The NBA regular season resumes with another excellent slate this Saturday, with a total of 8 matchups on the docket scheduled for today. So, our staff of basketball betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified all the best value on the board.
Our betting experts have looked over the odds and made 6 NBA picks for of tonight's contests. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Saturday, March 8.
NBA Best Bets, Predictions, Picks, Odds: Saturday, March 8
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 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. | ||
Magic vs. Bucks
By Joe Dellera
The Bucks face off against the Magic in an important game for standings in the Eastern Conference tonight.
The Bucks now have a path to passing the Knicks for the 3-seed following Jalen Brunson's latest injury, and Orlando is trying to get out of the 9/10 play-in spot. One player to target in this matchup is Damian Lillard.
The Magic have taken a significant hit to their defense without Jalen Suggs. He was elite and in the 97th percentile of all players in Defensive EPM. Without Suggs, they have struggled to defend the perimeter, particularly at the point of attack.
Dame should cook in this matchup. He’s cleared this line in all three games against Orlando, recording 37, 36, and 34 Points + Assists (PA) in those three outings.
Considering the Magic are getting fried by perimeter players lately, Dame should slot right in here as Giannis has a bit of a tougher assignment. I’ll back Dame this Saturday.
Pick: Damian Lillard Over 29.5 Points + Assists (-110)
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Bulls vs. Heat
No Patrick Williams. No Nikola Vucevic. No Lonzo Ball. No Ayo Dosunmu. The Bulls are banged up at the moment.
The frontcourt is particularly depleted, as Chicago will be forced to deploy a rotation featuring Zach Collins, Jalen Smith, Julian Phillips, and Matas Buzelis. Surprisingly, those guys fared well on the glass against Orlando, one of the tallest starting frontcourts in the league, but Josh Giddey was a huge reason for that success.
Giddey pulled down 13 rebounds in that game. He was relentless on the boards. And with the above Bulls players more focused on simply boxing out their man, Giddey was able to swoop in uncontested to clean the glass.
Miami has also had to play small recently, as Bam started at center last night and logged more than 40 minutes.
Like Chicago, the Heat are also banged up and will be tired from extended minutes last night, opening the door for a double-digit night on the glass for Giddey.
Pick: Josh Giddey Over 8.5 Rebounds (-120)
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Pelicans vs. Rockets
By Picks Office
The Rockets' defense at home is a game-changer, allowing just 106.1 PPG and ranks top 5 in Opponent FG% (44.5). Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ offense tends to crumble on the road, scoring just 107.8 PPG with 33.4% from deep.
The Rockets dominated the last matchup between these teams, holding New Orleans to 37.3% shooting and forcing 17 assists, with minimal ball movement.
The Pelicans’ defense is a liability, surrendering an average of 118.8 PPG (29th) and allowing their opponents to shoot 48.3% from the field (26th). Houston’s offense isn’t elite, but gets a boost at home – 112.6 PPG, rebounds well (48.1 RPG).
Alperen Sengun feasted last game (22 pts, 78.6% FG), and Jalen Green leads the team in scoring. The Pelicans struggle to contain inside threats. The Rockets have the momentum right now, they are 20-10 at home, and they should be locked in defensively vs. New Orleans tonight.
The Pelicans are a weak road team (6-26) and failed to adjust offensively in the last game. So, the Rockets should control tempo again, defend well, and exploit a weak Pelicans defense in this spot.
Pick: Rockets -8 (-110)
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Lakers vs. Celtics
Though we (and everyone in Dallas) still remain perplexed at why the Mavericks would ever want to send away Luka Doncic, the fact is that he's with the Lakers now and they are winning, in fact eight in a row, and they'll head to TD Garden to face an old enemy tonight.
Interestingly, it was Anthony Davis who was the star of LA's earlier 117-96 cruise past the Celtics at Crypto.com back on January 23, before the trade and the recent Lakers uptick.
The Lake Show has been mostly at home (the last six) during this win surge, but they did win at Portland and Denver to begin this latest uptick two weeks ago.
There is another angle here, however, as LA is also 8-1 to the Under since Doncic arrived, with the only Over thanks to a Pelicans side that hardly played defense last Tuesday in LA. Play Lakers-Celtics Under.
Pick: Under 227 (-110)
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Wizards vs. Raptors
