The Milwaukee Bucks took a beating over the weekend on their West Coast swing, as they lost a battle of physical will in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Friday and then turned around and got beaten in Phoenix by the Suns, giving up 47 points in the first quarter before waking up. They still have a 7 ½-game lead in the East standings, but the Lakers made a major statement about which of the two conference leaders is tougher right now. Other teams making a move in the West include the Utah Jazz, winners of five in a row, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, winners of three in a row and eight of ten. They have both moved past the Houston Rockets, losers of four in a row, including an embarrassing home loss to Orlando on Sunday night. With under 20 games left in the regular season, teams will be jockeying furiously for postseason positioning. Check out our two best NBA betting picks for the coming week.
Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week 21
Monday, March 9
Milwaukee at Denver (9:00 pm ET, NBA TV)
The Bucks have now dropped three of four in their worst stretch so far this season. They lost in Miami by 16 before coming home to beat Indiana by 19. Then they lost to the Lakers by 10 and then to Phoenix by nine, a game in which they scored 131 points but could not dig out of an 18-point hole at the end of the first period, or really play much defense without Giannis on the floor. Giannis sprained his knee in the loss to the Lakers and missed the Phoenix game. He will also sit out against the Nuggets on Monday night. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 39 points in the loss, as the Bucks won the second, third and fourth quarters but still ended up on the wrong end at the close of regulation.
The Denver Nuggets have dropped three of five, and their last two losses have come against two of the league’s worst teams — Golden State and Cleveland. They lost to the Cavaliers on Saturday for the second time in the 2019-20 campaign. Will Barton led Denver with 22 points, Gary Harris added 18 and Jamal Murray scored 17, including a three-pointer from 36 feet away to end the first quarter, but Cleveland just kept pushing. Denver is definitely running on fumes right now, but a return home against a Bucks team without Giannis should be what the Nuggets need.
Final Score Prediction: Denver 118, Milwaukee 111
Tuesday, March 10
Boston at Indiana (7:00 pm ET)
Boston has lost four of their last five, with all four of those losses coming at home. They have seen the Rockets, Nets, Jazz and Thunder come into the TD Garden and take wins, although they also have a win in Cleveland sprinkled in their last five. Their most recent setback came on Sunday, as Oklahoma City won a 105-104 squeaker thanks to a layup from Dennis Schroder. The Celtics had a final look at the basket, but Jayson Tatum had a fadeaway come up short. Gordon Hayward led Boston with 24 points. Tatum added 19, as did Marcus Smart, who also pulled down ten rebounds. Boston still has Jaylen Brown out (hamstring strain), so check the latest injury reports before you lock in a wager.
Next up for the Celtics is a trip to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Indiana has won six of their last seven, including a 112-109 win in Dallas over the Mavericks on Sunday. The Pacers led for the majority of the game, but Dallas was up five with 3:14 left in the fourth quarter. Indiana shut the Mavericks out the rest of the way. Victor Oladipo hit a 17-footer with 38.3 seconds left to give the Pacers the lead. Domantas Sabonis had 20 points and 17 rebounds, his 50th double-double of the 2019-20 season. That broke the team record, previously held by Troy Murphy. T.J. Warren scored 16 points but was whistled for three fouls in 12 seconds; the last foul send Luka Doncic to the free throw line for the last points Dallas would score.
Final Score Prediction: Indiana 111, Boston 107
