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NBA Best Bets Today | Expert Picks for Sunday, March 17

Michael Crosson
Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert
3 minute read

The NBA regular season continues with a jam packed seven-game slate this Sunday and four of those matchups will be nationally televised throughout the day -- beginning with an afternoon doubleheader on ABC at 1:00 p.m. ET and 3:30 p.m. ET, and then we head over to NBA TV to close out the week with two more games at 7:00 p.m. ET and 9:30 p.m. ET.

Read on for our top three NBA best bets and expert picks for Sunday, March 17.

Looking for more basketball? Check out our NBA odds.

NBA Best Bets | Expert Picks for Sunday, March 17

Hawks vs Clippers

by Michael Crosson

Atlanta has been the worst team in the NBA against the spread this season. The Hawks currently own a miserable record of 22-44 ATS – a full three games worse than the second-worst team in that department (CHA) – which is mostly due to the imbalance between their offense and defense, especially when they are at full strength. 

When Trae Young is healthy and in the lineup (he is out tonight), Atlanta is an incredibly flashy betting proposition. The Hawks rank 9th in offensive rating and 5th in scoring, and they often force teams to play at their preferred speed, ranking 5th in pace –  which may lead you to believe that they have a puncher’s chance at winning any given game.

However, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that the Hawks defense is bad enough to totally negate their top-10 offense under most circumstances – and in many cases, their poor defensive play actually tips the scales in the entirely opposite direction. 

Despite ranking top-10 in most offensive metrics, Atlanta is still positioned 10th in the Eastern Conference standings and ranks 20th in overall net rating on the season – which can primarily be chalked up to the fact that they rank 28th in defensive rating and 29th in points allowed, and those woes are only magnified by their 5th-ranked pace of play.

While on the flip side, the Clippers have seen their offensive number take a slight downtick due to the recent absences of James Harden and Russell Westbrook – and there’s a chance they could be without both players again tonight with Westbrook definitely out and Harden listed as questionable.

Make no mistake about it though. Points are still being scored in Clippers games. The Clippers have scored 112+ points in four of their last six games – while defensively, they also allowed 111+ points in five of those six contests. 

The Clippers should have no problem scoring against the Hawks 28th-ranked defense, regardless of who’s on the injury report. While on the other side of that same coin, the Clippers have also allowed 110+ points in 14 of their last 18 games; and they surrendered 115+ points in 11 of those 18 contests. Give me the over.

Pick: Over 220.5 (-110)

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Nets vs Spurs

by Joe Nelson

San Antonio Spurs -1.5 (-110)

A once-competitive Nets season has slipped away with Brooklyn 26-41 after starting the season 13-10, meaning Brooklyn is just 13-31 since mid-December.

Today's game is being played in Austin not San Antonio as there should be some extra enthusiasm for the Spurs even as the team heads towards the finish of a historically bad season sitting at 14-53.

This is the sixth consecutive road game for the Nets who lost by 21 in Indianapolis on Saturday, even after a close first half. The Nets had 21 turnovers in that game to lose badly even while significantly outshooting the Pacers from beyond the arc.

San Antonio played at the Moody Center in Austin on Friday as well losing by 11 to the Nuggets with tonight's opportunity likely to be more favorable.

Over 16,000 people were at that game as this is a rare opportunity for NBA basketball in Austin and the Spurs are competing reasonably well of late, with three S/U wins in the past eight games and two two-point losses even while battling through one of the more difficult scheduling stretches of the season facing almost exclusively Western Conference contenders so far in March.

The efficiency numbers from the past few weeks pain the Spurs as a close to average team despite the brutal season numbers and San Antonio has faced the #1 schedule in the NBA this season. That a 14-win team is favored in a game that isn't a true home game is a telling sign of where the level of play for the Nets is at right now, with Brooklyn in a difficult scheduling turnaround Sunday as well.

For more daily expert predictions, check out our NBA Free Picks page and our NBA odds!

Raptors vs Magic

VegasInsider NBA betting expert Bruce Marshall is red hot right now! Bruce is 21-10 in his last 31 NBA picks -- returning a profit of +990. Click here to purchase his top play for Raptors vs Magic tonight.

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Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson
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