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NBA Daily Tip Sheet Picks and Predictions – Friday’s Triple Threat

Michael Crosson
Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read

There's several ways to bet on the NBA, and some of the most popular ones include taking a side, a full-game total, or a player prop. So, this is what we like to call our Daily Triple Threat. Our three best bets in the aforementioned categories for NBA matchups on Friday, March 31st. Best of luck!

NBA Best Bets for Friday, March 31

  • Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110) vs. DEN
  • Pistons-Rockets Under 230 (-110)
  • Rudy Gobert (UTA) Over 11.5 Rebounds (-115) vs. LAL
Updated on 04/23/2024
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Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110) vs. DEN

The Suns have certainly experienced their fair share of ups-and-downs throughout the year, and the last few weeks have been no different, currently positioned 4th in the Western Conference standings with a record of 41-35, and they enter Friday following losses in six of their last ten contests.

Over the last few seasons, the Suns have become notorious for dominating the regular season, and then subsequently, coming up short in the playoffs, but with Kevin Durant in the lineup, the DNA of this Phoenix’ team is much different than the squad that we’ve seen in years past, and he finally made his return to action in the Suns’ 107-100 win over Minnesota on Wednesday night.

The Suns boast a perfect 4-0 record with KD in the lineup, with three of those wins coming by a comfortable margin of 7+ points, primarily stemming from the fact that they’ve averaged 117 PPG on 48% FG and 38% 3FG in their four games started by Durant. 

While on the other hand, speaking of excellent regular season teams, the Nuggets currently sit atop the Western Conference standings with a record of 51-24 on the year, while ranking 2nd in offensive rating and 15th in defensive rating (118.5 ORtg, 114.3 DRtg), but for a multitude of reasons, the oddsmakers still aren’t quite ready to buy into this Denver’ squad yet, as Phoenix heads down the homestretch favored to win the West at +250.

The Nuggets own the second-best record in the entire league on their homecourt with a mark of 32-6, but unfortunately, they’ll have to play this one in hostile territory, and Denver is a totally different team away from their home building, having posted lackluster records of 19-18 SU and 17-20 ATS on the road this season, and there’s a good chance that trend of road struggles continues in Friday’s matchup against a Phoenix’ squad that’s undefeated with Durant on the floor.

The Suns are 7-2 ATS in their last nine matchups against Denver. (Getty)

Pistons-Rockets Under 230 (-110)

For a while, a handful of teams jockeyed for the title of “worst team in basketball,” but at this point, I think it’s safe to say that Detroit has that title in the bag. The Pistons are currently positioned dead-last in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 16-60, which trails the Rockets and Spurs by roughly two games at the bottom of the league totem pole. 

Detroit’s young talent has certainly shown flashes of potential from time-to-time throughout the season, but don’t be fooled by the occasional glimpses of success, the Pistons rank Bottom 3 in the league in both offensive and defensive rating (110.8 ORtg, 118,7 DRtg), and their pace of play numbers have hit a steep decline down the stretch.

While on the other hand, the Rockets are also one of the worst teams in basketball, currently stationed last in the Western Conference standings with a record of 18-59, while ranking 29th in net rating at -8.6. However, Houston has played decent basketball as of late, boasting a relatively modest record of 5-10 in their last 15 games, which includes tough outright wins over the Celtics, Lakers, and Pelicans.

The Rockets don’t win games often, but when they do, it typically comes as a result of heightened defensive play, highlighted by Houston holding its opponent to 112 points or less in all five of their latest victories.

So, I’ll take the ‘under’ in Friday’s matchup between a pair of ailing squads that have both fallen short of the 115-point scoring mark in eight of their last ten games.

Rudy Gobert (UTA) Over 11.5 Rebounds

Karl-Anthony Towns returned to action for the Wolves’ frontcourt last week, and as a result, Rudy Gobert has finally been able to resort back to the role that he was originally brought in to assume; play defense and grab rebounds, which is exactly what he’s done the last few games, having scored 12 points or less in three of his last four outings, yet still managing to secure 12+ rebounds in all four of those affairs.

Unfortunately, Towns has missed most of the year due to injury. So, we haven’t really seen much of this squad at full strength since the acquisition of Gobert, but barring all health concerns, I’m actually quite fond of the current construction of this Wolves’ team.

There’s no denying the fact that Towns is a rare commodity in the scoring department, and likewise, Gobert is a world class defender. However, both guys have been heavily crticized for their play at the opposite end. So, the idea of pairing them up in the frontcourt and allowing them to focus on their strong suits seems like a decent fix for the time being.

Is it a perfect solution? No, of course not. But statistically speaking, there’s a good chance that we’ll see both of these guys continue to thrive in their relatively newfound partnership. Gobert enters Thursday having secured 12+ rebounds in six of his last seven outings, with four of those performances ringing in at 15+ rebounds. So, I’ll back Gobert to have another solid night on the glass against a Warriors’ squad that leads the league in pace (101.6 PACE).

Michael's Triple Threat Tracker: 70-48-2 (+1,470)

  • Phoenix Suns -8.5 (-110) vs. DEN
  • Pistons-Rockets Under 230 (-110)
  • Rudy Gobert (UTA) Over 11.5 Rebounds (-115) vs. LAL

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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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