NBA Monday betting picks & top value plays – March 21, 2022

This past NBA weekend was a continuation of the trends that have been put in motion. The Lakers are completely free-falling and could be close to bottoming out. The Celtics look unstoppable and are establishing themselves as an elite team. And the Sixers… well, who knows with them. The season is quickly wrapping up and each game down the stretch means just a little more. There are nine games on tap for tonight; here are the three best picks of the bunch.

New Orleans Pelicans at Charlotte Hornets

On the day it was announced Zion Williamson would be out for the remainder of the season, the Pelicans also ruled star Brandon Ingram out for this game. This is a major loss for the Pelicans, who will have a tough time scoring against a scrappy Hornets squad. New Orleans has won three of their last four and is currently in a play-in spot, but this will be a tough game. The Hornets are surging in recent games and have their own playoff chase to worry about.

Charlotte is now in a play-in spot as well and, after some struggles, looks like a good team again. The Hornets have been weird this year. After a hot start, they fell off and now are finally back to where they were at the beginning of the season. They are 4-1 in their last five and have gone 6-2 against the spread in their last eight. LaMelo Ball is a definitive star and is playing great two-way basketball as of late. The Hornets have also been lifted by the play of most improved player candidate Miles Bridges. At this point, the Hornets have too much firepower for an injured Pelicans team. Take the Hornets -6 as they should win comfortably in this big home matchup.

Toronto Raptors at Chicago Bulls

This is a huge Eastern Conference matchup that will be very important for playoff seeding. The Bulls have a 1.5 game lead on the Raptors and sit in the five seed. It’s an extremely tight race to the playoffs and there will be a lot of seed shifting with each game. The Bulls are a good team that has struggled recently. They have gone 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 and have lost a lot of the good faith they earned earlier in the season. Despite having an MVP candidate in DeMar DeRozen, the Bulls are a step down from the elite teams of the NBA and are not as well coached as the Raptors.

The Raptors have been on fire recently and are rising up the Eastern Conference ranks. They are now the seven seed but will have higher aspirations than that. They are 6-1 against the spread in the last seven and will be taking that strong play into this game. Nick Nurse has everyone on his team believing and rookie Scottie Barnes is putting the whole league on notice. He has become a great two way option for the Raptors and very few teams can compete with their defensive prowess. These teams are trending in opposite directions and due to that, the Raptors are the pick.

Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers

This is a risky pick because Heat star Jimmy Butler is currently injured. He is, however, probable for this game and that will give the Heat a huge lift. Miami is the one seed in the East and will want to prove they can beat everyone. They are 15-4 in their last 19 games but the doubters will say they cannot beat the big dogs in the East. Like it or not, the Sixers are a big dog and it will prove difficult for Miami to beat them. But, if Butler plays, he will play angry and lead Miami in this game. He had an unceremonious ending to his tenure in Philly and will be sure to let them know what they are missing.

The Sixers are a good team but have some big flaws. While Joel Embiid and James Harden seem perfect on paper, they both need the ball a lot and will sometimes not give full effort defensively. The Heat are the opposite of that and bring it to them every game. The Sixers also played last night and will be fatigued for this game. While it is an away game for Miami, they will have the edge physically and should cover in what will be a very fun game.

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