The NBA regular season resumes with a relatively light slate this Monday, with less than half the league in action via 7 matchups on the docket scheduled for today. However, our staff of basketball betting experts still dug into the latest odds and identified all the best value on the board.
Our betting experts have looked over the odds and made NBA picks for all 7 of tonight's contests. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Monday, March 3.
NBA Best Bets, Predictions, Picks, Odds: Monday, March 3
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Warriors vs. Hornets
By Joe Dellera
The Hornets face off against the Warriors on Monday night and a player to target is Mark Williams.
Williams has seen a minutes uptick as he was eased back into play following the rescinded trade with the Lakers. He has now played 30+ minutes in consecutive games.
When Mark plays at least 20 minutes, he averages 31.1 PRA. He just missed this line a week ago when he played 25 minutes for a 12/12/0 stat line.
He did not get to the free throw line at all, and much of this has to do with playing a game without LaMelo Ball. That’s his pick-and-roll partner, which helps with those easy put-ins and assists to help out this combo prop.
The Warriors have been strong defensively since the Butler trade. However, the Hornets have continued to play through their rotations even during blowouts. I’ll back Williams to have a strong game tonight.
Pick: Mark Williams Over 28.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-120)
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Trail Blazers vs. 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday Night. Portland comes into this matchup with a record of 27-34. Chauncey Billups' squad has posted the 12th-best record in the West. Portland trials the final play-in spot by five games. Anfernee Simmons leads the team with 18.7 points per game.
The Sixers begin this contest with a 21-38 record. No team in the NBA has been more disappointing than the 76ers this season. The Sixers snapped their nine-game losing streak on Saturday Night against the Warriors. Tyrese Maxey leads the 76ers with 26.7 points per game and 6.1 assists.
The Sixers will feed off their strong win on Saturday Night. Portland is in a challenging position tonight, playing their fifth straight road game and on a back-to-back. The Blazers are 3-1 on this road trip, but they have been brutal on the road SU this season, with a road record of 11-20, the third-worst in the West. Our Action Pro Report sets this line at 2.7 in favor of Philly.
Pick: 76ers Moneyline (-150)
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Wizards vs. Heat
The opportunities for rebounds and assists haven't been there for Marcus Smart since joining the Wizards. Smart has averaged 1.7 rebounds on 3.3 rebound chances and 2 assists on 4.7 potential assists in 4 games with his new team. He'd have to convert on 75% of those opportunities to go over this number.
Jordan Poole is out again, but that didn't help Smart last game. He posted 2 rebounds on 4 rebound chances and 1 assist on 4 potential assists. More importantly, he played just 20 minutes.
It seems like the books keep expecting Smart's playing time to grow as he acclimates to his new setting, but Washington has no incentive to run him out there for more than 20-ish minutes. Smart has averaged 20.3 MPG as a member of the Wizards, maxing out at 22 minutes. He's a veteran presence on a team prioritizing playing time for younger guards.
Miami is a middling matchup. They're 14th in rebounds allowed and 13th in assists allowed over the past 10 games. The bigger issue is pace, as Miami has been the slowest team in the league in that stretch. It's a less-than-ideal setup for a player likely capped at around 20 minutes.
Pick: Marcus Smart Under 5.5 Rebounds & Assists (-115)
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Thunder vs. Rockets
There has been clear sharp action on the over in this game. It is the second night of a back to back for OKC, but they are young and did not have any injury concerns in their win against the Spurs. I assume all the main guys will go.
On the other end, Houston will look to push the pace and have recently returned Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith, two big rotation pieces to restore the depth of the Rockets.
If we look toward patterns in betting markets, these two teams are being consistently bet towards the over. I call that a pattern not a trend, and is very useful to be aware of.
Pick: Over 228.5 (-115)
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Hawks vs. Grizzlies
We have an implied game total of 253 points. So, why Desmond Bane's over specifically?
Well, the Atlanta Hawks defense, for starters, is among the worst in the NBA, especially against opposing guards. Bane has gone over the line in four of his last six overall, and in three straight against Atlanta specifically, including a 23-piece in 27 minutes back in December.
Bane has also been getting this regardless of Ja Morant's availability and had two narrow misses of 20 each before his four-of-six stretch.
And did I mention the Hawks?
Pick: Desmond Bane Over 20.5 Points (-115)
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