I only have a few plays for the NBA slate on Wednesday, April 8. So, while I normally break things down with two separate articles, I’m bringing everything under one roof instead of splitting up sides/totals and player props — a streamlined look at my favorite bets for the day’s slate. Keep reading for my NBA picks and predictions for Wednesday.
RELATED: Check out the Pro Picks page for more selections from our talented VSiN hosts and analysts!
NBA Best Bets Today
Trail Blazers at Spurs Under 229.5 (-110)
Trail Blazers at Spurs – 9:30 pm ET
Without Victor Wembanyama, there’s always a chance the San Antonio defense collapses. However, with Luke Kornet on the floor, and Wembanyama off, the Spurs still defend at a top-10 level when looking at points allowed per 100 possessions. Well, the Blazers have been a top-five defensive team in the league since the All-Star break, according to the NBA’s raw defensive rating numbers (109.3). With that in mind, this is a matchup between two teams that can really defend. Also, the Spurs are missing an all-world offensive player in Wembanyama, and the Blazers are mediocre offensively.
The Under is also 9-1-1 in the 11 road games the Blazers have played with totals between 220 and 229.5 this season. On top of that, the Under is 12-7 when the Spurs play as favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points.
The only thing to really worry about here is that San Antonio could look to speed things up, relying on the athleticism of its sensational backcourt to make plays and win this game. However, I do trust Portland’s perimeter defense to make things tough. That’s especially true with one less guard to worry about, as Stephon Castle will miss this game for the Spurs.
NBA Player Props Today
Kawhi Leonard Over 25.5 Points (-111) vs. Thunder
Thunder at Clippers – 10:00 pm ET
There’s an expectation that the Thunder will rest some players, so we’ll see what that looks like when the injury report comes out. But either way, I like Leonard to have a big game as a scorer. I’m always a little nervous about Leonard playing the second leg of a back-to-back, but he only played 30 minutes last night. He should be in decent physical shape here. Well, as long as he is, he should do some cooking this evening. Of course, the Thunder are the No. 1 defensive team in basketball, so this is a very difficult matchup. But Leonard has scored at least 26 points in eight of his last 10 home games, averaging 29.8 points per game in that 10-game stretch. Also, while Leonard scored only 22 points in his only other meeting with the Thunder, that was a game in which he went 0 for 5 from three in Oklahoma City. That shouldn’t happen again at the Intuit Dome, where he shoots 40.8% from deep.
Additional Plays (Late Adds, Parlays, Teasers, Futures)
PARLAY: Cavaliers Alt +8.5 vs. Hawks & Magic ML vs. Timberwolves (-118 – 2 units)
