The 2023-24 NBA regular season is coming to an end and we’re continuing to tackle it hard at VSiN. As always, Jonathan Von Tobel continues to provide you with his exceptional coverage of the greatest league in the world. Just click here for all of his content. However, all of my picks will be featured in this daily column, which will combine my NBA best bets and NBA player props. So, keep reading to find out how I’m playing the NBA slate on Saturday, March 30th. Also, check out our NBA Odds page for the latest line movement.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on March 30
2023 Record: 289-303-2 (-10.46 units)
NBA Best Bets Today – March 30
Boston Celtics at New Orleans Pelicans – 5:00 pm ET
Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks – 7:40 pm ET
I rarely tease games in the NBA, but I have been betting at least one side and one player prop all year and you can consider this my side. I just didn’t love the numbers for today’s games, so I had to get creative. That said, I’m doing a five-point teaser and taking Boston and Atlanta today.
The Celtics have a clean injury report and are coming off two consecutive losses to the Hawks. This Boston team is going to come out angry tonight, and the matchup is pretty good for the group. New Orleans is still without Brandon Ingram, leaving a lot of responsibility on CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson as on-ball creators. Well, the Celtics have Jrue Holiday and Derrick White to split the McCollum assignment. And Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum should be able to do as well on Zion as anybody. Also, Boston’s opponents are shooting only 35.0% from 3 this season, which is the third-lowest mark in the NBA this year. So, I can’t see the Pelicans getting things going from deep. But the Celtics should find the mark eventually.
As for Atlanta, it seems like Jalen Johnson will be back tonight. That should give this Hawks team a nice little boost, as he’s easily the third-best player they have. And Atlanta has won-and-covered in four consecutive games anyway, so the team is starting to find a little something. The reality is that Dejounte Murray is scorching hot for the Hawks, and the role players are doing just enough to support him. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another similar performance today. And Milwaukee won’t have the firepower in the backcourt to keep up, as Damian Lillard is out for this game.
Of course, that could just mean that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton will dominate. But the Bucks haven’t been impressive under Doc Rivers, and losing a shooter like Lillard doesn’t make things any easier. And the Bucks are just 17-20 straight-up and 14-22-1 against the spread on the road this year. That’s not great considering this is a tough place to play.
TEASER: Celtics -1 & Hawks +9 (-130 – 2 units)
NBA Player Props Today – March 30
Memphis Grizzlies at Orlando Magic – 7:00 pm ET
GG Jackson is averaging 17.8 points per game since the start of March, and he has had four games with at least 20 points. With that in mind, I’m going to Jackson to have at least 16 with tonight’s NBA player props. I’m also sprinkling a little something on him to score 20 or more. Memphis is going to be without Desmond Bane tonight, which means the Grizzlies are losing a significant on-ball presence — and a player serving as the team’s go-to scorer because of injuries. That should mean more opportunities to go around for everybody.
Of course, Luke Kennard is returning and will likely eat up some of Bane’s shots. But Kennard is primarily an off-ball player. So, his usage rate likely won’t skyrocket and take the ball out of Jackson’s hands. If anything, Jackson might be the best shot creator that Memphis has at the moment. So, he’ll be leaned on to score against Orlando. And while the Magic are an elite team defensively, they’re arguably weakest when it comes to defending opposing small forwards.
Bet: GG Jackson Over 15.5 Points (-115 – 1.5 units) & Jackson Alt Points 20+ (+205 – 0.5 units)
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