Friday is upon us and the NBA is full of action. There are nine games scheduled across the league. An Eastern Conference showdown between the Bucks and Bulls is scheduled on ESPN followed up by the Knicks and Suns to close out the night on national television. Let’s dive into the best NBA bets today, picks and NBA betting tips for Friday, March 4.
Best NBA Bets Today: Game Tips & Betting Predictions
Rockets vs. Nuggets Best Bet
The Rockets and Nuggets meet Friday inside Ball Arena. Houston looks to snap an eleven game losing streak. Denver will look to bounce back on its home court after a surprising loss to the Thunder on Wednesday. Despite the loss to Oklahoma City, Denver has won eight of its last 10 games overall. The Houston Rockets have the worst record in the Western Conference and are in full-tank mode. These two teams have met on two occasions this season with Denver winning both matchups. The Nuggets have won six straight against Houston and will look to extend that streak to seven on Friday night.
The Rockets put a battle against the Jazz on Wednesday taking them to overtime in Utah before falling 132-127. Eric Gordon was ruled out of Wednesday’s matchup due to right groin soreness, but is probable today. Dennis Schroder (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s contest. Houston is averaging 108.5 points on 45% shooting and allowing 118 points to opponents. Christian Wood leads the team in scoring and rebounds averaging 17.7 points and 10.1 rebounds, while Jalen Green is second on the team averaging 15 points per game. Even though Houston ranks 27th in offensive rating, they love to put up shots from deep, ranking fifth in 3-point attempts and sixth in 3-pointers made per game. Unfortunately for Houston, the Nuggets allow the fifth-fewest 3-pointers per game to opponents.
Denver enters Friday second in the Northwest Division at 36-26 and 3.5 games behind the Utah Jazz. The bright spot in the loss to Oklahoma City in its last game was the production off the bench. The bench outscored the starters 58-49 and went 11-for-21 from 3-point range. Bones Hyland and Bryn Forbes combined to hit 10 of the 12 3-pointers made by Denver. The Nuggets are averaging 110.4 points on 47.4% shooting and allowing 107.8 points to opponents. Nikola Jokic is the leading scorer for Denver with an average of 25.4 points per game and is shooting an impressive 56.7% from the field.
These two teams are averaging 221 points combined over their last 10 matchups with the total exceeding 236 in one of those 10 games. Despite Houston’s lack of defense, 236.5 seems high for this matchup. Their previous contest ended at 235 points with an outlier second quarter by the Nuggets putting up 47 points. Denver has been excellent on defense as of late ranking second in defensive rating over their its five games. If Houston shoots the 3-pointer like it did against Utah in its latest game, there is a chance this game could reach the 230-point range, but Denver is better at defending the 3 than the Jazz. Expect the Nuggets to slow down the pace and control the tempo in a comfortable win against the Rockets. Ride the under and expect this game to finish in the 225-230 range.
Best Bet for Today’s Game: Total Under 236.5 Points
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Jazz vs. Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans host the Utah Jazz on Friday inside Smoothie King Center. Both teams enter tonight’s matchup on a three-game winning streaks. Utah is in its third game of a five-game road trip. These two teams are familiar with each other as they have faced off three times this season. The Jazz lead the season series 2-1.
The Jazz are winners of nine of their last 10 games. Their most recent outing against the Rockets was a poor defensive showing, but they were able to buckle down and pull out the victory in overtime. The Jazz are averaging 114.1 points on 47.5% shooting and allowing 107.4 points to opponents. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 26.1 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic is second on the team in scoring (17.7 points per game). Utah ranks first in offensive rating and effective field goal percentage on the year. Utah loves to shoot the 3-pointer, ranking second in 3-point attempts per game and first is 3-pointers made per game. Utah will look to take advantage of a Pelicans defense that ranks 20th in opponent 3-pointers made per game.
The Pelicans’ offense has transformed since acquiring C.J. McCollum in a trade from the Trail Blazers. New Orleans ranks third in offense rating since the trade, and McCollum is averaging 26.6 points per game with his new squad. New Orleans defense has stepped up as well, ranking 10th in defensive rating over this span. Brandon Ingram is learning to play alongside his new teammate and the chemistry looks to be clicking with the team rattling off three straight wins. The Pelicans enter Friday with a 26-36 record, sitting at 10th in the Western Conference — 6.5 games back from Clippers for the No. 8 spot. New Orleans is averaging 107.1 points on 45.1% shooting and allowing 109 points to opponents.
These two teams both rank top three in offensive rating over the last eight games. Utah leads the league, scoring 114.1 points per game. While neither team plays at a quick pace, they are both efficient on the offensive end of the floor making up for the fewer shot attempts. These two teams rank top eight in free-throw attempts per game, which leads to more point opportunities. The over 22-9 in the last 31 meetings. The over is also 4-1 in the Jazz last five overall. Given Utah’s recent defensive struggles, combined with a surging Pelicans offense, expect tonight’s showdown to be a high-scoring affair. Take the over in this one.
Best Bet for Today’s Game: Total Over 224 Points
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