The 2023-24 NBA season is in full swing and we’re tackling it hard at VSiN. As always, Jonathan Von Tobel will be providing you with his exceptional coverage of the greatest league in the world. Just click here for all of his content. However, all of my picks will be featured in this daily column, which will combine my NBA best bets and NBA player props. So, keep reading to find out how I’m playing the NBA slate on Sunday, March 10. Also, check out our NBA Odds page for the latest line movement.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on March 10
2023 Record: 243-235-2 (+0.45 units)
NBA Best Bets Today – March 10
Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Clippers – 3:00 pm ET
The Clippers are in a rough scheduling spot here. They played an afternoon game against the Chicago Bulls yesterday, and that turned into a win that they poured a lot of energy in. Considering the lack of rest, I’m expecting Los Angeles to be a little tired. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is coming off a tough loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the team has been great since the All-Star break. The Bucks are fourth in the league in net rating in the last eight games, and they’re fourth in defensive rating in that span. That’s quite the improvement from what we saw earlier in the year. This just feels like a match-up in which the Clippers could struggle offensively. If that’s the case, Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo should bring this NBA best bet home. The Bucks also won by seven without Antetokounmpo when these teams played on March 4.
Bet: Bucks -3.5 (-108)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers – 9:30 pm ET
The Timberwolves have looked just fine without Karl-Anthony Towns so far, as they split a back-to-back against the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday and Friday. Now, Minnesota takes on a Los Angeles team that is coming off a big win over Milwaukee. And I tend to like the Timberwolves’ chances in this game. I just like that Minnesota has Rudy Gobert to defend Anthony Davis, if the Lakers big man sheds his questionable tag. The Timberwolves also have guys like Jaden McDaniels and Kyle Anderson as big wings to throw on LeBron James. And Anthony Edwards will likely spend some time on The King as well. Minnesota is the top-ranked defense in the league when it comes to adjusted defensive rating. So, the Timberwolves should be able to stifle an inconsistent Lakers offense — and one that doesn’t shoot enough 3s.
The real question here is whether or not Minnesota can score enough without Towns to win on the road. But I ultimately think the Timberwolves will find a way, especially after what we saw in the Lakers loss to the Sacramento Kings two games ago. Los Angeles had no answer for Sacramento using its athleticism to get out in transition. I expect Minnesota to watch some tape and try to take advantage of that. Edwards can be a blur when he gets out and runs.
Bet: Timberwolves +1.5 (-115 – 2 units)
NBA Player Props Today – March 10
Houston Rockets at Sacramento Kings – 6:00 pm ET
Dillon Brooks’ scoring comes and goes a bit, but he is averaging 13.0 points per game this year. He also averaged 12.3 points per game in the month of February. So, it’s not like you have to go too far back to find a successful offensive stretch from Brooks. The controversial wing also happens to be averaging 17.5 points per game against the Kings this year. And that’s ultimately why I like his chances of having a good game tonight. Sacramento is just 20th in the league in defensive rating this year, so this team isn’t very good on that end of the floor. That should create opportunities for Brooks to score, even if it’s mostly from behind the 3-point line — where teams are shooting a higher percentage against the Kings than anyone this year.
I would also be surprised if Brooks doesn’t play a lot in this game. Houston will need his defensive toughness and versatility. So, I’m firing up Brooks to go Over 9.5 points as an NBA player prop. I’m also taking a shot on him to have 15 or more.
Bet: Brooks Over 9.5 Points (-120 – 1.5 units) & Brooks Alt Points 15+ (+340 – 0.5 units)
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks – 7:00 pm ET
Josh Hart has played at least 40 minutes in each of the last eight games. He is an absolute workhorse for New York, and he has also been doing quite a bit in the offense with Julius Randle and OG Anunoby sidelined. Hart is coming off a February in which he averaged 13.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game for the Knicks. He’s also averaging 15.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists through three March games. When looking at those numbers, the assists stand out quite a bit. Hart’s assist total is down at 4.5 for tonight’s game against the Sixers, and you can get the Over at plus-money odds. That’s extremely hard to pass up.
Over the last 10 games, Hart is averaging 10.1 potential assists per game. So, it’s not like he’s racking up fluky numbers. He’s actually doing a good job of setting his teammates up, and I like him to keep that up in a game with a relatively high total tonight. The Sixers are a bottom-tier defense without Joel Embiid, so this matchup happens to be a good one.
Bet: Hart Over 4.5 Assists (+110 – 1.5 units)
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