Kings look to bounce back against Mavs in crucial contest
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While there were only two NBA games on Thursday night, and most people's attention was on the Sweet 16, the Celtics lost their second straight game to the Hawks and the Pelicans outlasted the Bucks.
Friday brings a loaded slate with 24 teams in action. Let's get to our four best bets to close out the week.
Knicks @ Spurs (-9, O/U 211.5)
The Knicks seldom play down to their competition. They've dominated lower-level opponents all season, and that shouldn't change against the Spurs on Friday night.
This week, the Knicks beat the Pistons by 25 and the Raptors by 44. New York plays its starters high minute counts, even in blowout wins. The Knicks are also starting to get healthy, with Mitchell Robinson back in the lineup.
The Spurs are playing well, coming off two straight wins over the Suns and Jazz, but they haven't won three games in a row all season. The Knicks will once again dominate an inferior opponent as they look to remain the No. 3 seed in the East.
Pick: Knicks -9
Kings Team total: Over 115.5 points
The Mavericks bullied the Kings on Tuesday night en route to a 36-point Dallas win. Now they play again in another crucial game to determine who avoids the play-in tournament. The Mavericks are currently the sixth seed and have a one-game lead over the Kings.
Sacramento should be motivated to win this game for seeding purposes but also because it just got dominated on its home court. This game is in Sacramento, so both teams are well-rested.
A loss for the Kings would all but ensure they end up in the play-in tournament. The Mavs' defense completely shut down the Kings' offense the other night, but that was an uncharacteristic performance from Dallas' bottom-10 unit. Dallas has improved defensively, but it's not consistent enough.
I expect the Kings to play determined and put on an offensive clinic.
Odds: -115
Clippers @ Magic (+1.5, O/U 211.5)
Magic scores are typically low because of how elite defensively they are; Orlando has the NBA's third-best defensive rating. The Magic are average offensively and sometimes go long stretches without scoring. That's a recipe for them to consistently cash unders.
However, the Clippers' defense has been so atrocious recently - fourth-worst in March - that Orlando should have success scoring. Clippers games have gone over in eight of the last 10 contests. This is by far the lowest total Los Angeles has had all season.
While they're in a funk, the Clippers are too talented offensively to not score, even against a defense as connected as Orlando's. And if Los Angeles can't stop the Magic from scoring, this should soar past the total.
Pick: Over 211.5
Kawhi Leonard: Under 23.5 points
While I expect points in the Clippers-Magic contest, they won't come from Leonard.
Leonard is going through a rough shooting stretch. It feels like he's working harder for every basket now.
He's failed to reach 24 points in three of his last four games. Leonard's shooting an abysmal 29% from three this month. This is likely due to fatigue; Leonard's played 66 games this season, the most since 2016-17.
Against a defense as stout as Orlando's, Leonard's slump will continue.
Odds: -125
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.