There was heartbreak on the hook last night in Wednesday’s NBA picks piece. Aaron Gordon could not get the sixth rebound to cash a +3.93-unit win. The torment of watching the fourth quarter unravel and knowing Gordon was not coming back in the game… Such is betting at times; almost doesn’t win bets.

 

 

 

Daniel Gafford had a wonderful night, but his rebounding came to a halt in the second half. Clint Capela was a safe under throughout the night, as was expected. One out of three is a tough pill to swallow, but tonight there are five games, which helps from an NBA betting perspective… Sometimes less is more. 

Of the five games today, two are nationally televised on TNT. The New York Knicks at Boston Celtics begins at 7:30 PM ET, and the New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings at 10:00 PM ET. There will be a few NBA predictions that are placed in the Pelicans at Kings game but will not be parlayed together. 

The Bet of the Night takes place in the Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers. It features NBA Champion Andrew Wiggins. Without further delay, here are today’s NBA Best Bets and Props today!

 

 

 

NBA Predictions & Picks Today, 4/11

Andrew Wiggins Props: Over 14.5 Points (-115 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

NBA Bet Of The Night - Thursday, April 11th

Andrew Wiggins could be in store for a high scoring night against the Portland Trail Blazers, which is why he leads off today’s NBA picks. The Golden State Warriors are currently 10th in the Western Conference, but still have opportunity for upward mobility. 

As it sits, the Warriors are 0.5 games behind the Lakers for 9th place, and just one game behind the Sacramento Kings for 8th place. If the Kings lose and the Warriors win, there would be a three-way tie for the 8th seed. 

Andrew Wiggins’ scoring has been up and down all season but should be good tonight against a team that allows 115.5 points per game and are eliminated from the playoffs. The Trail Blazers also do not match up well with Wiggins at the small forward position. In addition to that, Klay Thompson is listed as questionable, which could put more scoring responsibility on Wiggins. 

It should be an easy game, and head coach Steve Kerr could rest some of his older players including Draymond Green, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson should this become a blowout. Wiggins could play more minutes with a second unit if that scenario occurs, which benefits this bet.

The truth is he shouldn’t need more than his average amount of playing time. He has 15 or more points in six of his last eight games and is in rhythm with his teammates. Wiggins is the third-best scoring option with Thompson in and has an average of 19.9 points per game in 31 games against the Trail Blazers. He should easily earn 15 tonight in a game that could propel them to the 7 vs. 8 play-in game – an easier path to the playoffs.

 

 

 

NBA Props & Best Bets Today, April 11

Jonas Valanciunas Props: Over 2.5 Rebounds In The First Quarter (+145 on Bet365 Sportsbook)

Jonas Valanciunas’s days of dominating the paint for four quarters are over. But he is prolonging his career with more bench time and veteran leadership. He is still a force in the first quarter and there should be more of the same as the New Orleans Pelicans play the Sacramento Kings on TNT.

Valanciunas has not played over 30 minutes practically the entire season. Even with Brandon Ingram out, his minutes have not exceeded 30. Yet he averages 7.3 minutes per first quarter. This is well over 25% of his minutes per game. In fact, two games ago he played less than four total minutes, all in the first quarter, yet still snagged two rebounds.

His average rebounds per first quarter is 2.9, and this bet needs him to earn his average to be successful. Ingram will be out again, and the Pelicans are in a tough situation. They are currently 0.5 games ahead of the 7th place Phoenix Suns, indicating if they lose this game, they are tied with the Suns and possibly back in the play-in. 

Sure, Domantas Sabonis is on the other side, but this is Jonas Valanciunas we are talking about – Mr. 1st Quarter. A six-foot, 11-inch, 265-pound man that has over 8,000 rebounds in his career… We only need three in the first quarter in a game the Pelicans will need to play with intensity. I’ll trust the 12-year vet to deliver on the plus odds prop in the second of our NBA best bets.

 

 

 

CJ McCollum Props: Over 23.5 Points (-120 on Bet365 Sportsbook)

We’ll touch on another veteran with the next of my NBA predictions. CJ McCollum has been on fire lately, carrying the New Orleans Pelicans in the late part of the season. He has scored 29 or more points in his last four games and played over 39 minutes in all but one of those games. 

Tonight, the Pelicans play the Kings in a pivotal game which will require McCollum to score often. The Kings allow the fifth-most points to opposing point guards and 115.1 per game to opposing teams. McCollum has been attempting several field goals as well, 18 or more in nine of his last 10 games. 

His three rate has been higher than usual also. He has attempted nine or more threes in nine of his last 10 games, including 12 attempts in the three of his last four games. 12 attempts would be one every four minutes of the game if he played all 48 minutes of the game, which he does not.

Look for the veteran point guard to deliver his end of the points and keep this high point streak going against the Kings. 

 

 

 

DraftKings NBA Bonus: THREESday

CJ McCollum First Three Point Field Goal Made (+370 On DraftKings Sportsbook)

Bonus $1 Per Three Made In The Game - $25 Bet Minimum 

It is Thursday and DraftKings is once again offering its ‘BET & GET’ promo which requires placing a wager of at least $25 for the first three-point field goal scorer. Once placed, you earn $1.00 for every successful three-point attempt made in the game. Unlike other NBA props you may wager on, you must opt into this bet and select it in your ticket to receive the promotion. 

This bet is found under ‘QUICK HITS’, then the sub tab FIRST THREE. As mentioned in the bet above, CJ McCollum has attempted 46 three-point attempts in his last four games. Brandon Ingram is out, and the Pelicans will need a hot start against Sacramento to help their bench. 

He is the best three-point scorer the Pelicans have and, as a point guard, has the ball in his hands. He can call for a screen, or like his location and attempt a three to begin the game. Tuesday’s threes yielded $34 in return, and Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets will combine the threes made from this game for a ‘free’ bonus bet tomorrow.

 

 

Thanks for checking out my NBA picks today! Make sure to visit Fantasy Alarm for all your fantasy sports and betting requirements.

Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy

*All NBA odds are correct at the time of writing and bets should be placed at 1 unit unless stated otherwise.