The NBA is back for another night of action on Thursday with seven games on tap. The playoff battle continues to heat up in the East, while the Phoenix Suns continue to pull away from its competition in the West. The Suns took home the victory last night against the Trail Blazers, making them the first team to reach 50 wins on the season. Tonight there are two games in the national spotlight on TNT, starting off with Ja Morant and the Grizzlies taking on Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. This game will be followed up by the battle of Los Angeles with the Lakers taking on the Clippers. Let’s dive into the best NBA bets today, picks and NBA betting tips for Thursday, March 3.
Best NBA Bets Today: Game Tips & Betting Predictions
Grizzlies vs. Celtics Best Bet
The Memphis Grizzlies travel to Boston for a quick one-game road trip to face the Celtics on Thursday night. The Grizzlies will be looking to keep the momentum rolling after winning 11 of their last 14 games. The Boston Celtics have been on a run of their own, winning 12 of their last 14 games. In recent years the Celtics have owned the Grizzlies, winning 10 of their last 11 meetings. This is the first matchup between the two teams this season.
The Grizzlies are the top road team in the NBA, holding a 22-10 record away from home. Ja Morant is a human highlight reel and officially has the whole league watching. From the poster dunk over Jakob Poeltl, to the wild buzzer-beater off of a full-court pass, Morant continues to attract fans from across the country with his impressive play on a nightly basis. The Grizzlies enter Thursday 43-20 — third in the Western Conference. Dillon Brooks remains out of the lineup with an ankle injury and is expected to be back within the next week. John Konchar (ankle) is questionable for Thursday’s game against Boston. Memphis has played well on both ends of the floor, ranking top five in offensive rating and top 10 in defensive rating. The Grizzlies are averaging 113.9 points on 45.9% shooting and allowing 109.1 points to opponents. Memphis is first in the league in rebounding with 58.6 boards a night.
The Celtics enter Thursday with a 37-27 record good for second in the Atlantic Division, two games behind the 76ers for the top spot in the division race. In the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the team is in sixth and 4.5 games behind the Miami Heat for the top spot. Jaylen Brown (ankle) left Tuesday’s game and will be forced to miss at least one game. The Celtics are 7-7 without Brown in the lineup this season. The Boston Celtics are averaging 109.2 points on 45.5% shooting and allowing 103.8 points to opponents. Boston has an elite defense, with Robert Williams holding his own in the paint and averaging 9.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. His play will be crucial going up against a Grizzlies team that loves to attack the rim and operate in the mid-range.
Two top-10 defenses faceoff in an inter-conference battle on Thursday. Both teams match up well against each other’s strengths, which is a good recipe for an under. In 14 games without Brown in the lineup, the Celtics are averaging a combined score of 217.8 points. The loss of Brown is a blow to the Celtics, as he is the reliable second scoring option to complement Jayson Tatum on the offensive end of the floor. Boston is cashing the under is 59.4% of their games at home and 55.6% of all their games. Memphis has gone under the total in their last three games. Vegas seems to be overcompensating on the Memphis totals as of late, and tonight’s line feels a few points too high. Take the under and expect this game to end in 215- to 220-point range.
Best Bet for Today’s Game: Total Under 224 Points
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Warriors vs. Mavericks
The Golden State Warriors (43-19) head on the road to meet with the Dallas Mavericks (37-25) on Thursday evening. These two teams are familiar with each other, having faced off on Sunday in Golden State, with the Mavericks coming out on top 107-101. They have played each other three times this season, and the Mavericks lead the series 2-1.
The Warriors have cooled off after a red-hot start to the season, losing six of their last eight games. Despite its recent skid, Golden State is 43-19, which is 6.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for first place in the Western Conference. Andre Iguodala (back) and Draymond Green (back) remain out for the Warriors. Klay Thompson (illness), Moses Moody (eye) and Nemanja Bjelica are all expected to play on Thursday. Golden State has not lost three straight games this season, so expect Steve Kerr to get the squad back on track and build off the energy of Thompson returning to play alongside his Splash Brother, Stephen Curry. The Warriors rank fourth in effective field goal percentage and 12th in offensive rating on the year. Curry is the leading scorer for Golden State, with an average of 25.8 points per game. The Golden State Warriors are averaging 110.9 points on 46.6% shooting and allowing opponents to score 104 points per game.
The Mavericks will again be without Tim Hardaway Jr. (foot) and Marquese Chriss (knee), while Frank Ntilikina (ankle) and Trey Burke (shoulder) are both questionable. Dallas is averaging 106.7 points on 45.7% shooting and allowing 103.4 points. Luka Doncic is leading the team in scoring, averaging 27.5 points per game. Their offense has been improving as of late, ranking sixth in offensive rating over their last five games. Dallas matches up well against Golden State, as the Mavericks are holding opponents to the fewest 3-pointers made per game on the season (10.8). Tonight will be a difficult test for their perimeter defense with Thompson expected back in the lineup. Thompson has only played in one of the three matchups this year, and the Warriors won 130-92 in a blowout victory.
While both teams have been cashing the under more often this year, the Warriors have not been effective on the defensive end in their last seven games, allowing an average of 114 points over this span. These poor defense efforts have resulted in a 5-1-1 over/under record in Golden State’s last seven games. The Mavericks are shooting 49.3% from the field and 40.7% from deep in their last five games. Head-to-head the over is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings. Doncic and Curry have been known to create fireworks on the offensive end of the floor in their recent history. Expect to see a lot of 3-point attempts from both teams tonight’s matchup and have confidence in taking the over on Thursday.
Best Bet for Today’s Game: Total Over 219.5 Points
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