The Sportzshala Fantasy Basketball Betting Tips and Basketball Betting Cheat Sheet is where you can get pre-game basketball betting predictions and our best intelligence and data, including Sportzshala’s own Basketball Power Index (BPI), which will help you make smart betting and fantasy decisions. March 3rd NBA odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook and fantasy tips are based on Sportzshala’s 10-team leagues.
What you need to know for Friday games
Time is so important in fantasy hoops; It can be difficult to know when to take the bait due to a disappointing draft pick or an injured star. In a league built on the influence of the stars, it’s hard to move on even when the math says it’s time.
Holding on to LeBron James amid a foot problem that seems both serious and somewhat obscure, given what we now know can be a challenge in shallow bench fantasy formats. Managers Carl-Anthony Towns and Zion Williamson struggled with this predicament for most of the season.
There is no perfect solution for such decisions, but you will face more such scenarios in the coming weeks as we get closer to the fantasy playoffs and the final month of the regular season. Scheduled rest, injuries, playoffs, and lottery position all affect player availability.
The long-term solution may sound like a motivational poster over the years, but it’s just time to get to work. It’s time to find bursts of statistic stars to make up for the fact that fantasy founding forces like James, Towns and other upcoming names will miss critical stretches in the coming weeks.
Such players are already emerging. Rookie Jalen Williams is a free agent in about 57% of Sportzshala’s leagues, and yet he’s been in the top 15 fantasy players in the last two weeks as he climbs to the Oklahoma City Thunder and plays perfect again tonight with the All-Star Shai. -Gilgeous Alexander is still on the sidelines. The Brooklyn Nets know all about walking away from the stars and now they’re seeing a strong output from Cameron Johnson (66% available); he’s been ranked 22nd in the Player Rater for the past two weeks and should be busy in Boston today.
— Jim McCormick
game of the night
Memphis Grizzlies to Denver Nuggets
10:00 pm ET, Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Records (against spread)
Grizzlies: 38-23 (29-29-3)
Nuggets: 44-19 (35-27-1)
Line: Nuggets (-5)
Performance Index Forecast: Nuggets: 127.3-124.2
Money line: Grizzlies (162), Nuggets (-195)
Predicted BPI Winner: Nuggets (61.1%)
General: 233.5 Predicted BPI: 251.5
Injury Report:
Grizzlies: Steven Adams (EXIT – Knee)
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon (GTD – ribs); Michael Porter, Jr. (GTD – Heel); Vlatko Cancer, (GTD – Wrist); Zeke Nnaji, (EXIT – Shoulder)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Trend: I’ve been hitting this drum successfully a few times lately, so I’m going back to it. The Grizzlies are very good, but when bookies say they’re in a bad situation, they usually are. Memphis is just 3-8 ATS as a “dog” this season, and junior-level players have made it through seven of those 11 games. This fight for the ATS could very well continue against the Nuggets, who have covered 10 of their last 14 and are 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 games that went under the total. Kyle Soppe
Best bet: Grizzlies +5.0. I recommend supporting the underdog Grizzlies. Memphis is currently on a three-game winning streak. The Grizzlies are a strong offensive team, ranking 10th in points scored per 100 possessions. Memphis is also a solid defensive team and played well against the Nuggets. The Grizzlies have lost 4-2 to Denver in their last six games. In addition, Memphis is also 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games against the Nuggets. -Eric Moody
Destruction of the rest of the shale
Orlando Magic vs. Charlotte Hornets
7:00 pm ET, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Records (against spread)
Magic: 26-37 (34-27-2)
Hornets: 20-44 (28-34-2)
Line: Magic (-3.5)
Performance Index Forecast: Magic: 124.9-121.4
Money line: Magic (-190), Hornets (158)
Predicted BPI Winner: Magic (62.3%)
General: 224.5 Predicted BPI: 246.3
Injury Report:
Magic: Jonathan Isaac (REDACTED – Hamstring)
Hornets: PJ Washington, (GTD – Foot); Cody Martin (EXIT – Knee); Lamelo Ball, (OUT – Ankle)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Best bet: Gordon Hayward over 16.5 points. I like the fact that Kelly Obre started (and played well) in his last game, but I don’t like his over/under 23.5 points. Hayward is more reasonable despite hitting just 5 of 14 shots and 15 points on Wednesday against the Suns. He has scored overs in his previous three games and has scored at least 17 points in five of his last seven games, narrowly missing out in the other two. Orlando is 23.45 points behind small forwards, second in the league, so I expect big things from both Hayward and Oubre tonight at Charlotte. -Alexander
Fantasy streamer: Mark Williams (played in 20.3% of Sportzshala leagues) will face Wendell Carter Jr tonight in hopes of making his fourth double-double in a row. PJ Washington (ft) is doubtful, and Williams should get almost all of the big men’s minutes for the Hornets. He’s double-doubled in four of his last five games and his lineup is starting to mirror his performance. This is probably your last call to pick him up this season. His over/under in total points and rebounds is set at 21.5, and if you want to take charge, that’s not such a bad idea either. -Alexander
Best bet: Franz Wagner over 24.5 points + assists + rebounds. Wagner is in excellent position against the Hornets defense, who are 22nd in points allowed per 100 possessions. In February, he averaged only 14.0 points, 3.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. At the start of this season against the Hornets, Wagner averaged 16.7 points, 2.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds. -Capricious
Portland Trail Blazers – Atlanta Hawks.
7:30 pm ET, State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Records (against spread)
Blazers: 29-33 (30-31-1)
Hawks: 31-31 (27-33-2)
Line: Hawks (-7.5)
Performance Index Forecast: Hawks: 133.6-128.2
Money line: Blazers (228), Hawks (-285)
Predicted BPI Winner: Hawks (68.4%)
General: 240.5 Predicted BPI: 261.8
Injury Report:
Blazers: Anfernee Simons, (GTD – ankle); Justice Winslow (OUT – Ankle); Yusuf Nurkic (OUT – Calf); Ryan Arcidiacono (EXIT – Back)
Hawks: Trae Young (GTD – groin)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Best bet: Jerami Grant over 22.5 points. Grant has burned me in this space before, but I’m usually annoyed by his lack of rebounding. He scored 28 points in a loss to New Orleans on Wednesday, 24 points against the Warriors on Tuesday, and had at least 23 points in three of his last four games. The Hawks are 23.12 points behind small forwards, the fourth-worst record in the league, and the Blazers should win this game. Grant should have a good night in Atlanta. -Alexander
Fantasy streamer: Matisse Tibull (participates in 3.9% of Sportzshala leagues) started with Anferni Simons on Wednesday and had 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, a steal, four blocks and two 3-pointers in a loss to the Pelicans. He also had 15 points, three rebounds, a steal, two blocks and five triples on Tuesday, giving him a two-game average of 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals. 3.0 blocks and 3.5 threes, which is very different. Historically Tibull. Cam Reddish’s starting experiment is over, Simons (ankle) is unlikely to play tonight, Tybull is hot, and the Hawks are bad at small forwards. Get the flyer about Tibulla tonight. And if you look at him as the best player, then his over/under is quite reasonable tonight: 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 three-pointers. -Alexander
Best bet: Clint Capela over 23.5 points and rebounds. Capela had 13 points and 15 boards on Tuesday when he lost to the Wizards, as well as 10 points and 15 rebounds in a January 30 game against the same Blazers. He’s had an inconsistent streak over the last month, but it’s important to note that the Blazers are the worst team in the entire league on defense against opposing centers, trailing them by 26.23 points every night and nearly 15 boards. -Alexander
Best bet: Trae Young over 37.5 points + assists. Young has been playing well lately and has a 35% utilization rate this season. In each of his last three games, he has surpassed 37.5 PA. Young should be able to use the Trail Blazers in this matchup as it’s their third game in four days. This is a team from Portland that ranks 27th in points scored per 100 possessions. The Trail Blazers also allow opposition to hit 55.6% of effective field goals, seventh highest in the league. -Capricious
Brooklyn Nets to Boston Celtics
7:30 pm ET, TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Records (against spread)
Networks: 34-28 (32-30-0)
Celtics: 45-18 (33-29-1)
Line: Celtics (-11)
Performance Index Forecast: Celtics: 133.6–116.7
Money line: Nets (430), Celtics (-600)
Predicted BPI Winner: Celtics (82.5%)
General: 227 Predicted BPI: 243.2
Injury Report:
“Networks”: Ben Simmons (EXIT – Knee); Edmond Sumner (OUT – Personal); Yuta Watanabe (EXIT – Back)
Celtics: Danilo Gallinari (DK – Knee)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Trend: I tend to handicap on the side of the game and then work from there to see if there is a slope overall…but sometimes working backwards is the game. Over 8-4 in games where the Celtics are 10-plus this season and 11-5 in the Nets’ last 16 games. So if we’re going to tell the “bigger” story, it’s worth noting that the Nets have covered five of their last seven games, while the Celtics have under .500 ATS in those places since December. -Soups
Best bet: Jason Tatum under 28.5 points. Tatum just finished setting the Cavs on fire and scoring 41 points on Wednesday, but hear me out on that. He scored 14 and 18 points in his previous two games and is likely to face Mikal Bridges tonight. By my reckoning, the guy that Bridges was guarding got hit by…
Source: www.espn.com
