X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Free NBA Betting Picks and Best Bets (3/22/24)

Victor Wembanyama - Fantasy Basketball Rankings, DFS Picks, NBA Injury News

Josh Wiesel's top NBA betting picks and best bets for today's NBA games on 3/22/24. Use his free picks against the spread, teasers, parlays, and NBA player props to win money betting on the NBA!

Happy Friday, RotoBallers! To close off the week, we have eight games on the NBA schedule tonight. I hope you enjoyed the first day of the NCAA tournament, and I encourage you to check out RotoBaller's March Madness content as well. Let's get into tonight's games.

Last night was a night to forget for me. I failed to find a winner, but that will happen from time to time, so I’m not too worried about it. I like my three picks tonight, and I hope for a nice rebound.

In this article, I'll be providing my favorite picks against the spread, game totals, parlays, and teasers for the NBA slate that tips off at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 22. Follow me on X, @Jwiesel13.

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 50% off using code SUMMER. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

NBA Betting Picks: Totals

Oklahoma City Thunder (-14.5) at Toronto Raptors (231 total)

I was pretty surprised by this total, given the Raptors inability to score the basketball. I gave the under some thought, but I'm going to continue playing the hits and take the Raptors team total under.

On Wednesday, the Raptors got crushed 123-89 by the Sacramento Kings. This was Toronto's second straight game failing to score 100 points, and they haven't scored over 104 in their last four games. In those four games, Toronto is averaging 98 points while shooting 44.1 percent on FGA's and 31.1 percent from three. They are in the bottom eight in FGAs, and Oklahoma City is limiting opponents to the fifth-fewest FGAs in the last ten games. Toronto will have to make its shots count, and recent play tells me that's not going to happen.

I'm guessing this total is almost 230 because the books are assuming OKC is going to blow them out while scoring a ton of points. The Thunder are forcing opponents into the second-most turnovers over their last ten games. Only the Portland Trail Blazers have had more turnovers than the Raptors over the last four games. Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl are hurt, and RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are away from the team. Toronto will field the same roster tonight that failed to score 90 points against a Kings team ranked 15th in defensive rating. Oklahoma City is fifth in defensive rating this season.

The Pick: Raptors Team Total Under 107.5 (-110 ESPN BET)

 

Indiana Pacers (+5) at Golden State Warriors (240 total)

The Warriors were able to shake off a home loss to the Knicks on Monday night and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 137-116 on Wednesday. Golden State put up 68 first-half points, and I'm looking for them to do something similar tonight.

In the three games since returning from a brief hiatus, the Warriors have put up 67, 56, and 68 first-half points. They are averaging the fourth-most points in the NBA in the opening two quarters over their last three games. Stephen Curry & Co. are hitting 52.7 percent of their FGAs and 48.1 percent from three. What I also like to see is that GS has the second-most FGAs behind the Pacers in this three-game sample.

Golden State has actually been a bottom-five team in pace in its last three games. That makes it even more impressive that they've been able to attempt so many shots. They now play against a Pacers team that is second in pace this season. Indiana will try to speed the game up, and the Warriors are 11th in pace this season, so that does play into their style.

For the season, the Pacers are 28th in first-half defense, and they give up the second-most points per game. In the first half on the road this season, opponents have shot 51.2 percent on FGAs and 39 percent from three. Indiana gives up a lot of points in the paint, and though the Warriors aren't great at scoring inside, they could take advantage of that tonight.

The Pick: Warriors First Half Team Total Over 59.5 (-118 FanDuel)

 

Sports Betting Promo Offers

Featured Promo: Get any Betting Premium Pass for 50% off using code SUMMER. Win more with exclusive betting picks from proven winners across 9 sports! Find optimal bets with our Betting Picks Tool and Bet Weighting Tool and follow along in our VIP chat rooms! Go Premium, Win More!

 

NBA Betting Picks: ML & Spreads

Memphis Grizzlies (+6.5) at San Antonio Spurs (216.5 total)

A little peek behind the curtain: Originally, I had the Grizzlies covering the first quarter tonight in San Antonio. I had my little paragraphs sketched out. The statistics all supported it, and Memphis has covered the first quarter in their last three games. That's all been with Desmond Bane back in the lineup. I was feeling good about the pick until I saw Bane was doubtful and not playing tonight.

Pivoting off of that, I'm taking the Spurs to cover the first half tonight. Barring any silly late injury reports, San Antonio should be ready to rock tonight in front of their home crowd. This team is still playing hard and lost a close game to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. The Spurs are 18-15 ATS in the opening two quarters at Frost Bank Center.

Neither team scores the ball well, but San Antonio does average 56.9 points at home compared to 53.9 on the road. They also shoot better on FGAs and from three. I find this important because they go up against a Grizzlies team that averaged 49.5 first-half points in four road games in February. In 12 February games, Memphis averaged 51.7 first-half points while shooting 42.3 percent on FGAs and 36.5 percent from three. I use February as a sample because they played that entire month without Bane. It sounds simple to say, but if the Spurs can just outscore the Grizzlies, I think they should cover the half.

The Spurs rank eighth among home teams in first-half defensive rating in March. In February, the Grizzlies were 27th in first-half offensive rating and 19th in defensive rating. Along with Bane, Vince Williams is also unlikely to play tonight. Williams averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 11 February games for Memphis. Bane also had the highest assist percentage rate and best defensive rating of any Grizzlies player who's played the last three games and averaged ten or more minutes in the first half. Luke Kennard is out as well.

Victor Wembanyama is averaging 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in the opening two quarters at home this season. Spurs second-leading scorer Devin Vassell is averaging 9.1 points. Keldon Johnson is putting up 8.5 points while shooting 43.1 percent from deep. Point guard Tre Jones has averaged 7.3 points on over 62 percent shooting while also dishing out 4.1 assists in six March games at home. Memphis is only 13-22 ATS in the first half on the road this season. I see that record moving to 13–23 tonight.

The Pick: Spurs First Half -2.5 (-125 PointsBet)

 



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

NBA DFS News and Injury Alerts




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF