NBA Best Bets: Tuesday, March 15th

We’ve got four NBA games to get stuck into on Tuesday night, including the ever-intriguing Brooklyn Nets and Devin Booker’s Phoenix Suns. Here are our two best bets from what is a relatively quiet night in the Association

NBA Best Bets Tuesday, March 15th

• Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets: Magic +9 at 2.01 (Marathonbet)
• New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns: Suns -6.5 at 1.95 (Unibet)

Odds as at 2 pm March 15th 2022. Odds may now differ.

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Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets Best Bet

Tue, Mar 15. 23:00 (UK)

Orlando has been quietly competitive since the All-Star break, going 5-4 with a -0.1 net rating. They are somewhere between 8.5 and 10-point underdogs for this one, however, with the Brooklyn Nets looking to extend their three-game winning streak.

Kevin Durant was forced to do it all in the win over New York. While Ben Simmons is yet to return and Seth Curry is questionable for this one, Durant’s offensive workload will be eased by Kyrie Irving’s availability. Brooklyn has the fifth-best offence over the last five games with Durant and Irving both enjoying monster nights in that span.

Orlando, though, are not the easiest matchup. They have the size to be a nuisance on the boards in Wendell Carter and Mo Bamba. Their defence has been elite since the break too, ranking number one in defensive rating. Philadelphia was held to just 38% from the field by Orlando on Sunday, and both D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns struggled in the game prior.

The Nets offence can be unstoppable with Durant and Irving. At the same time, Steve Nash is always walking a tightrope between scoring and defence. If Curry is unavailable again, Patty Mills’ shooting becomes invaluable, but the former Spur has been slumping of late, shooting under 33% from the field over the last nine. Orlando has the athleticism and versatility on defence to force the ball away from Irving and Durant.

With Orlando playing hard, there’s value on them to keep this close. Their offence can struggle at times, but there should be some easy buckets available against this porous Nets defence.

• Selection: Magic +9
• Best Odds: 2.01 (Marathonbet)
• Stakes: 6/10

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New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns Best Bet

Wed, Mar 16. 00:00 (UK)

It’s been up and down for the Pelicans since the All-Star break. They won four by a comfortable margin only to lose four in a row after. They then blew the Rockets out on Sunday. New Orleans sits second in NET rating since the midseason respite, with their 8.5 mark just ahead of the Suns at 7.3.

The Phoenix juggernaut has kept rolling despite Chris Paul’s absence. Devin Booker has stepped up as a playmaker and lit up the Lakers for 30 points and 10 assists at the weekend. They are getting production from across the roster, with Mikal Bridges and Cameron Payne notably taking on bigger offensive roles.

Phoenix has won five of its last seven. Three of those wins have been by 21 or more points. Most books favour Phoenix by six here, and it’s worth noting that they own a 19-12 record against the spread on the road.

That spread is on the small side given the uncertainty facing the Pelicans. Not only is Brandon Ingram out with a hamstring issue, but CJ McCollum is listed as questionable due to health and safety protocols. Jonas Valanciunas and Jaxson Hayes dominated the Rockets last time out, but this Phoenix defence is a much sterner task.

With no McCollum or Ingram, a lot is asked of Devonte’ Graham as a perimeter creator. Graham is 163rd in offensive win shares this season. He’s only scored more than 12 points in a game once since February 10th.

Phoenix has covered in 61% of their games as a road favourite. They lost to the Pelicans back on February 25th, but with no Ingram and probably no McCollum, we’ve got to back the Suns here.

• Selection: Suns -6
• Best Odds: 1.95 (Unibet)
• Stakes: 9/10

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