2/3 on NBA tips on Saturday to cap off another profitable week in basketball for BYB followers. The final quarter of the NBA regular season is now upon us and Tuesday 5th of March offers a fantastic seven game slate, headlined by a massive Western Conference clash between the Nuggets and Spurs followed by the Los Angeles derby.
We take a look at some of the key games of the day and give our betting tips below.
NBA Betting Tips Tuesday 5th of March
Dallas Mavericks at Brooklyn Nets (11.30am AEDT)
The Mavericks have lost seven of their last 10 games and now find themselves in 13th place in the Western Conferece. It seems they have gone into tank mode after making the trade for Knicks star Kristaps Porzingus and putting him on ice for the rest of the season. The Mavs suffered a 30 point loss at home to the Grizzlies on Sunday, as they put up just 81 points, marking the first time in eight games they have failed to score 100.
The Nets currently find themselves in 7th place in the EAstern Conference, but have a two game advantage over the Orlando Magic in eighth. they have lost their last three games in a row and won just four of their last 10 after being as high as 6th in the East just a few weeks ago.
The Nets start as 5.5 point favourites at home, which we think is about right given they have a slight winning record at home. On the contrary, the Mavs have been absolutely deplorable on the road. They maintain just a 6-24 record away from Dallas, which is the second worst in the league, and are just 15-15 against the spread in those games, a stark contrast to their 20-11-1 against the spread record at home.
Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs (12.30pm AEDT)
Potential playoffs first round preview here as the San Antonio Spurs host the Denver Nuggets from 12.30pm on Thursday. The Spurs have won just three of their last 10 games, however, they have won their last two in a row, both good wins at home over the Pistons and Thunder. They'll be in San Antonio for one more game before going on the road, looking to improve their home record to 25-7, which will be good for third in the league.
Like the Spurs, the Nuggets are a dominant team at home but have struggled on the road throughout the regular seaosn. They currently have the best home record in the league at 27-6 but have just a 15-14 record on the road and have covered the spread in just 11 of those games. They currently find themselves second place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors.
The Spurs start as slight 1 point favourites at home, but we think that is a little low. They are 20-11 against the spread at the AT&T Centre so far this season and have won back to back games at home against strong opposition. It's usually around this time of year that coach Greg Poppovich whips the Spurs into shape, and we expect them to win here.
Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers (2.30pm AEDT)
The battle for LA gets another installment on Tuesday as LeBron James and the Lakers host the Clippers at Staples Centre. With just 19 games to go in the season, the Lakers currently sit a full 4.5 games outside of the playoff race and will likely need to win at least 15 of their remaining games to make the top eight in the Western Conference. They have lost their last two in a row ad seven of their last 10, and the road doesn't get much easier with games against the Nuggets, Celtics and Raptors over their next five.
Having won their last two games and six of their last 10, the Clippers have almost done enough to secure a plyoffs berth this season. They find themselves in seventh place in the Western Conference, 3.5 games ahead of the Sacramento Kings in ninth place. They were fantastic at home against the Knicks on Monday, winning by 21 points, but will be on the second night of a back to back when they meet the Lakers.
The Lakers start as 4.5 point favourites here and one more loss this early, knowing the tough schedule they have to come will almost see them out of the playoff race. With the Clippers on the back to back, we think LeBron and the Lakers get up for the nationally televised game.
