NBA Expert Picks and Best Bets | March 13

The midway point of the week brings us a big night in the NBA. With so many games on the schedule, now is a good time to explore what betting apps have the best features and promos happening right now. Meanwhile, the USA Legal Betting team is here with our three favorite NBA picks on Wednesday’s schedule.

Nets +7 | -110 at FanDuel

After getting hot with eight wins in nine games, the Magic has cooled off with back-to-back losses. Last Friday, Orlando scored just 74 points in a loss to the Knicks. They also failed to reach 100 points against a defensively-challenged Indiana team. Even with a couple of full days to rest and an excellent record against the spread this season, it’s tough to get behind Orlando at the moment. Even if they were playing better at the moment, the spread in this game is a little too big for us to feel comfortable.

Meanwhile, the Nets are coming off an impressive road win over the Cavaliers as 6.5-point underdogs on Sunday. They’ve now won their last two games when they’ve been the underdogs despite some disappointing results when favored in recent days. More importantly, unlike the Magic, the Nets have been playing well offensively lately, scoring at least 99 points in seven straight games. If that trend continues, it should be enough to keep Brooklyn within seven points of Orlando.

Nuggets -3.5 | -105 at BetMGM

It’s always tempting to take the Heat as a home underdog. After last year's run to the NBA Finals, Miami seems to have the spirit of a plucky underdog. Alas, they are just 1-6 against the spread as a home underdog this season. They are also nursing a three-game losing streak and are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games. Tyler Herro and Kevin Love are both sidelined while Jimmy Butler is banged up as well. That makes it hard to believe Miami can stay competitive with the Nuggets on Wednesday.

While Denver is a mere 9-13-1 against the spread as road favorites, the spread is too small to ignore. After all, the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray leading the way against a banged-up Miami roster. They are also 9-1 in their last 10 games and 7-3 against the spread during that stretch. Given the tight race at the top of the Western Conference, the Nuggets know they can’t take any games off, and as long as they bring their best effort, they should steamroll the Heat.

Pelicans -6.5 | -113 at BetRivers

If Cleveland were fully healthy, this would be a different story. But the Cavs are hurting right now with three starters injured, including Donovan Mitchell. Things have been going downhill for a while, as the Cavs are just 4-8 against the spread since the all-star break. They’ve managed to hang tough with some teams, but they are also 1-4 against the spread since the all-star break, with that one win coming against the Pistons. Given their injuries, the Cavs are a little out of their depth in New Orleans.

Keep in mind the Pelicans just won three in a row on the road and have won five of their last six games. They are starting to look like a team that could do some damage in the playoffs. The trio of CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson are all healthy, which has made New Orleans tough to beat this season. They should be able to handle an ailing Cleveland team at home and win this game comfortably.