NBA Best Bets Today | Expert Picks for Thursday, April 11

This is a get-right spot for the Bulls, who have incentive to host the Hawks in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Bulls coach Billy Donovan ripped his team after Chicago lost, 128-117, at home to the Knicks two days ago.

Donovan knows the Bulls have to get better. Chicago draws the perfect patsy in the Pistons, the worst team in the NBA at 13-66. The Pistons are in free fall losing 13 of their last 14 games, including the past five.

The Pistons have lost their last three games by an average of 15.3 points. This is their first home game since concluding a four-game, six-day road trip that finished this past Tuesday night with a blowout loss to the 76ers.

Not helping matters for the Pistons is Cade Cunningham, their best player, missing the past four games due to knee soreness. He's questionable for this matchup.

The Pelicans have won all four meetings with the Kings this season and New Orleans is the far superior defensive team in this matchup. The recent efficiency numbers are similar on both sides of the ball for these teams with New Orleans sitting two games above Sacramento in the Western Conference standings.

That is an important distinction right now with New Orleans in the #6 position in the playoff field while the Kings are in the #8 spot and only a game ahead of #10 Golden State as Sacramento looks likely to be involved in the play-in tournament. New Orleans is 3.1 points per game stronger than the Kings in average scoring differential this season despite the only two-game gap in the standings.

New Orleans snapped out of a four-game slide with back-to-back wins holding its last two foes to 105 and 100 and while this is a third straight road game it is a critical game as the Pelicans will face firm tests in the final two regular season games as they are likely games that matter for the Warriors and Lakers.

Sacramento just wrapped up a difficult four-game road trip, losing three of four with only a win over the Nets on Sunday. On Tuesday the Kings competed well but lost a close game in Oklahoma City and the Kings are without Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter while Keegan Murray is questionable as three of the team's top six scorers could miss this game and the current roster isn't likely to reach the offensive ceiling that the season numbers suggest are possible for this group.

Brandon Ingram is out for New Orleans, but the Pelicans are 4-0 S/U in road games since Ingram's absence. New Orleans is 26-14 S/U on the road this season while the Kings are 16-22 ATS at home as well.