NBA Expert Picks and Best Bets | March 5

Monday’s NBA schedule was just a prologue for the week to come. Tuesday is when things really start to heat up. It’s a great time to check out some sportsbook promos and look for an odds boost or a bonus when you place a bet. If you need any more help, our USA Legal Betting** team has highlighted three picks on Tuesday’s NBA schedule that we love.

Over 209 | -110 at FanDuel

Even for a game between two bad teams that have hit the under far more often than the over this season, the over/under from FanDuel is still too low. Full disclosure, the Hornets have stayed under the point total in eight of their last nine games. But the over/under for most of those games was 220 points or higher. Charlottes’s one over during that stretch came with the over/under set at 213.5 points, which is a positive trend. Plus, the Hornets have scored at least 99 points in three straight games, which also points to this over/under being too low.

On the other side, Orlando’s last five games have all stayed under the point total. But keep in mind that Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero give the Magic two players who average at least 20 points per game, so they don’t have too many poor offensive performances. In fact, the Magic has scored over 100 points in nine of their last 10 games. As long as that streak continues, the Hornets should contribute enough to push this game beyond the over/under.

Rockets -7.5 | -110 at BetMGM

It’s not easy to back the Rockets to cover a spread given Houston’s disappointing record. But the Rockets are actually 9-5-1 against the spread this season when favored at home. That’s a trend worth following, especially when Houston is playing one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Rockets are also coming home on Tuesday night with some momentum after a surprising road win over the Suns on Saturday. That should fuel another strong performance against the hapless Spurs.

To their credit, the Spurs have won back-to-back games and are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games. However, those two wins came at home. The Spurs also went 1-8 on a recent road trip with the all-star break sandwiched in between. At 6-27, the Spurs have the second-worst road record in the NBA. They aren’t likely to win this game, and the spread isn’t quite big enough to trust San Antonio to beat the spread.

Nuggets -9 | -112 at BetRivers

The Suns are spiraling at the moment. They’ve lost four of their last six, going 1-5 against the spread during that stretch. That includes back-to-back losses to the Rockets and Thunder over the weekend. They now have to play in Denver on Tuesday night before returning home for the weekend. It’ll be tough to be motivated for that kind of game. Plus, with Devin Booker out, there is too much on Kevin Durant’s shoulders right now.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets are loaded with momentum, winning six in a row and going 5-1 against the spread in those games. The tight race in the Northwest Division means that Denver should be motivated for every game. That should certainly be the case against Phoenix, another team that should be in the playoffs. While this could be a little bit of a trap game before the Nuggets host the Celtics on Thursday, the Nuggets have been too good lately to bet against them.