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NBA Odds & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Sunday

Sportsbook Review

Last Updated: March 12, 2023 10:26 AM EDT • 3 min 64 sec read.

Best bets today from around the NBA.
Best bets today from around the NBA.

Can Western Conference hopefuls earn much-needed victories Sunday? Check out our NBA best bets for Sunday based on the best NBA odds.

We had a great Saturday with three plus-money upset picks cashing for our NBA best bets, but Sunday, we’re focused on the spreads.

The surging Los Angeles Lakers will look to keep their win streak going with a win over the visiting New York Knicks, while the Oklahoma City Thunder will try to win a second game in as many days when the team travels to Texas to face the San Antonio Spurs.

The Portland Trail Blazers had their hearts broken Friday, but the team will look for a bounce-back performance against the reeling New Orleans Pelicans. The Washington Wizards have lost some close games of late, while the Philadelphia 76ers have won some of the same. Can Washington cover a large spread on the road?

Note: Brooklyn Nets vs. Denver Nuggets tips off at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Charlotte Hornets tips at 5 p.m. ET. We’re focused on the main slate of games that gets started at 6 p.m. ET with the Wizards and 76ers.

Here are our NBA best bets for Sunday (odds via Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NBA picks and our best NBA betting sites.

Saturday’s NBA schedule and odds

(Odds via DraftKings)

  • Brooklyn Nets vs. Denver Nuggets (-9)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (-8) vs. Charlotte Hornets
  • Washington Wizards vs. Philadelphia 76ers (-7.5)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (-3) vs. San Antonio Spurs
  • Portland Trail Blazers (-1) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-2.5)

Saturday’s NBA best bets

  • Spread: Lakers -2.5 vs. Knicks (-108 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Spread: Thunder -3 vs. Spurs (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Upset: Trail Blazers ML vs. Pelicans (+115 via PointsBet) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Spread: Wizards +8 vs. 76ers (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

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NBA top picks

Spread: Lakers -2.5 vs. Knicks (-108 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Are things finally turning around for the Lakers? It might sound crazy since LeBron James is on the shelf indefinitely, but in the tightly bunched Western Conference, L.A. sits just one game back of the No. 6 seed and a guaranteed playoff berth. A win against the visiting Knicks on Sunday would get the team back to .500 and move the Lakers closer to getting out of the play-in tournament.

The Lakers have won three straight games, including a 122-112 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday, in which Anthony Davis scored only eight points. Big contributions from guys like Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, and a now-healthy D’Angelo Russell have this team rolling. \

The Knicks are fresh off a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, and after winning nine straight games, New York has lost three in a row. That losing skid should continue, as the Lakers win this one by at least three points and inch closer to a miraculous comeback for a playoff berth.

Spread: Thunder -3 vs. Spurs (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

We bet the Thunder to upset the Pelicans in New Orleans on Saturday, so we’re going back to the well. It’s not quite as fun betting on OKC when the team is favored, but the Thunder should have no problem dispatching the Spurs in San Antonio. The Thunder won and covered the spread in four of their last five games, and they're 2-0 straight up and against the spread against the Spurs this season.

San Antonio is surprisingly 3-2 ATS and straight up over its last five games, finally getting some guys healthy and turning in some solid performances. Unfortunately, the injury bug is back Sunday as starters Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson are questionable. Even if the two play, we’re taking the Thunder, but this play is even better if one or both are sidelined.

Upset: Trail Blazers ML vs. Pelicans (+115 via PointsBet) ⭐⭐⭐

Wait, are we really targeting the Pelicans to get upset at home for a second straight night? You bet! New Orleans’ bench is shallow right now with Jose Alvarado and Larry Nance Jr. sidelined, while Brandon Ingram comes into Sunday sporting a questionable tag yet again. The Pels are a mess right now, and the team has gone just 2-7 straight up and ATS across their last nine games. 

The Blazers aren’t winning a ton of games these days, either, as guard Damian Lillard and Co. are just 3-4 ATS and 2-5 straight up over their last seven outings. Portland will be playing its sixth straight road game, and in the previous five, the team is 3-2 ATS and 2-3 straight up, including a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on a last-second turnaround jumper by Joel Embiid on Friday.

The Blazers will have both Lillard and Anfernee Simons available, and that firepower coupled with the heartbreaking loss to Philly should give Portland the edge.

Spread: Wizards +8 vs. 76ers (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐

The Wizards have gone just 1-4 ATS and straight up over the last five games, but all five games were decided by seven or fewer points. Washington hasn’t been getting blown out, and this spread is disrespectful. Washington leads the season series against Philly 2-1 overall and 1-0 with Embiid playing for the Sixers.

The 76ers have won four games in a row, but three of those victories were by four or fewer points, including the abovementioned one-point thriller over Portland.

We’re not betting on Washington's moneyline, as Philly should be able to take care of business, but we can get a ton of value from the 8-point spread. Washington will surely stay competitive enough to cover.

NBA best bets made 03/12/2023 at 9:35 a.m. ET.

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