NBA Expert Picks and Best Bets | April 9

The entire NBA had Monday off, giving every team a day to rest before the final week of the regular season. With six days left in the regular season, only five teams have clinched a playoff spot. That means this week’s games mean a lot, including the 15 games scheduled on Tuesday. For fans, it’s an exciting time of year, not to mention a good opportunity to check out various betting apps for promo and bonus opportunities. To help you get started during this critical week, the USA Legal Betting team has picked out our three favorite NBA picks for Tuesday.

76ers -15 | -110 at FanDuel

The 76ers have won five in a row and they are not taking their foot off the gas. That means hometown fans using Pennsylvania sportsbooks can trust the Sixers to cover such a big spread. Joel Embiid has played in three games since returning from injury and Philly has won all three of them. In fact, even before he came back, the 76ers were hot. They are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 games, beating the spread in seven straight games. They also have a chance to avoid the play-in tournament, which is why you can trust the 76ers not to let up.

On the other side, the Pistons have just one win in their last 13 games. Even a 5-8 record against the spread during that stretch isn’t going to convince us otherwise. Admittedly, Detroit has been good at beating the spread as a double-digit underdog over the last few weeks. But with Cade Cunningham sidelined, the Pistons don't have the scoring prowess to keep pace with the 76ers, especially now that Embiid is back.

Bulls ML | +135 at BetMGM

Forget about BetMGM giving us four points with the spread, we like the Bulls to win this game straight up. These two teams met in Chicago on Friday night with the Knicks favored by 1.5 points. Even 35 points and 11 assists from Jalen Brunson weren’t enough to lift the Knicks to a win. The Knicks have lost four of their last six games, including two games in which they were favored. That doesn’t give us a lot of confidence in New York as a road favorite.

To be fair, the Bulls have been inconsistent coming down the stretch. But they are also motivated to win during the final week of the season so that they can host the first game of the play-in tournament. Also, Chicago’s 10 wins as a home underdog is the most of any NBA team this season. In fact, the Bulls are one of the few teams with a winning record as a home underdog. Given the circumstances and the recent win over the Knicks, we’ll back Chicago to get another win on Tuesday.

Lakers -2 | -113 at BetRivers

Both of these teams are probably going to end up in the play-in tournament, although they’re still jockeying for positioning. But with nine wins in their last 11 games, it’s clear the Lakers are already in playoff mode. With a 7-4 record against the spread during that stretch, it’s clear that LeBron and company mean business.

In fairness, the Warriors have also won seven of their last eight games and are coming on strong. But they’re also just 2-3 against the spread in their last five games. Also, most of Golden State's key players, including Steph Curry, are questionable to play on Monday because of injury or rest. That tells us that this game means more to the Lakers, which is why they can win and cover a modest spread.