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. Odds for NBA games for Sunday, March 5 are provided by Caesars Sportsbook and fantasy tips are based on Sportzshala’s 10-team leagues.
What you need to know about Sunday Games
Sunday will feature a large number of games, ending a key week as the Fantasy Hoops playoffs approach. There are 11 games ahead and there is still plenty of action and opportunity for the Fantasy Squads to make the final push to get the all-important W this week.
In terms of betting, big games are well combined here (for example, the Phoenix Suns in the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors in the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks in the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies to Los Angeles Clippers) and games between teams aiming for a low defense lottery that everyone must play (e.g. Spurs in Rockets, Jazz in Thunder) who can conspire to to produce this day a few big players.
All eyes will be on the first game between Kevin Durant’s Suns and Kyrie Irving’s Mavericks, the former teammates’ first opposing team. We’ll start our picks here after Kyle talks about some of the prevailing trends in the league.
game of the night
Phoenix Suns – Dallas Mavericks.
13:00 ET, American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Records (against spread)
Suns: 35-29 (34-28-2)
Mavericks: 33–31 (23–38–3)
Line: Mavericks (-1)
Performance Index Forecast: Mavericks: 133.6–129.4
Money line: Suns (100), Mavericks (-120)
Predicted BPI Winner: Mavericks (64.7%)
General: 233.5 Predicted BPI: 263
Injury Report:
Suns: Deandre Ayton (GTD – Knee); Terrence Ross (GTD – Toe); Landry Chamet, (OUT – Leg)
Mavericks: Davis Bertans (GTD – calf); Maxi Kleber (GTD – Hamstring)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Trend: The Suns are a pathetic 6-12-1 ATS this season by three points or less in their last 19 games, but that was all without this guy Kevin Durant rocking their colors. Theoretically, they brought him in to improve that trend, and with them +20 in the fourth quarter in two games with active KD, the early results are already in. The Mavs are 8-18-2 ATS this season when underdogs hit, and it’s worth mentioning because the underriders are 9-2 in Dallas’ last 11 games with such a tight spread. I mentioned Durant’s fourth quarter success up to this point… The Mavs are -12 in the last quarter in the last week. — Kyle Soppe
Fantasy Streamer: Jock Landale (available in 99.7% of leagues) DeAndre Ayton had an extra run on Friday and suffered a knee problem that crippled his production (7 points, 3 rebounds, 0 blocks in 27 minutes) and prevented him from practicing on Saturday. Landale responded with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in 21 minutes. Ayton is unlikely to play on Sunday and if he stays, Landale could be in line for starting minutes and scoring. — Andre Snellings
Fantasy Streamer: Josh Okogi (available in 92.6% of leagues) retained his place in the Suns’ starting lineup alongside Kevin Durant, while Torrey Craig went to the bench. Okogi’s performance is likely to be inconsistent in his new role because only Durant and Devin Booker are guaranteed to score, but he had 25 points, 5 three-pointers and 4 rebounds on Friday, so he maintains consistent growth in any game. — Snellings
Best bet: Devin Booker will score over 31.5 points + assists. I predicted one early trend in the Kevin Durant era when the trade took place: the defense is already more focused on CD, which gives Devin Booker more room to develop. Another early trend is for the entire Suns team to share the ball to the point where a high percentage of the team’s shots are scored. For Booker, these trends have shown him averaging 36.0 points per game and 6.5 assists per game in two games alongside Durant, while averaging at least 41 PA in both games. — Snellings
Destruction of the rest of the shale
Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls
3:30 pm ET, United Center, Chicago, IL
Records (against spread)
Pacers: 28-36 (34-30-0)
Bulls: 29-35 (32-32-0)
Line: Bulls (-6)
Performance Index Forecast: Bulls: 133.6-117.2
Money line: Pacers (185), Bulls (-225)
Predicted BPI Winner: Bulls (76.4%)
General: 224 Predicted BPI: 242.1
Injury Report:
Pacers: Aaron Nesmith (GTD – Hip); Tyrese Haliburton (GTD – Calf); Kendall Brown (CARE – shin)
Bulls: Havonte Green (LEAVING – Knee); Lonzo Ball (LEAVING – Knee); Goran Dragic (GTD – Knee)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Trend: In eight of Chicago’s last 10 home games, the total was too high, and this trend may well work in their favor in this particular case. This season, the Bulls are 12-8 at home with the ATS when the game ends, while the Pacers are only 4-7 in their last 11 games, which are under total. — Soppe
Fantasy Streamer: TJ McConnell (available in 93.3% of leagues) worth watching if Tyrese Haliburton (calf) fails to make it to a second game in a row. McConnell was strong in the games Halliburton sat in all season, and on Friday he scored 10 points on 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in 31 minutes of play. — Snellings
Best bet: Zach LaVine over 25.5 points. LaVine has been at risk lately, averaging 28.8 points per game in his last five games and scoring at least 27 points per game in four of those games. In addition, he is up against a friendly Pacers defense against whom he scored at least 28 points in two of his three meetings, including a 35-point burst the last time he faced them last month. — Snellings
Golden State Warriors to Los Angeles Lakers
3:30 pm ET, Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Records (against spread)
Warriors: 34-30 (31-32-1)
Lakers: 30-34 (29-33-2)
Line: Warriors (-5)
Performance Index Forecast: Warriors: 128.9-124.3
Money line: Warriors (-210), Lakers (175)
Predicted BPI Winner: Warriors (66.2%)
General: 235.5 Predicted BPI: 253.2
Injury Report:
Warriors: Andre Iguodala (GTD – Hip); Patrick Baldwin Jr. (GTD – Ankle); Stephen Curry (GTD – Lower Leg) Andrew Wiggins (OUT – Personal); Gary Payton II (OUT – Stomach); Ryan Rollins (OUT – Foot)
Lakers: Anthony Davis (GTD – ft.) D’Angelo Russell (CARE – ankle); LeBron James, (OUT – Leg)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Fantasy Streamer: Austin Reeves (available in 96.7% of leagues) has generally improved his game since LeBron James lost despite failing on Friday’s shooting. Overall, over the past three games, Reeves averaged 14.0 points per game, 4.7 assists and 1.7 three-pointers on 24.3 miles per game off the bench. Those are working streaming numbers if he can replicate or improve on Sunday. — Snellings
Best bet: Lakers +5.0. The Warriors have won five games in a row and are expected to bring back Stephen Curry on Sunday, with the Lakers minus LeBron James (leg) of course. However, the Warriors’ dominant trend this season should be considered: they are just 7-23 on the road this season and have lost five straight on the road. This trend continued even before Curry’s latest injury, when they lost four of their last six on the road. The Lakers are still competitive with LeBron gone, going 1-2 with a -4.7 ppg difference, and they should be able to make Sunday’s game competitive against the away Warriors as well. — Snellings
Charlotte Hornets to Brooklyn Nets
6:00 pm ET, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York.
Records (against spread)
Hornets: 20-45 (28-35-2)
Networks: 35-28 (33-30-0)
Line: Networks (-7)
Performance Index Forecast: Networks: 128.9-118.3
Money line: Hornets (240), Nets (-305)
Predicted BPI Winner: Networks (82.3%)
General: 227 Predicted BPI: 246.8
Injury Report:
Hornets: PJ Washington, (GTD – Foot); Cody Martin (EXIT – Knee); Lamelo Ball, (OUT – Ankle)
Networks: Yuta Watanabe, (GTD – Back); Ben Simmons (OUT – Knee); Edmond Sumner (OUT – Personal)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Portland Trail Blazers at Orlando Magic
6:00 pm ET, Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Records (against spread)
Blazers: 29-34 (30-32-1)
Magic: 27-37 (35-27-2)
Line: Magic (-1.5)
Performance Index Forecast: Magic: 131.7-128.6
Money line: Blazers (105), Magic (-125)
Predicted BPI Winner: Magic (60.9%)
General: 229 Predicted BPI: 260.3
Injury Report:
Blazers: Anfernee Simons, (OUT – ankle); Yusuf Nurkic (OUT – Calf); Ryan Arcidiacono (EXIT – Back); Justice Winslow, (OUT – ankle)
Magic: Franz Wagner, (GTE – Ankle); Gary Harris (GTD – Hip); Jonathan Isaac, (OUT – Hamstring)
Note: BPI figures include players who are excluded but assume that GTD players will play.
Fantasy Streamer: Cam Reddish (Available in 94.4% of leagues) continues to get extra mileage and touches the wing with the eliminated Anferni Simons, and was the most consistent wing maker on the Trail Blazers even before the All-Star break. In his last six games, Reddish averaged 16.2 points, 2.7 3-pointers, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.8 miles per game, including 25 points on Friday against the Hawks. . — Snellings
Best bet: Damian Lillard over 34.5 points. We look forward to the next Dame time game as Lillard continues what is arguably the best scoring run of his career. Lillard has averaged 37.9 points per game in his last 19 games, including three 40+ point games in his last six away games. In the short term, Lillard averaged 41.0 points per game in his last seven games, topping 34.5 in five of those seven games. — Snellings
San Antonio Spurs – Houston Rockets.
7:00 pm ET, Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Records (against spread)
Spurs: 16-48 (26-38-0)
Rockets: 14-49 (23-37-3)
Line: Missiles (-2.5)
Performance Index Forecast: Rockets: 131.7-126.8
Money line: Spurs (118), Rockets (-140)
Predicted BPI Winner: Rockets (58.6%)
General: 230.5 Predicted BPI: 256.1
Injury Report:
Spurs: Devin…
Source: www.espn.com
