The NBA regular season resumes with a relatively light slate this Thursday, with a total of only 5 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 5 of tonight's contests. Continue below for our NBA best bets and predictions for Thursday, March 13.
NBA Best Bets, Predictions, Picks, Odds: Thursday, March 13
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
| 8 p.m. | |
  | 10 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. | ||
Nets vs. Bulls
By Joe Dellera
The Bulls face off against the Nets and will be without Ayo Dosunmu, and likely without Lonzo Ball and Josh Giddey, both of whom are officially listed as Doubtful. I expect Coby White to see the greatest uptick here despite the return of Nikola Vucevic.
White has recorded 32 Points + Assists (PA) in both games without the trio of Dosunmu, Ball, and Giddey. One was in a soft matchup against the Hawks and the other in a tough matchup against the Cavaliers. He should get all of the run he can handle.
This spot against the Nets is interesting because of Brooklyn’s potential motivations. The Nets technically are not eliminated from the Play-In tournament picture, and a win over the 10th place Bulls would be critical. However, a loss here pushes them further into the lottery.
If they do not put forward their best rotations and effort, this becomes an even softer matchup, considering they have the 23rd ranked Defense, per Dunks and Threes.
White should lead the charge for the Bulls tonight in a game they need to win in order to potentially escape the 9/10 part of the bracket.
Pick: Coby White Over 27.5 Points + Assists (-110)
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Lakers vs. Bucks
The last time LeBron James was out, Austin Reaves recorded 18 Rebounds + Assists.
In four games without LeBron, Reaves has tallied 12, 22, 14 and 18, in that order.
Why is this line only at 10.5? Because recently, Reaves has only gone over this line in three of his last nine, but again, without James is key here.
Even so, lately has been a rough stretch regarding this over, but he cleared it in six straight from late January through early February. This is a run that should flip without 23.
Pick: Austin Reaves Over 10.5 Rebounds + Assists (-140)
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Wizards vs. Pistons
The Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons will clash for an Eastern Conference matchup on Thursday Night. The Wizards begin the contest with a record of 13-51. That record is the worst in the NBA. Washington will be playing for the lottery at this point in the season. Former Michigan standout Jordan Poole leads the team with 21.1 points per game and 4.7 assists.
Detroit comes into the matchup with a record of 37-29. JB Bickerstaff's team has been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season. Bickerstaff has led the Pistons to the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons lead the Atlanta Hawks by five games for the final playoff spot in the East. Cade Cunningham leads the team with 25.7 points per game and 9.3 assists.
We will team up with our Action Pro Report for this prop. Our Pro Report projects Cunningham to score 29.4 points tonight. Cunningham has averaged 27.8 points per game in March and now faces the worst defense in the NBA. Washington has allowed opponents 120.6 points per game this season.
Pick: Cade Cunningham Over 26.5 Points (-114)
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Magic vs. Pelicans
By Kyle Murray
It has been a brutal stretch of late for Franz Wagner, which has led to a decrease in this line, as it was consistently around 29.5 in recent weeks.
He now gets a great matchup for a bounce-back, as the Pelicans have the 28th-ranked defense and have allowed the 5th-most points and 3rd-most assists per game.
I have Wagner projected for 27.4 points alone, while also adding 4.9 assists.
Pick: Franz Wagner Over 28.5 Points + Assists (-115)
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Lakers vs. Bucks
These two teams are both coming off bad losses. The Bucks obviously lost on a devastating Tyrese Haliburton 4-point play, but they put themselves in a great position to win that game, and lost on an anomaly.
