NBA Picks for Tuesday, March 21, 2023

This is one of the most interesting NBA seasons in recent memory. There is no runaway favorite to win the NBA Championship, as the Milwaukee Bucks are just +275 to win it all at BetRivers Sportsbook per the NBA futures odds. Milwaukee only recently surpassed the Boston Celtics in this regard, and those are the two favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference race continues to be extremely crowded. Only four games separate nine teams in the conference, as the Portland Trail Blazers are the only team that has effectively bowed out at this point.

NBA Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

Boston Celtics at Sacramento Kings

For most of the season, the Boston Celtics were the favorites to win the NBA Championship. Boston had a firm grip on the Eastern Conference for much of the campaign, but the Celtics have not been good over the last few weeks. They have lost six of their last 11 games, and although two of those losses came in overtime, it’s still a big concern.

Boston is finishing up a six-game road trip against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. Sacramento is 11-2 since the All-Star Break, and people are finally starting to believe in the Kings even though they have had one of the top three records in the West for the last few months.

The Kings have the most effective offense in the league, and there isn’t a team that’s a close second behind them. Domantas Sabonas should be a third-team All-NBA center behind Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, as Sabonis is averaging 19.2 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 7.2 APG. He is tops in the league in rebounding and 12^th in assists, as he has great vision for a big man.

De’Aaron Fox should earn All-NBA honors at guard as he is averaging 25.3 PPG and 6.2 APG. It’s been a joy to see Fox run this offense, and he is hitting 51.3% of his field goals as a guard, making him an extremely effective shooter. He has two players that can make it rain in Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, so it’s tough to stop Sacramento.

Meanwhile, Boston has not been as sharp on defense. Marcus Smart has really had some issues on this end, and he is becoming a liability to play late in games. Additionally, Smart, Al Horford, Robert Williams III, and Payton Pritchard are all banged up, so it’s best to bet against the Celtics for a while.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers

Kudos to the Oklahoma City Thunder for being competitive once more before anyone thought they would be able to make a run of it in the West. The Thunder are 35-36, and they would currently be the No. 8 seed in the West if the season ended today. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is being serenaded with MVP chants on his home court, and he went off for 40 points in a win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.

Josh Giddey is back to doing it all when he is on the court with 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 6.1 APG, and the Thunder seem to have struck gold with Luguentz Dort. They have already signed Dort to a long-term extension, and they have their core of guys to build around in the future along with a bevy of picks and potential pick swaps.

That being said, the Thunder know they need one more year, while we are reaching the point of now or never for the Los Angeles Clippers. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are under contract for two more years after this season, and they have yet to live up to the hype that surrounded their arrival in LA.

The Clips have won five of their last six games, and they have knocked off some quality opponents in the process. They have a good amount of depth, and they will get to play four straight home games starting on Tuesday night. This will be their first of two back-to-back games against the OKC Thunder, and I believe the Clips will cover the NBA betting line in both tilts.