The 2023-24 NBA regular season is coming to an end and we’re continuing to tackle it hard at VSiN. As always, Jonathan Von Tobel continues to provide 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 Thursday, April 11th. 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 April 11
NBA Best Bets Today – April 11
Chicago Bulls at Detroit Pistons – 7:00 pm ET
This season, the Over is 11-2 when Chicago plays road games against teams with losing records. The average total points scored in those previous games was 231.9 points per game. The Bulls also happen to be coming off a game in which they combined to score 245 points with the New York Knicks. Overall, I just have a hard time picturing this being an extremely low-scoring game. Detroit is 26th in the league in adjusted defensive rating, and the team is also 10th in pace. That style of play welcomes Overs against teams with talented offensive players, and the Bulls have that.
DeMar DeRozan and Coby White should both terrorize the Pistons in this game, and that should mean a big number on the scoreboard for Chicago. And the only thing Detroit will be able to do is try to keep up. That should make this a sloppy, open game, paving the way for easy buckets to be had all around.
Bet: Over 217.5 (-110 – 2 units)
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics – 7:30 pm ET
Last night, it seemed like Boston wouldn’t have many key players tonight. The team listed Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday on the injury report. But Tatum, Brown and Horford are all expected to be available now. With that in mind, I like the Celtics to get the job done tonight. I would have been on New York if either of the two Boston stars missed this one, as the Knicks aren’t the type of team to lose to shorthanded opponents. But it’s a tough ask for New York to go on the road and beat the best team in the league, especially with Julius Randle out for the year. The Celtics are a better team both offensively and defensively, and they’re also 35-3 in this building. Meanwhile, the Knicks are just 22-18 on the road.
In addition to playing Boston on the moneyline, I’m also taking the Over here. The Knicks have gone Over the total in eight of their last nine games, and they just continue to get involved in high-scoring games. So, on a total as low as this one, it’s hard to picture this not going Over. New York is going to have a hard time stopping Boston, and the Celtics are also going to have their work cut out for them trying to stop the Knicks. Over the last nine games, New York has the highest offensive rating in the league. These teams have also combined to score at least 216 points in each of their last two meetings.
Bet: Celtics ML (-125) & Over 215 (-110 – 2 units)
Quick Note: On today’s episode of A Numbers Game, I mentioned I was leaning towards taking the Knicks tonight. However, I was under the impression either Tatum or Brown would miss this game. If you took New York solely because of my spot, I’d strongly suggest getting out of it.
NBA Player Props Today – April 11
New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings – 10:00 pm ET
Domantas Sabonis is averaging 7.5 assists per game in four meetings with the Pelicans this season. So, this is a matchup in which Sabonis has had quite a bit of success as a passer. Also, since the start of March, Sabonis has had at least eight assists in 13 of the 21 games he has played. Sacramento always uses Sabonis as an offensive hub, but the team has been relying on his playmaking even more lately. That said, Sabonis is a player to target with NBA player props, especially with this being an important game for the Kings. These teams are battling one another for positioning in the Western Conference, so Sabonis will play a ton of minutes here. That’ll give him more of a chance of racking up assists.
Bet: Sabonis Over 7.5 Assists (-132)
2023-24 Record: 317-335-2 (-18.43 units)
