The NBA regular season continues with an excellent 8-game slate this Sunday — with a total of four nationally televised matchups headlining the action on ABC and ESPN throughout the day as we lock in for a weekend showcase featuring 76ers vs Mavericks, Warriors vs Celtics, Knicks vs Cavaliers, and Thunder vs Suns, and more!
Our experts have made six picks spanning five of today's matchups. Let's dive into our NBA best bets for Sunday, March 3.
NBA Best Bets Today | Sunday, March 3
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  | 3:30 p.m. | |
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Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
76ers vs. Mavericks
By Joe Dellera
The Philadelphia 76ers are barely treading water without Joel Embiid in a crowded Eastern Conference. One player they have continued to lean on since his acquisition is Buddy Hield.
Hield has averaged 5.7 assists per game since joining the 76ers in 9 games. This has increased in the games without De’Anthony Melton (Out – Back). In those six games he has recorded 6+ assists in all of them while averaging 7 per game. He’s needed as a secondary facilitator alongside of Tyrese Maxey.
This matchup against Dallas is a strong one as well. Dallas allows the eight-most assists per game to their opponents and they play at the eighth-fastest Pace in the league as well. There should be plenty of opportunities for assists against their 24th ranked Adjusted-Defensive Rating.
I like Hield to exceed 3.5 assists and 6+ (+300 FD) is worth a play as well.
Pick: Buddy Hield Over 3.5 Assists (-140)
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76ers vs. Mavericks
By Alex Hinton
The Philadelphia 76ers picked up a win on Friday as they defeated the Charlotte Hornets. However, they allowed the Hornets to shot 51% from the field and score 114 points when they had not cracked 100 in their previous four games. Over their last 15 games, the Sixers are 29th in defensive rating.
The Sixers are also 5-13 since Joel Embiid went down. They are being outscored by over nine points per 100 possessions since. Today, they are eight point underdogs to the Mavericks. While I expect Dallas to cover and win handily, it is returning home from a four-game road trip. If the Mavericks get off to a sluggish start in the first quarter post-trip, it may need rally to win and end not covering the large spread.
If the Mavericks do win decisively, it will likely be on the back of Luka Doncic. The 25-year old is the league's leading scorer at 34.5 points per game. However, he has upped that average to 36.7 points over his last 15 games. He has scored 30 points in 11 of those games. In that span, the Mavericks rank eighth in offensive rating while ranking seventh for the season.
Doncic has gotten help in the form of Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 27.1 points per game over his last 15 games. The two form one of the most potent offensive duos in the league. I am expecting them to carve up the Sixers' defense en route to completing the season sweep.
Pick: Mavericks ML + Luka Doncic 30+ Points (-110)
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Clippers vs. Timberwolves
By Joe Dellera
Rudy loves playing against Zubac. This is a matchup he has thrived in and he has been able to bully Zubac on the glass.
When Gobert has lined up against Zubac, he has pulled down some monster rebounding games including a 21 board game last January.
When these teams played back in February, Gobert only grabbed 11 rebounds; however, he had an insane 25 rebound chances which is above his season average of 22.3. There’s reason to believe Gobert should have pulled down more rebounds in that game.
On the season, Gobert is averaging 12.7 rebounds per game but 13 at home. He’s exceeded his 12.5 rebounds line in 54% of games including 6 of his last 10 alongside KAT.
This is a strong matchup for Gobert, and I expect him to exceed 12.5 rebounds today.
Pick: Rudy Gobert Over 12.5 Rebounds (-115)
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Hornets vs. Raptors
By Joe Dellera
The Raptors take on the Hornets and they will be without Scottie Barnes. Considering he leads the team in Usage, this is going to open up a ton of opportunities for his teammates.
One player that gets a strong matchup and has thrived in an expanded role is Immanuel Quickley. When IQ was with the Knicks, he would get promoted to the starting lineup if Jalen Brunson was unable to go. In those spots over the last two seasons, he averaged 25.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds in 14 games. He can take on an increased role as a scorer, rebounder, and facilitator.
I’m targeting his RA line at 11.5. I expect a greater role and for him to clear this line for the 3rd time in as many games.
Pick: Immanuel Quickley Over 11.5 REB + AST (-125)
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Knicks vs. Cavaliers
By Kenny Ducey
The Knicks have now gone back-to-back games under 31% shooting from outside, but they'd seen a pretty solid improvement in their shooting numbers prior to running into two good defenses in the Pelicans and Warriors. The Cavaliers are certainly a great defense, but there could be a slight glimmer of hope in their waning performance in defending the perimeter over the last few weeks.
New York is an undervalued team at the moment with a lot of absences around Randle and Anunoby affecting its performance last month, and with the team back to full health aside from those two and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks should be a team worth buying back into as we approach the spring.
The Cavaliers have some very real injury concerns with Mitchell and LeVert, and against a Knicks team that is 15-13-1 against the spread on the road, I think this is a few too many points to spot the underdogs.
Pick: Knicks +6.5 (-110)
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Pacers vs. Rockets
The San Antonio Spurs are coming off one of their best wins of the season last game beating the OKC Thunder 132-118 in their first home game since February 3. The Spurs will now host the Indiana Pacers tonight in the best game environment on the slate with a 243.5-point total. Expect an up-tempo game with plenty of points on both sides.
Once the starting point guard for the Spurs, Jeremy Sochan, has rotated duties to more of a scoring and rebounding forward. Sochan has recorded a points and rebounds double-double in two of his last four games, including in the victory over the Thunder. Even playing alongside Victor Wembanyama, Sochan is able to accumulate rebounds. Our model has Sochan projected to haul down 7.3 rebounds, making his rebound prop one of the best on the board.
Ranking second in the league in pace and leading the league in points per game, the Pacers will force the Spurs to play an up-tempo game. The Pacers are attempting 92.6 field goals per game, which will provide ample opportunities for Sochan to capture rebounds. Sochan has recorded six or more rebounds in four of his last seven games.
Taking a sprinkle for Sochan to record a double-double is intriguing at +800. The Pacers rank 24th in rebounding percentage this season at 49.1%. Sochan has shown the ability to get double-doubles and this is a fantastic chance to have another great game. I would take his rebound prop up to over 6.5 rebounds tonight given the elite matchup.
Pick: Jeremy Sochan Over 5.5 Rebounds (-135)
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