The Portland Trail Blazers have a lot on the line down the stretch of the regular season as they fight the Rockets and Thunder for playoff positioning in the middle of the Western Conference. The team that excels the most the rest of the way will grab the No. 3 seed, which will be a nice place in order to avoid the Warriors until the West Finals.
Portland has a huge game next time out when it travels to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans. That is one game to watch among the contests on Friday but there are multiple more to keep an eye on. Here is a look at the most intriguing bets to be made in the day’s action in NBA odds.
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Odds Analysis
The Blazers have a much better record than the Pelicans on the season, but Portland has been under .500 on the road this season while New Orleans has been above .500 at home. The location should make this a competitive matchup, and the spread should be small. The Trail Blazers have turned it up of late with seven wins in their past 10 games, and look for the backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum to take this game over. Portland is the pick to cover the spread against the Pelicans.
The Philadelphia 76ers are in a similar spot in the East as they aim to hold off the Celtics and Pacers for the No. 3 seed. Philly will host the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Both teams can really score the ball, and this one should be an entertaining back-and-forth shootout. Instead of focusing on the spread, go with the “over” on the scoring total.
The San Antonio Spurs are trying to avoid the No. 8 seed in the West so they don’t have to play the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. San Antonio hosts the New York Knicks next time out and will be substantial favorites. The Spurs have been awesome at home, but that is going to lull bettors into a false sense of confidence. The Knicks should be able to hang close enough to cover the spread.
The Houston Rockets are another team that is going to be a big favorite at home against the Phoenix Suns. It’s risky taking a huge favorite because it’s unknown what will happen in garbage time. The better choice is the “under” on the scoring total, as the points could slow considerably in the fourth quarter if the game is already decided.
Free NBA ATS Picks
While those wagers are ones to consider, there is another that stands out above the pack. The Los Angeles Lakers have been left for dead now that they have basically been eliminated from playoff contention. Complicating matters, the team is not going to have guard Lonzo Ball or forward Brandon Ingram the rest of the year.
So the Lakers will be on the road on Friday and will be an underdog against the Detroit Pistons. However, Detroit is not a very good team, either. The odds are going to be right to take Los Angeles to spring the upset. Take the Lakers on the moneyline because they have a better chance than believed to win this game. That is Friday’s best bet in NBA odds.
NBA ATS Pick: Los Angeles Lakers to upset Detroit Pistons on the moneyline
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