Key Points
- Warriors battle to stay out of the Play-In Tournament
- Lakers seek to clinch No. 3 Seed in Western Conference against Rockets at home
- Six Western Conference teams could fall anywhere from No. 4 to No. 8 seed
Three days remain in the NBA regular season and much is unresolved. As many as six teams in the wacky western conference could finish as high as the No. 4 seed or plummet to the No. 8 seed and the play-in tourney.
Indeed, 15 of the 20 playoff positions are still undetermined with one weekend left in the regular season.
(Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Tonight, all 30 NBA teams will be on the court, with a few intriguing matchups taking place across the country. The Knicks are trying to cement a playoff position that would give them homecourt advantage in round one.
The Pistons still have chance to drift up the seeding
And in the west, the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves have identical records. Two of those teams are likely to be forced to compete in the play-in tournament, a stressful exercise that could end their season like this...POOF!
Odds in this article are from
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Lakers vs Rockets, Cavs vs Knicks Odds, Picks
Not every game tonight has playoff implications, but many do. Hoops fans will be pasted to the couch or favorite armchair on Friday to watch the Knicks, Lakers, Warriors, and other marquee franchises figure out where they will play in next week's NBA Playoffs.
BEST BET:
$100 on Rockets +6.5 at +165 odds, paying out $165
Rockets +6.5 (+165) at LA Lakers
If there's something the Rockets would love to accomplish, it's to knock LeBron James and the Lakers down several notches in the western playoff seeding.
I don't expect the Lakers to lose tonight on the famed floor at the Forum, but the Rockets will keep it closer than the standard spread, which is Rockets +9.5.
Warriors over 121.5 Points (+100) at Portland
The Dubs are coming off a brutal loss against the San Antonio Spurs on their home floor due to a last-second three-point shot. The Warriors are in the sixth position in the western conference, but could fall as far as No. 8 if they don't win this weekend.
Steph Curry and Draymond Green are likely making their last effort at an appearance in the NBA Finals. The shots will be flying on Friday, and the points will also be high.
Brooklyn Nets under 98.5 points (-105) at Minnesota
The Timberwolves host the Nets in a game that has tremendous impact on the seedings in the western conference.
Minnesota currently sits in the No. 8 slot, but they are tied with Golden State and Memphis in the W/L standings.
A loss by one of those teams, or losses by either Denver or the LA Clippers, combined with a win by the Timberwolves, would push Anthony Edwards & Co. into a higher seed with one game remaining on Sunday.
The Nets are tanking, or tanked, however you want to look at their dismal season
The roster will be weary. I suspect the pace will be slow, and the score will be low. Take UNDER 98.5 points for Brooklyn: your winning $105 bet will garner you $100.
Pistons -5.5 points (+110) vs Milwaukee Bucks
The Pistons are the first NBA team to triple their win total from one season to the next. Last year they weren't even good enough to be a laughingstock
They would have had to improve to be a laughingstock in the 2023-24 season
Now, with new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit is in a position to possibly even be a favorite in a first round playoff series.
Detroit shoots 38% from beyond the three-point line at home, where they are 21-18. That's a remarkable improvement over their 34% on the road.
Grizzlies to win on moneyline (+230) at Denver
Yes, the Nuggets have a chance to move up to the No. 3 seed. Yes, the Nuggets have arguably the greatest basketball player in the world. But, the Nuggets also just fired their head coach and general manager.
Meanwhile, Memphis is desperate for a win to avoid dropping into the play-in tourney
This is our NBA upset special for Friday: Memphis to win outright at +230. That's a $115 payoff on a $50 wager with BetMGM.
Where to watch NBA Games on April 11
- Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons, 7 PM EDT: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit; FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin
- Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers, 7 PM EDT: FanDuel Sports Network Indiana; FanDuel Sports Network Florida
- Atlanta Hawks at Philadelphia 76ers, 7 PM EDT: NBC Sports Philadelphia; FanDuel Sports Network Southeast Atlanta
- Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics, 7:30 PM EDT: NBC SPORTS BOSTON; FanDuel Sports Network Southeast Charlotte
- Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks, 7:30 PM EDT: MSG Network; FanDuel Sports Network Ohio
- Washington Wizards at Chicago Bulls, 8 PM EDT: Chicago Sports Network; Monumental Sports Network
- Miami Heat at New Orleans Pelicans, 8 PM EDT: GCSEN; FanDuel Sports Network Sun
- Toronto Raptors at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 PM EDT: KFAA; WFAA
- Memphis Grizzlies at Denver Nuggets, 9 PM EDT: ALT; KTVD; FanDuel Sports Network Southeast Memphis
- Brooklyn Nets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 9 PM EDT: FanDuel Sports Network North; WLNY
- Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz, 9:30 PM EDT: KJZZ; FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma
- San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns, 10 PM EDT: Arizona's Family 3TV; Arizona's Family Sports; KENS
- Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 PM EDT: KUNP ; KATU 2.2; NBC Sports Bay Area
- Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings, 10 PM EDT: NBC Sports Southern California; FanDuel Sports Network SoCal
- Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 PM EDT: Spectrum Sports; NetSpace City Home Network
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