If you're looking for the best NBA bets today, Tuesday March 17, 2026, I've got you covered. Below are my top NBA picks, predictions, and player props for tonight's slate, with action on Knicks vs. Pacers, Pistons vs. Wizards, and Timberwolves vs. Suns. The injury wire is where most of tonight's value is coming from. Jalen Brunson has been downgraded to doubtful, Anthony Edwards is out for the next 1-2 weeks, and I'm seeing some prop lines that haven't fully caught up to those developments. I'm also flagging a same-game parlay opportunity in the Knicks-Pacers game that I think is worth a look. Let's get into it.

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Here are the best bets and player props for today’s action.

 

🏀 Knicks vs. Pacers Prediction: Josh Hart OVER 6.5 Assists

Brunson has been downgraded to doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Pacers, dealing with a right ankle injury and a right-side cervical strain. Miles McBride is also out with a pelvic core muscle injury, which removes two of the primary ballhandlers from the lineup.

That's where Hart comes in. In all five games Brunson has missed this season, Hart has gone over this number every single time, averaging 9.6 assists per game in those spots. His assist chances jump to 13.8 per game without Brunson in the lineup, and his assist rate climbs to 26.3%. Going back to last season, Hart posted a 65% hit rate with Brunson out, averaging 7.4 assists per game.

Without Brunson or McBride, Hart becomes the primary playmaker on the perimeter. Karl-Anthony Towns will likely carry more of the offensive load, and Jose Alvarado figures to start in the backcourt, but Hart is going to be the one connecting the pieces. Indiana sits at 15-53 and is trying to snap a 13-game losing streak, so the game flow sets up well for Hart to stay on the floor and keep distributing.

The sample size is there, the matchup is favorable, and the injury situation is confirmed.

🏀 Pistons vs. Wizards Prediction: Jalen Duren OVER 21.5 Points

Duren's minutes are the main concern here, and foul trouble is always a factor with him. Worth acknowledging upfront. But the matchup against Washington is genuinely difficult to pass on.

Against the 76ers in his last outing, Duren put up 14 points in just 15 minutes before foul trouble pulled him. He went 6-for-7 from the field and 2-for-3 at the line in that limited run. When he gets clean opportunities near the basket, he converts at a high rate.

The Wizards have had real trouble defending interior players all season. They gave up 83 points to Bam Adebayo in a single game, 24 to Neemias Queta, and 19 to Wendell Carter Those are not players known for their offensive production. Washington simply does not have the personnel to slow down an active, athletic big.

Duren has been playing well lately. He had 30 points on 12-of-15 shooting against Memphis on 3/13, then followed that with 20 points and 11 rebounds against Toronto on 3/15. He's averaging 18.7 points per game on the season for a Detroit team that sits at 48-18, first in the Eastern Conference. If he stays out of foul trouble and gets his usual run, he should surpass this number against this opponent.

 

🏀 Timberwolves vs. Suns Prediction: Donte DiVincenzo OVER 13.5 Points

Edwards has been ruled out with right knee inflammation and will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. He's averaging 29.5 points per game this season and clearly wasn't right down the stretch of Sunday's loss in Oklahoma City before the team shut him down.

DiVincenzo has been one of the primary beneficiaries when Edwards sits. He's cleared 13.5 points in 7 of 10 games without Edwards this season, and with the offensive burden shifting to Julius Randle and the wings taking on larger roles, DiVincenzo should see 33 to 35 minutes tonight.

The opponent situation adds to it. Phoenix is playing on the second night of a back-to-back, their fifth consecutive road game, and they've lost three of their last four on the second leg of a back-to-back this season. The Suns fell 120-112 to Boston on Monday and have now dropped two in a row. Minnesota enters at 41-27, Phoenix at 39-29. Both teams are fighting for playoff positioning, but the fatigue factor is real for the Suns.

DiVincenzo gets a tired, road-worn defense in a game where he'll have a full offensive role.

🏀 Pacers vs. Knicks Prediction: Ivica Zubac OVER 9.5 Points

This one carries some risk, and that needs to be said clearly. Rick Carlisle is unpredictable with his big man rotation, and minutes are never guaranteed with Zubac.

That said, there is a reasonable case here. He logged 29 minutes in this same matchup two games ago, and in the three games since returning from injury he's played 16, 24, and 29 minutes. There's an upward trend in his workload. He's also surpassed 9.5 points in each of the last two games as he settles back into the rotation.

When he's on the floor and getting his opportunities, the efficiency is there. If the minutes hold in the 20-plus range again tonight, this number is reachable. The uncertainty is purely around Carlisle's rotation decisions.

Worth playing at a reduced unit given the variance.

 

🏀Same-Game Parlay Opportunity: Knicks vs. Pacers

With both the Hart and Zubac props coming from the same game, there is a case for combining them into a same-game parlay. The core reasoning behind each bet is compatible. Hart's assists prop is built on Brunson being out and Hart taking on a larger playmaking role. Zubac's points prop is built on him returning to meaningful minutes and finding favorable matchups inside against a Knicks frontcourt that has been shorthanded itself with various injuries this season. The two bets are not correlated in a way that hurts either one. One benefits from the Knicks' guard situation, the other from the matchup in the paint.

If you're playing both individually, tailing them as an SGP is worth considering at a small unit. Just keep the Zubac minutes risk in mind before sizing up.

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