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NBA Betting Picks for Wednesday 3/20/24: Will the 76ers Keep Streak Alive in Phoenix?

Riley Thomas
Riley Thomas•_riley8

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NBA Betting Picks for Wednesday 3/20/24: Will the 76ers Keep Streak Alive in Phoenix?

The 82-game NBA regular season offers us a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, moneylines, and totals. The Association features 1,230 regular season games, which can make sifting through the odds an overwhelming task.

However, various advanced statistics can help narrow the choices. numberFire's NBA power rankings and daily projections paired with advanced stats from the NBA can help give the inside track to winning big.

While utilizing some of the mentioned tools, which NBA odds from FanDuel Sportsbook look like the best bets today?

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

NBA Best Bets

Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers

Under 204.5 (-110)

The Miami Heat against the Cleveland Cavaliers could be like watching paint dry. The 204.5 total emphasizes this point, and checking the injury report only drives it home even more.

For Miami, Tyler Herro continues to be absent with a foot injury. Duncan Robinson is also out with a back injury, and Jimmy Butler (foot) and Bam Adebayo (back) are questionable for tonight. These players combine for over 75.0 points per game (PPG) and are all among the Heat's top five leading scorers.

This squad also holds the league's seventh-worst offensive rating. This is not a team that can afford to be without a large chunk of their scoring production, especially when the Cavaliers have the third-best defensive rating.

The injury report doesn't look too pretty for Cleveland, either. Donovan Mitchell (27.4 PPG), Evan Mobley (15.6 PPG), and Max Strus (12.2 PPG) are expected to be missing for action. Once again, this is not a great offense (14th-worst rating) and will likely struggle without several key contributors.

Miami has totaled only 97.8 PPG over their last four games, and the Cavs have averaged 105.5 PPG over their past two contests. Each squad also sits in the bottom 12 in PPG. Neither offense has been blowing the roof off of arenas and each defense is among the top-nine ratings in the Association.

Between injuries and underwhelming scoring marks, I like the under even with the low total.

Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder

Over 232 (-112)

The Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder are top-10 scoring offenses in the NBA, which suggests plenty of points for Wednesday's matchup. Some injuries for Utah could make picking the total a bit more difficult, though.

Lauri Markkanen (23.0 PPG) and Jordan Clarkson (17.4 PPG) are listed as out, and John Collins (14.6 PPG) is questionable with a facial injury. The Jazz will be without at least two of their top three scorers. If Collins is out, this would mean Utah has three of their top four scorers absent.

I have plenty of faith in the Thunder's offense. The injury report is looking clean, and OKC has totaled 119.8 PPG over the last four contests. I expect this production to continue, for the Jazz have the second-worst defensive rating in the league.

If anything, Utah's defense has only become more concerning over the past five games. Opponents have shot 50.3% from the field and 46.5% from three while totaling 124.0 PPG. The advantages for the Thunder's offense look like a long list. One area to watch is Oklahoma City totals the 7th-most points in the paint, and the Jazz surrender the 11th-most points in the paint.

Utah's offense could determine if this will go over, and I like their chances. The Jazz average the 10th-most three-point shots, and the Thunder allow the 5th-most attempts from deep. Three-point shooting could be Utah's savior from laying an egg.

Philadelphia 76ers at Phoenix Suns

76ers +8.5 (-108)

Tonight's slate features a ton of games with key players missing due to the injuries. In fact, seven of the eight contests have a team favored by at least eight points. We could see plenty of lopsided results on Wednesday.

However, I believe the Philadelphia 76ers against the Phoenix Suns is one game that could be closer than expected. The Suns have simply not performed against the spread (ATS), going 2-8 over the last 10 games.

Philadelphia is not at full strength with Joel Embiid (team-high 40.0% usage rate), but this team is not completely incapable. The Sixers have won back-to-back games while covering the spread in each game.

The defense has tightened over the last two, holding opponents to 94.5 PPG and a 42.1% field goal percentage (FG%). Defending the paint has been an issue at times for Philly as they give up the 14th-most points in the paint. The area has also improved in the last two, surrendering 44.0 points in the paint per game (season average of 50.7).

The 76ers may actually have a decent chance of slowing the Suns' offense. A low-scoring game only aids Philadelphia's shot of covering a sizeable spread.


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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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