Suns look to climb standings against Pelicans

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There are less than two weeks to go in the NBA's regular season. Monday features six games on the slate, half of which have massive double-digit point spreads. Here are our three best bets.

Hawks @ Bulls (-2.5, O/U 222.5)

The Hawks have the league's eighth-best offense and fourth-worst defense. Fifty-six percent of their games go over the total, the NBA's second-highest rate.

The Bulls don't do anything particularly well - their offense and defense are below average - but they have the third-best over rate and have been competitive recently, including a defeat of the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Sunday.

Playing the second leg of a back-to-back should hinder Chicago's defense even more. This total is too low for two teams that consistently surpass their respective game totals.

Pick: Over 222.5 points

Suns @ Pelicans (-1.5, O/U 223.5)

It's hard to make sense of the Suns. They look like a title contender in one game only to barely look like a playoff team in the next. That inconsistency is why they're tied for the seventh seed in the West.

With eight games left and the NBA's hardest remaining schedule, Phoenix needs every possible win to escape the play-in tournament. That should lead to a desperate Suns performance against the Pelicans without Brandon Ingram.

Phoenix defeated the Pelicans in January when both teams were fully healthy. I expect the motivated, energetic version of the Suns to show up Monday night.

Pick: Suns +1.5

Scoot Henderson: Under 18.5 points

Scoot Henderson hasn't had the rookie season anyone expected from the No. 2 overall pick. His game hasn't translated to the NBA like many scouts assumed, and his inefficiency has hurt him throughout the season.

He's played better over the last month as his downhill driving and finishing have improved. However, Henderson faces the Magic's daunting defense Monday.

Orlando has the league's second-best defense. It starts with its perimeter defenders, who swarm opposing guards. Henderson is averaging 14.9 points this month and hasn't reached 19 in nine of the last 12 games.

Odds: -120

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.