NBA Odds & Lines Tonight: Knicks, Cavs, Clippers (3/23/23)

Forbes

23 March 2023

NBA Odds & Lines Tonight: Knicks, Cavs, Clippers (3/23/23)

The playoffs are on the horizon, and NBA games are high-stakes affairs as spring approaches.

The best NBA betting sites offer many ways to wager on the NBA, including moneylines, spreads, and over/unders. Those are the traditional ways to bet on basketball. You can also wager on NBA futures.

Below is a look at the NBA Games for Thursday, March 23, 2023:

Knicks (42-32) vs. Magic (30-43)

New York will be on the second night of a road back-to-back when it heads from Miami to Orlando on Thursday. The Knicks have ascended to fifth place in the Eastern Conference but have little chance of surpassing the Cleveland Cavaliers for fourth in the next nine games, especially after last night’s loss to the Heat. Still, New York has most of its rotation healthy, with just Duane Washington Jr out and Trevor Keels listed as day-to-day.

Orlando will again be without Jalen Suggs (concussion) for the fourth-straight game; it has to lean on Markelle Fultz to play a significant amount of minutes and provide the guard play that Orlando needs to win games. The Magic have won two-straight home games and hope to make it three, despite being out of the playoff race.

Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Amway Center (Orlando, FL)

Betting Odds Summary

Spread: Knicks -3.5 (-110), Magic +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Knicks -165, Magic +130
Total: Over/Under 228.5 Points (-105/-115)

Cavaliers (46-28) vs. Nets (39-33)

For the second time in three nights, the Cavaliers will take on Brooklyn in Barclays Center. The first outing was somewhat expected, as Cleveland dominated on the defensive end, ultimately winning by six points. Cleveland also returned Jarrett Allen to its starting lineup for the first time in four games; he finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds. The Cavaliers have garnered some momentum, winning four of their past five games, and hope to continue that here.

Despite Cleveland winning, Brooklyn did perform well in certain areas, particularly on the glass, where it outrebounded the Cavs by 15; Cleveland ranks much higher than the Nets in total rebounding rate, so this was a positive for them. Still, the Cavs were able to hold Mikal Bridges to 18 points on 9-21 shooting from the floor and 0-8 from behind the arc, which are well below his averages in Brooklyn. The Nets need another strong rebounding game and a Bridges scoring explosion to hold off Cleveland at home this time around.

Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)

Betting Odds Summary

Spread: Cavaliers -4 (-105), Nets +4 (-115)
Moneyline: Cavaliers -175, Nets +135
Total: Over/Under 219.5 Points (-110/-110)

Hornets (23-50) vs. Pelicans (35-37)

Charlotte’s last win against the Pacers was impressive, even though they were without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton. The Hornets have nothing to play for at this point, as they are out of the playoff picture, but they still beat an Indiana team with more talent. Regardless, that was at home, and this is a road game against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are only 1.5 games out of sixth place and one game from seventh.

After a monumental meltdown in the second half of the 2022-23 season, the New Orleans Pelicans are still on the cusp of a postseason berth, with Zion Williamson and Jose Alvarado set to return in the coming weeks. If New Orleans can squeak into the playoffs, it might have a healthy roster, which would be frightening for opponents. The Pelicans certainly have an incentive to continue competing.

Start Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans, LA)

Betting Odds Summary

Spread: Hornets +9 (-110), Pelicans -9 (-110)
Moneyline: Hornets +280, Pelicans -420
Total: Over/Under 225 Points (-110/-110)

Thunder (36-36) vs. Clippers (38-35)

Los Angeles suffered a huge setback to its championship and playoff hopes when Paul George suffered a knee injury. George might be back in a few weeks, but if the Clippers lose most of these remaining games, they may not even make the playoffs. Still, Los Angeles has won five of its past seven games and had a chance to beat Oklahoma City at the end of its last matchup but fell short. The Clippers have to buckle down and get a win at home if they want to hold off teams like the Lakers, Thunder, Mavericks, Jazz, Warriors, and Timberwolves.

Kawhi Leonard experienced the “Dort-ure Chamber” in the last possession of the Clippers’ matchup with Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. Leonard was held to a modest 21 points in 38 minutes in that game due to Lu Dort and the Thunder defense. Now, Kawhi will be without Paul George, so look for another competitive defensive effort from OKC. Further, SGA and Jalen Williams have been quite the dynamic duo offensively for the Thunder; they combined for 51 points in that last matchup.