NBA Expert Tips and Best Bets | 27 Mar

Two of the best teams of the NBA’s second half are featured on Thursday. The lately struggling Los Angeles Lakers cross the country to visit Tyrese Haliburton and the rising Indiana Pacers.

We take an in-depth look at that game, plus the other side of the NBA, the Wizards-76ers. Read on to get expert betting analysis and insight into the smart wagers of the day.

Lakers +1.5 | $1.88 @ Playup

These two squads come into this matchup as almost mirror images of each other lately. Indiana has gone 7-3 in their last ten games, tied for third-best in the league over that span, while the Lakers have gone 3-7, tied for third-worst.

Los Angeles has lost three in a row and by an average of 24 points per game. Indiana has won five in a row, yet they have failed to cover in nine of their last 11.

This is shaping up to be a must-win game for the Lakers, who are battling for the two seed. Expect LeBron and Luka to not let them lose, and our NBA prediction is that L.A. will cover.

Lakers-Pacers Under 233.5 | $1.95 @ Betright

The Pacers and the Lakers both rank in the bottom half of the league when it comes to hitting the Over. That’s despite both teams being in the top half of the league in offensive rating.

The key to that might be the improved defense each team has shown in recent months. For the month of March, L.A. has gone 8-5 reaching the Over. Indiana has gone 4-9 this month.

With both teams’ recent struggles with offensive output, don’t expect a high-scoring matchup. Our NBA expert tip is that the Under will hit for Indiana-L.A.

Wizards ML | $2.28 @ Betfocus

Sometimes, it can be interesting to wager on two teams that are trying to lose. That appears to be the case here as the Philadelphia 76ers host the Washington Wizards in a “battle” of two teams vying to lose games to improve draft lottery chances.

For the month of March, Washington has done slightly better with a 5-6 record, going 4-7 against the spread. Philadelphia has gone a dismal 3-11, with a 5-9 mark against the spread.

Philly (23-49) still has a ways to go to catch Washington (15-56), who has the worst record in the NBA. But it does seem like they’re still trying, so our NBA prediction for this one is Washington with the Moneyline.