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Best NBA Bets Today: Free Picks for 3/4/22

Alan Draper iGaming Journalist

Updated04 Mar 2022

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We have a nice nine game slate on Friday night. Headlining the night are three marquee matchups featuring Bucks vs Bulls, Suns vs Knicks and Cavaliers vs Sixers.

Best Bets for the NBA Games Tonight

With the NBA Playoffs fast approaching and teams jockeying for position, let’s break down some of the best NBA bets today .

Cleveland Cavaliers (+7) @ Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers have become a force to be reckoned with. They are 3-0 since acquiring James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets, and have won all three by double digits. But, I am willing to step in front of this moving train tonight.

The 76ers’ three opponents have been the Minnesota Timberwolves on the second night of a back-to-back and the New York Knicks twice. Now, beating any team by double digits is impressive, but it’s not like the 76ers have been tested yet.

Enter the Cleveland Cavaliers, who should be able to do enough defensively to keep this game close. Over the last ten games, the Timberwolves and Knicks have been some of the worst defensive teams in basketball. The Timberwolves are 26th in Defensive Rating over that stretch while the Knicks are 28th. For a team with so many offensive weapons as the 76ers, they could score at will.

And while the Cavs haven’t necessarily been playing great, going 1-4 over their last five games, they still rank 11th in Defensive Rating over the last ten games. They’ve also welcomed the return of Darius Garland to the court, who scored 33 points on 59% shooting in a 119-98 loss to the Hornets on Wednesday.

We’re getting a nice spot to finally fade the 76ers, who trailed for a lot of the game against the dreadful Knicks, and profit off of the market giving them too much respect. If you’re coy on fading the 76ers, I also lean towards the under at 217. These two teams rank 10th and 11th in Defensive Rating over the last ten games.

Bet Cavs +7 at BetOnline

Cavaliers vs 76ers NBA Betting Odds

All Cavaliers vs 76ers betting odds can be found at BetOnline

Bet	Cavaliers	76ers
Moneyline	+250	-300
Point Spread	+7 (-105)	-7 (-115)
Total Points	Over 217 (-110)	Under 217 (-110)

Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls (+5)

Another hold your breath bet, as fading the Milwaukee Bucks is never loads of fun. However, I like the spot to back a Bulls team that is 23-11 ATS on their home floor and are in need of a win after losing their last three games.

In their loss to the Atlanta Hawks Thursday night, the Hawks shot 45% from beyond the arc and Trae Young poured in 39 points. The Bulls looked like they had the game in hand, up by 9 with 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter, but a late Hawks surge took that away. But there are two factors here that I think might be creating some solid value on the Bulls at this high of a number.

First, the Bulls had just beaten the Hawks back on February 24th, so last night was almost an immediate revenge spot for Atlanta. It’s never easy to beat a team twice in a row, especially when there isn’t a lot of time in between games. Additionally, the Bucks are fresh off of a thrilling win against the Miami Heat at home, but it was undoubtedly a game they should have lost. The Heat were up by 4 points with 44 seconds left with the ball, and a Tyler Herro turnover led to disaster and an eventual Heat loss. The Heat also controlled most of that game.

The Bulls have the 3rd highest home offensive rating in the NBA, while the Bucks are 15th in road defensive rating and 24th in their last 7 road games. Back the Bulls to give an inspired effort on their home floor tonight, as they look to snap a losing streak and take down the defending champs.

Bet Bulls +5 at BetOnline