NBA Expert Picks and Best Bets | April 11

With just a few days left in the NBA regular season, there is no more messing around. Teams chasing a playoff spot or a specific seed need to win. There is also no time to waste for fans who should be checking out sportsbook promos so they can get signed up and start betting before the playoffs. Of course, the USA Legal Betting team isn’t going to waste any time either. That’s why we’re happy to share with you our three favorite picks for the NBA’s Thursday schedule.

Celtics ML | -110 at FanDuel

Unfortunately for folks using New York sports betting to back the Knicks, they’re facing a tough task on Thursday. While it reflects well on them that this is a small spread, they’re also facing a Boston team that’s lost just three games at home all season. Despite road wins over the Bucks and Bulls in the past week, knocking off the Celtics in Boston is a far greater challenge that the undermanned Knicks aren’t up to right now.

Meanwhile, the Celtics will be eager to wipe away the memory of their loss to the Bucks on Tuesday. Not only is Boston great at home but the Celtics are also 13-3 straight-up when coming off a loss. They are also 14-3 over the last month despite locking up the top seed in the Eastern Conference a long time ago. Given all of that, a home loss is unlikely, so we’ll lean toward Boston, especially with a virtually non-existent spread.

Over 226.5 | -105 at BetMGM

This game is meaningless in the standings with both the Rockets and Jazz eliminated from playoff contention. It’s also hard to pick a winner with Utah losing 13 in a row and Houston snapping a five-game losing streak with a surprise win over Orlando on Tuesday. However, it’s a good spot to favor the over because both teams can play loose and aggressive while not worrying too much about playing defense.

On the season, both the Rockets and Jazz have hit the over more times than not. But recent trends also point us toward the over. The Rockets have hit the over in six straight games and 12 of their last 14 games. The Jazz hasn’t been quite that prolific, although five of Utah’s last seven games have gone over the point total. Based on those trends and the fact that neither team has nothing at stake, we’ll lean toward this being a high-scoring game.

Pelicans ML | -107 at BetRivers

The BetRivers odds for this game as so close you might as well take the moneyline. Fans in Louisiana using Louisiana sportsbooks for a Pelicans away game will be all too happy to get behind this bet. The Pelicans have everything to play for as they try to avoid the play-in tournament and clinch the no. 6 seed. They also have a chance to catch Dallas and win their division with some outside help. After back-to-back road wins over the Suns and Trail Blazers to snap a four-game losing streak, New Orleans will have some confidence heading into another road game in Sacramento.

As for the Kings, they are perhaps lacking confidence after losing three of their last four games. They need a swift turnaround to avoid the play-in tournament and could be starting to mentally prepare for those must-win games. The Kings have also been a little underwhelming at home this season. On the other hand, the Pelicans are 11-7 straight-up as a road underdog. They’re the only team in the NBA with a winning record as a road underdog, so we’ll take our chances with the New Orleans moneyline on Thursday.