has no props available on the four sportsbooks referenced for this column but keep an eye out and bet accordingly.
As for the spread, put a unit on the Timberwolves to pull away in the fourth quarter to start our NBA best bets today. Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle are playing excellent offensive basketball and are difficult for any team to stop. Remember to check out the promotional offer for new Bet365 customers at the end of this article.
Grizzlies vs. Hornets Prediction: Mark Wiliams O10.5 Rebounds (+105 on DraftKings)
Mark Williams is back in the column, and we are back his rebounds. The Charlotte Hornets host the Memphis Grizzlies in an expected blowout. The Grizzlies are -14.0 favorites, and for good reason, the Hornets are terrible. Mark Williams has been a consistent player for their team, and a reliable player prop for Fantasy Alarm.
He earned just nine rebounds in the Hornets most recent match, but that was against the surging Chicago Bulls who have Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey. The Grizzlies have a good front court, but Williams is a presence down low regardless of who his opponent is. He is averaging 10.2 rebounds per game and has recorded 12 or more in five of his last seven matches.
The Grizzlies are a bottom ten rebounding team, allowing 53.1 per game this season. They have allowed a higher average over their last three games with an average of 55.0 per game. Although Memphis has a great opportunity to win this game, they could pull their starters if a large lead were to happen.
Williams is well aware of the fact that the Hornets are willing to part ways with him, as they attempted to trade for him this season. He is displaying himself for a potential new team next season and should finish with a double double average. Put a unit for him to earn 11 or more rebounds today against the Grizzlies.
Best NBA Prop Bets & Other Picks Today, 4/8
There are several impactful games for positioning, and there are games with zero importance to the playoffs or the draft lottery.
The last of our NBA best bets today comes from one of those matches.
Pelicans vs. Nets Predictions: Bruce Brown 6+ Rebounds (+135 on DraftKings)
The Brooklyn Nets host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Barclays Center in a match of two teams in the bottom of their respective conferences. Both teams are eliminated and have been for quite some time.
However, both are evaluating talent and their roster for the upcoming season and have not been in tank mode like other eliminated teams. The Pelicans are searching for their starters and backups next year and Bruce Brown could be a part of those plans.
He has been playing more minutes and been an active player for them both offensively and defensively. He has played 31 or more minutes in five of his last eight matches and should see around that number of minutes again tonight. The Brooklyn Nets are a good offensive team that takes several field goals, and that will lend opportunities to Brown.
Brown is averaging just 3.8 rebounds per game, but the sportsbook has his line set at 4.5 for the Pelicans match. The sportsbooks have moved it a full rebound more and for good reason. The Nets have allowed 56.3 rebounds per game over their last three matches.
Brown has also been rebounding better with five games over his average. He has gone over the alternate rebounding line in three of his last five games as well. Brown was added via trade, but if he continues to display his versatility, he could find himself earning a new contract. Fantasy Alarm just needs him to earn six or more rebounds to cover the plus odds alternate line.
If a new customer to DraftKings makes sure to take advantage and put a unit on this bet with +135 odds.
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Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy
*All NBA odds accurate at time of writing and NBA best bets today to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise
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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.