The NBA regular season is in the final stretch and there are six games slated for Friday, April 3, 2026 (AEDT). Two games tip off at 10am, including the Timberwolves at Pistons matchup. Another highlight is the Lakers at Thunder contest. Here are our three best bets for Friday’s NBA games.
NBA Betting Tips: Friday, April 3rd 2026
Minnesota Timberwolves at Detroit Pistons (10:00am AEDT)
The Minnesota Timberwolves (46-29) are trying to secure a Playoff berth and it looks likely they will avoid the Play-In tournament. Facing them will be the Detroit Pistons (55-21) who have the Central Division sewn up. Cade Cunningham is out for the Pistons, while Isaiah Stewart is also set to miss the contest. For the Wolves, star player Anthony Edwards is questionable for Friday’s game.
If Edwards plays, I really like the Timberwolves chances of not only covering the line but leaving Michigan with the victory. Regardless, this matchup showcases two elite defensive teams, with both top five in the league. Not only that, but both sides are also efficient at scoring the basketball from the field, once again in the top five in the league.
Former Chicago Bull Ayo Dosunmu relished a rare start last game, scoring 18 points on 8-13 shooting. It was a triple double for Dosunmu who also had 15 rebounds and 12 assists. Julius Randle is having a good season and needs to play well if the Wolves are to topple the Pistons here.
Timberwolves WIN
$2.20 (1 Unit)
Phoenix Suns at Charlotte Hornets (10:00am AEDT)
The Phoenix Suns (42-34) will try to bounce back from a loss when they hit the road to battle the Charlotte Hornets (40-36). It was an easy win by the Hornets last game as they belted the Brooklyn Nets 117-86. The future looks exciting for Charlotte with Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Coby White all 25 years or younger.
With a 7-3 record from their last 10 games, the Hornets are finding form at the right time of year as they are guaranteed to make the Play-In tournament and can still make the Playoffs. They are ranked fourth in offensive rating this season and it’s easy to see why when they make the most threes per game with 16.2 and shoot a very accurate 37.9% from deep. Knueppel has obliterated the record for most threes made by a rookie in a season. After 75 games played, he has made 257 shots from beyond the arc.
Devin Booker will need to be brilliant, along with Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Grayson Allen if the Suns are to get the win on the road. Phoenix are 18-19 on the road this season and basically mirrors Charlotte’s 19-19 record at home. With a -5.5 handicap, the young Hornets look a strong chance to cover the line.
Hornets -5.5
$1.90 (1 unit)
Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder (12:30pm AEDT)
A highlight game for the day is the visiting LA Lakers (50-26) at OKC Thunder (60-16) as the third and first seeds in the Western Conference are set to fight it out. Two of the best guards in the NBA will lock horns with Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Doncic leads the league with 33.8 points per game ahead of SGA who is second with 31.6 points. Doncic is also third in assists with 8.3 per game.
The offense will run through both players respectively and it will be expected that both will be prominent throughout the contest. Where the game is more likely to be won, is from the role players. The Thunder have substantially more talent coming off the bench with the Lakers superstar-loaded in contrast with LeBron James and Austin Reaves doing the bulk of the scoring alongside Luka.
On the back of a four-game winning streak and a +9.5 head start, the 9-1 Lakers (from their past 10 games) appeal in this contest. The Thunder are in cruise control this season and don’t exactly need to make a statement right now, so it may not end up being a blowout.
Lakers +9.5
$1.90 (1 Unit)
