We have eight NBA games to look forward to today. While it’s a small slate of games, I have found the best NBA bets for March 20 for you to jump on. Enjoy the NBA action and win a few bucks along the way. We are 9-2 in our last 11 picks.
Best NBA Bets For March 20, 2024
Heat @ Cavaliers
Under 204.5 (-110)
The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Heat at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. This will be the third game of their season series. The previous game ended in a 12-point win for the Cavaliers. With these two teams being conference rivals, there is a lot of familiarity between both teams. This game will be a highly contested matchup as both teams are vying for high playoff seeding.
The Cavaliers are currently third in the Eastern Conference. They have a small two-game cushion over teams below them. The Heat are in the thick of the race for playoff positioning, with five teams separated by four games.
Both teams can ill afford to drop games down the stretch of the season, so expect them to be motivated for this contest.
The Cavaliers will be without as many as five players due to injuries. Most notably Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus are among the injured. The Heat have Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson ruled out. With Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as game-time decisions.
The Cavs have scored 105 or fewer points in three of their last five at home. The Heat have scored 104 or fewer in four of their last six on the road.
We’re counting on these two playoff-bound teams to have a gritty, low-scoring encounter with so many injuries on both sides. Furthermore, both teams rank in the top 10 in the NBA in defensive rating.
Pacers @ Pistons
Pacers -10.5 (-110)
The Indiana Pacers travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons at the Little Caesar’s Arena. This will be the fourth meeting of the season between both sides with the Pacers dominating the series 3-0. The Pacers won the most recent encounter in Indianapolis by 14 points.
The Pacers head into this matchup having won three of their last six games. The Pistons have won two of their last six. The Pistons have had a forgettable season, currently sitting in 14th in the East. The Pacers are on track to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
At a glance, the Pistons seem to be better at home. They have won three of their last six at home, though they come into this game on a two-game loss streak at home. Their wins came against the injury-riddled Raptors, Hornets, and Nets.
The Pacers come into this game very confident. On the road, they have a three-game win streak. They have beaten the Thunder, Magic, and Mavericks during this run.
The Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart, Quentin Grimes, and Ausar Thompson remain out. For the Pacers, Bennedict Mathurin remains out for the season. Doug McDermott has also been ruled out.
In this NBA bet, we are backing the more in-form Pacers to get a dominant win on the road. They are healthier and continue to have one of the NBA’s more prolific offenses. They are third in the NBA in offensive rating. Back the Pacers to cover the spread.
Kings @ Raptors
Raptors -11.5 (-110)
The Sacramento Kings leave the US to take on the Raptors in the second game of the season series. The previous game ended in a five-point win for the Kings in Sacramento.
That game would feel like a different season when these two teams meet tonight. At that time, the Raptors were still competing for a playoff spot despite trading away OG Anunoby to the Knicks. Since then they have punted on this season.
The Kings are sixth in the Western Conference standings. They are three games off fourth. The fourth seed will give them home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The Raptors have struggled to cover the spread in recent games. They have failed to do so in all of their previous five at home. The Kings have covered the spread in four of their last five on the road. The lone game they didn’t cover came against the Nuggets, where they missed De’Aaron Fox‘s presence.
The Raptors have a plethora of injuries to deal with. Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett are among those listed as out for this game. The Kings have Trey Lyles and Kevin Huerter listed as out.
The Raptors are low on confidence right now. They are on a seven-game losing streak. While it will end eventually, it’s hard to imagine that happening against a motivated Kings team.
This is a straightforward bet where we back the healthier team to win convincingly on the road.
These are my best NBA bets for March 20. Let’s repeat some recent success.
Good luck with your bets.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of approximately 4:00 p.m. EST on March 20th. These are for entertainment purposes only and by no means a guarantee. Wager responsibly.