Thursday night's slate features six games around the NBA, including the Phoenix Suns visiting the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks at the Oklahoma City Thunder, along with a few less-than-stellar matchups.
The Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers and Mavericks are all on the second night of a back-to-back so you'll want to pay close attention to who is playing and who is possibly sitting for those teams on Thursday night.
One potential star who could get the night off is Luka Doncic, who was noticeably absent for all but one minute of the fourth quarter of Wednesday night's win over the Golden State Warriors. Doncic was said to be dealing with a sore left hamstring and while the Mavs were up somewhat comfortably, it was odd that Luka wasn't on the court. He also saw his triple-double streak stopped at seven games, as a result, finishing with 21 points, nine assists and three rebounds.
The Mavericks-Thunder matchup currently has the highest projected total at ESPN BET (238.5), while the Suns-Celtics game isn't far behind at 229.5. The Thunder and Knicks are also double-digit favorites, further leading me to believe that Doncic is likely to sit this one out. That will likely provide betting opportunities for his teammates, making Kyrie Irving a strong candidate for a big night, while Daniel Gafford (10 points, six rebounds, seven blocks on Wednesday) and Dereck Lively II (12 points, eight rebounds, two blocks) enter Thursday night's game on a hot streak. The Mavericks have quietly won four straight games while the Knicks, coming off a blowout win over the 76ers Tuesday, have lost seven of their past 10 games.
New York Knicks (-11.5) at Portland Trail Blazers
The Knicks blew out the 76ers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday and while they will be on the road tonight, the Blazers might not be ready to put up much of a fight after beating the Hawks Wednesday and with Jerami Grant potentially out a hamstring injury. The Knicks got a boost from the return of OG Anunoby on Tuesday and he should be ready to bring a balanced attack against Portland, a team with only 18 wins. I sense another blowout brewing as New York continues to try to hold off the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference playoff race, while also tracking the No. 3 seed Bucks, who they trail by just 3.5 games.
Oklahoma City Thunder (-10.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks (+320)
The Mavs are 3-5 this season without Doncic and will visit a Thunder team on Thursday night that has the third-most wins in the NBA (45) and a 26-7 home record. The Mavericks are 18-13 on the road, but their chances of winning, or hanging with a team like OKC, decline greatly if Doncic is in street clothes. Add in the fact that Jalen Williams is no longer on the injury report, and a blowout could happen in OKC as well. If Doncic ends up playing, the Thunder will still be favored, but the line should be much lower. But at this point, I'll be surprised if Doncic is ready to go by tip-off.
Milwaukee Bucks (-8.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (+290)
The 76ers have been reeling without Joel Embiid, going 4-6 over their past 10 games, including Tuesday's blowout loss to the Knicks. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are both healthy and I don't know how the Philadelphia is going to stop, or even slow down, Antetokounmpo tonight. The Bucks should be able to keep it going tonight with 7-3 over their past 10 games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo over 51.5 points, rebounds and assists.
I like Antetokounmpo to go over 51.5 points, rebounds and assists against the 76ers. He has gone over this line in three of his past five games and in his last meeting against Philadelphia on Feb. 25. The 76ers should keep this game close for Giannis to get enough minutes and hit this over.
Grayson Allen over 11.5 points.
Even with the Suns finally getting healthy and starting Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Allen has found a way to stay relevant in Phoenix. He has scored between 14 and 28 points in three of his past four games. While the Celtics play solid defense and Allen may have to work to score 12 points, he has hit that number in six of his past 12 games. The Celtics also bottled him up for just seven points on 3-of-8 shooting on March 9 in Phoenix, but Allen missed all four of his 3-pointers that night after hitting 16 over his two previous games. He's due for a bounce-back game against the Celtics on Thursday and when Allen plays well, the Suns tend to win.
Projections and injury reports
Odds provided by ESPN BET. Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com.
Phoenix Suns at Boston Celtics
7:30 p.m. TD Garden, Boston
Records (Against the Spread)
Suns: 38-27 (27-37-1)
Celtics: 51-14 (34-28-3)
Line: Celtics (-6.5) Total: 227.5
Money Line: Suns (+210), Celtics (-250)
BPI Projection: Celtics by 9.8, straight up 81%, 235.1 total points.
Injury Report:
Suns: Eric Gordon, (GTD - Knee); Nassir Little, (GTD - Knee); Josh Okogie, (OUT - Abdomen); Damion Lee, (OUT - Knee)
Celtics: Jaylen Brown, (GTD - Hip); Kristaps Porzingis, (OUT - Hamstring)
LA Clippers at Chicago Bulls
8 p.m. United Center, Chicago
Records (Against the Spread)
Clippers: 41-23 (32-32-0)
Bulls: 32-34 (34-31-1)
Line: Clippers (-5.5) Total: 214.5
Money Line: Clippers (-240), Bulls (+200)
BPI Projection: Clippers by 5.2, straight up 68%, 229.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Clippers: James Harden, (GTD - Shoulder); Kawhi Leonard, (GTD - Back); Russell Westbrook, (OUT - Hand)
Bulls: Coby White, (OUT - Hip); Lonzo Ball, (OUT - Knee); Patrick Williams, (OUT - Foot); Zach LaVine, (OUT - Foot)
Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets
8 p.m. Toyota Center, Houston
Records (Against the Spread)
Wizards: 11-54 (30-34-1)
Rockets: 30-35 (34-29-2)
Line: Rockets (-7.5) Total: 226.5
Money Line: Wizards (+260), Rockets (-320)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 8.8, straight up 78%, 226.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Wizards: Richaun Holmes, (GTD - Toe); Landry Shamet, (OUT - Calf); Marvin Bagley III, (OUT - Back); Isaiah Livers, (OUT - Hip)
Rockets: Cam Whitmore, (OUT - Knee); Alperen Sengun, (OUT - Ankle); Steven Adams, (OUT - Knee); Tari Eason, (OUT - Lower Leg)
Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks
8 p.m. Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
Records (Against the Spread)
76ers: 36-29 (34-31-0)
Bucks: 42-24 (28-38-0)
Line: Bucks (-8.5) Total: 219.5
Money Line: 76ers (+280), Bucks (-350)
BPI Projection: Bucks by 5.5, straight up 69%, 230.9 total points.
Injury Report:
76ers: Robert Covington, (OUT - Knee); De'Anthony Melton, (OUT - Back); Joel Embiid, (OUT - Knee)
Bucks: Malik Beasley, (GTD - Back); MarJon Beauchamp, (GTD - Back); Patrick Beverley, (GTD - Hip); Khris Middleton, (OUT - Ankle)
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder
10 p.m. Paycom Center, Oklahoma City
Records (Against the Spread)
Mavericks: 38-28 (37-29-0)
Thunder: 45-20 (39-25-1)
Line: Thunder (-10.5) Total: 235.5
Money Line: Mavericks (+380), Thunder (-500)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 7.7, straight up 76%, 237.3 total points.
Injury Report:
Mavericks: Brandon Williams, (GTD - Wrist); Luka Doncic, (GTD - Hamstring)
Thunder: None reported
New York Knicks at Portland Trail Blazers
10 p.m. Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Records (Against the Spread)
Knicks: 38-27 (34-30-1)
Blazers: 19-46 (31-34-0)
Line: Knicks (-11.5) Total: 205.5
Money Line: Knicks (-600), Blazers (+450)
BPI Projection: Knicks by 7.3, straight up 75%, 223.9 total points.
Injury Report:
Knicks: Julius Randle, (OUT - Shoulder); Mitchell Robinson, (OUT - Ankle)
Blazers: Jabari Walker, (GTD - Hip); Jerami Grant, (GTD - Hamstring); Malcolm Brogdon, (OUT - Elbow); Shaedon Sharpe, (OUT - Abdomen); Robert Williams III, (OUT - Knee)