NBA Thursday best bets: Can Thunder snap Clippers' win streak?
There are eight NBA games Thursday to watch and bet on. Many teams are playing for the second straight night, which often leads to sloppy basketball. Keep that in mind when sifting through the board.
Here are our three best bets for Thursday night.
Clippers @ Thunder (-4.5, O/U 236.5)
The Clippers are the NBA's hottest team. They've won nine straight, and their four aging stars are healthy and meshing. But this is a bad spot for Los Angeles versus the league's best club against the spread and Western Conference's second seed.
The Clippers played in Dallas on Wednesday night before traveling to Oklahoma City following the game. Meanwhile, the Thunder haven't played since Monday. Paul George was out with an illness Wednesday, and his status for Thursday is uncertain.
Kawhi Leonard has played in every back-to-back this season, but the Clippers' win streak will end as they run out of gas against the young, fast-paced Thunder.
Pick: Thunder -4.5
Lakers @ Timberwolves (-6, O/U 225)
The Lakers and Timberwolves both played in different cities Wednesday night and traveled to Minnesota following their game. Minnesota lost to Philadelphia, while the Lakers fell to Chicago.
The line continues to rise in the Timberwolves' favor, which makes me believe there's a chance LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis will sit out Thursday. James has played both nights of a back-to-back four times this season, but he recorded over 30 minutes in both contests only once. He played 37 minutes last night.
It's no secret the Lakers' offense suffers without James on the floor. If he plays, look out for his point total under when that line is posted. Even at full strength, these are two of the league's best defensive teams. With tired legs and strong defenses, points will be hard to come by.
Pick: Under 225
Jaren Jackson Jr.: Over 22.5 points
Nobody on the Grizzlies benefits more from Ja Morant's presence than Jackson Jr. Morant and Jackson are lethal in the pick-and-roll, and Jackson is much more effective as the roll man when Morant is his partner.
Morant's explosiveness and passing instinct open the floor for Jackson and allow him more scoring opportunities. Jackson posted 24 points in Morant's debut this week.
The Grizzlies are playing the Pacers, the NBA's third-worst defense. Indiana is horrible at defending the pick-and-roll, among other play types. The total is set at 247, which means both teams are expected to score frequently. There will be plenty of scoring chances for Jackson to reach this over, which he's hit in five of the last eight games.
Odds: -105 (playable to -120)
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage.