We’re nearing the end of the 2024-25 NBA season. I’ll continue giving out NBA best bets and player props here as often as possible, and I’ll also occasionally write up features on big news that shakes up the league. So, make sure you check out my work throughout the season. With that out of the way, let’s get into some NBA best bets and NBA player props for Friday, April 11th. Also, make sure you check out the picks page (linked right below) before games tip off. I occasionally add picks throughout the day.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on April 11th
NBA Best Bets Today – April 11th
Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz – 9:30 pm ET
The Thunder will be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso this evening. That means Oklahoma City will be putting a lot on Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams tonight. Of course, this isn’t the first time the Thunder have done it, and they have won some games with a bench-heavy rotation. And maybe they’ll win again tonight. But I don’t understand how they’re favored by nearly 10, and I think there’s some value in sprinkling this moneyline on the home team.
I know the Jazz will also be missing a ton of players, with Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, John Collins and Jordan Clarkson all out tonight. Utah also has Isaiah Collier listed as questionable on the injury report. But we just saw the Jazz earn an overtime win over the Blazers. They’re playing hard and they still have some talented players going tonight. Keyonte George, Collin Sexton and Kyle Filipowski are all capable of turning in nice performances, and Brice Sensabaugh and Johnny Juzang can also do a little damage offensively.
Realistically, Utah has had better practice than Oklahoma City when it comes to playing without its best players, as the Jazz have been sitting players all year long. This is also Utah’s final home game of the season, so the Jazz players will want to go out and win one more before they hope the ping pong balls help them land Cooper Flagg.
Bet: Jazz +9.5 (-110 – 1.5 units) & Jazz ML (+370 – 0.5 units)
NBA Player Props Today – April 11th
Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls – 8:00 pm ET
Over the last 10 games, Matas Buzelis has a usage rate of 19.4. Before the All-Star break, that number was down at 17.1. The rookie is getting a few more opportunities to make plays, and I like his chances of finishing with two or more assists tonight. Buzelis didn’t have any against a good Heat defense on Wednesday, but he had five the game before that. He’s also averaging 2.2 adjusted assists per game over the last 10 games. And tonight, the Bulls take on a Wizards team that is near the bottom of the league in adjusted defensive rating (118.0). The Wizards are also fourth in the NBA in pace of play (101.8). So, this is a matchup that has the potential to be very high in scoring, making it hard not to like Buzelis to have a couple of dimes at plus-money odds.
Bet: Buzelis Over 1.5 Assists (+140)
Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings – 10:00 pm ET
Keon Ellis is coming off a 20-point performance against the Nuggets the other night. Of course, Los Angeles is a much better defensive team than Denver. The Clippers are second in the NBA in adjusted defensive rating (109.1) and the Nuggets are 21st (115.4). But Ellis is going to play a ton of minutes with Malik Monk still out for Sacramento. He has also scored at least 12 points in the last four games he has played without Monk. Ellis isn’t as good of a shot-creator as some of the other guards on this Kings team, but he can knock down open 3s and take advantage of being an afterthought in the opposing team’s scouting report. With that in mind, I’m taking a shot on him to reach double-digits tonight, and it’s hard not to like the fact that this is a home game. Ellis is shooting 51.6% from the floor and 48.8% from 3 at home.
Bet: Ellis Over 9.5 Points (-118)
Additional Plays
This is where I’ll include any late added plays, teasers/parlays or in-season futures. Come back before tip if you don’t want to miss anything. It’s always possible I’ll add something to my card.
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2024-25 NBA Record: 365-370-2 (-3.36 units)
