Best Bets for the Final Games of the NBA Season
The NBA regular season ends on Sunday, April 9th, so this is your last chance to bet on a nice chunk of NBA teams. However, just because this is the last full slate of the NBA season, you’re not going to want to just bet on everything in sight. Not all of these games matter, so you need to be selective when looking at the slate. In fact, there’s only one game today in which both teams will be trying to win, and we’ve zeroed in on that one below. With that in mind, keep reading for our NBA best bet for today. And make sure you stop back in for VSiN’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on April 9
Here are our favorite NBA bets for Sunday, April 9th (odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook):
New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves
In one of the only games on the slate that actually means something to both teams, the Timberwolves host the Pelicans on Sunday. The winner of this game will either be the seventh or eighth seed in the Western Conference Play-In, which is pretty important. Being in the 7 vs. 8 matchup in the Play-In means you have two shots at making the playoffs, so both of these teams will be playing pretty hard in this one. The same can’t be said about any other individual matchup on the slate, although the Clippers, Warriors and Lakers can all use wins in the Western Conference.
When looking at this game, it’s hard not to like the Timberwolves quite a bit. The Pelicans have played some inspired ball down the stretch, going 9-2 both straight-up and against the spread in their last 11 games. However, the Timberwolves have won each of their last two games, and they also happen to be 2-0 ATS when facing the Pelicans this year. Minnesota is also 21-19 SU when playing at home, while New Orleans is just 15-25 SU and 17-23 ATS on the road.
The Pelicans are actually a stronger team on both ends of the floor when you look at offensive and defensive rating, However, their net rating dips from 2.0 to -1.2 when playing on the road. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves go from 0.1 to 1.0 when playing at home. That small difference really helps Minnesota in this scenario, and it’s also hard to ignore the presence of a guy like Mike Conley Jr. here. He’s an experienced point guard that knows the value of winning this game, and he’ll be doing his work against a Pelicans team that really doesn’t have a point guard at all. In a game like this, that absence will be felt for New Orleans.
The Timberwolves also have the luxury of being able to throw Jaden McDaniels on Brandon Ingram in this game. Ingram has been scorching hot to end the season, but McDaniels is one of the best wing defenders in basketball. His ability to make life difficult on scorers could completely swing this game, allowing for Minnesota to cover and earn a spot in the better of the two Play-In games.
Bet: Timberwolves -3 (-110)
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