The NBA regular season continues with an excellent 9-game slate today — Wednesday, March 18.
Our NBA betting experts dug into the latest odds and identified best bets for six of tonight's contests, including picks for Warriors vs. Celtics, Hawks vs. Mavericks, Lakers vs. Rockets, and more.
Continue below for today's NBA best bets, expert picks, and predictions.
NBA Best Bets for Wednesday, March 18
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 8:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Warriors vs. Celtics Player Prop Pick
By Chris Prince
Even in a tough spot against the Celtics, we are getting a great number on De'Anthony Melton, who has really been playing some great ball as the Warriors try and stay afloat without Steph Curry.
Melton has seen great shot volume of late, averaging 16.5 shot attempts over his last four games, and he has topped this number in points alone in three of his last four games.
He has also been a solid contributor in the rebounds and assists department, averaging 7.7 RA over his last four contests.
Melton has beaten this PRA number in seven of his last 10 outings, including a game against this same Celtics team back in February.
Pick: De'Anthony Melton Over 20.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists (-115)
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Raptors vs. Bulls Prop Bet
By Joe Dellera
Brandon Ingram scored totals of 34 and 36 points in his latest two outings against the Pistons and the Suns — and that’s obviously part of the reason why this line is a bit elevated against Chicago tonight.
However, the Bulls play really fast, and they have been horrific defensively.
Ingram has played 39 minutes in each of his last three games, so the workload is clearly there — and looking back at his history against Chicago, he’s had a ton of success.
Over the last couple of seasons, Ingram has played against them five times and scored at least 22 points in all of those games, while going Over this number in four of five — and this season alone, he’s dropped 33 and 31 against the Bulls.
Chicago doesn’t really have anyone who can defend him well, and the Bulls are weak in the areas where Ingram likes to operate. Overall, I just see a lot of avenues for Ingram to score over 23.5 points tonight.
Pick: Brandon Ingram Over 23.5 Points (-115)
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Clippers vs. Pelicans Moneyline Prediction
By Bet Labs
This NBA moneyline betting system identifies regular season matchups where efficient but undervalued teams face opponents with poor defensive metrics — such as the Pelicans in tonight's game against the Raptors..
When a team’s underlying performance indicators, such as Pythagorean strength, exceed public perception, the betting market often undervalues them against weak defensive opponents who allow high scoring efficiency.
These games typically feature modest moneylines that signal balance but overlook the defensive mismatch. Slight movement toward the undervalued side reinforces that bettors are slowly recognizing the edge, yet the market remains mispriced.
Over recent seasons, this pattern has rewarded teams whose true performance levels are masked by variance while exploiting opponents that consistently fail to contain efficient offenses, creating a steady opportunity on the moneyline.
Pick: Pelicans Moneyline (-130)
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Hawks vs. Mavericks Player Prop Pick
Action PRO is projecting 9.5 assists for Jalen Johnson is the Hawks' matchup against the Mavericks tonight, showing an excellent 11.7% edge against his current prop line of over/under 8.5, which is strong enough to tag the Over with a B grade in our database.
Johnson's usage rate has shot through the roof the last few games, as he enters tonight's contest coming off 20-point triple-doubles in back-to-back outings, while recording 12+ assists in both of those games.
Overall, Johnson has recorded 9+ assists in four of his last six games — and the two times he fell short during that span, he posted totals of eight and seven; still coming very close to this number.
This should be a good spot for him to keep the momentum going against a Mavericks squad that ranks 4th in pace and 23rd in points allowed per game on the season.
Pick: Jalen Johnson Over 8.5 Assists (+105)
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Jazz vs. Timberwolves Spread Prediction
By Bet Labs
Our NBA spread betting system titled "Road Dogs Off ATS Loss" focuses on regular season situations where visiting underdogs are primed for a rebound after failing to cover the spread in their previous game.
These teams often show stronger effort and tighter execution following a poor performance, particularly when facing opponents coming off strong ATS wins who may enter overconfident or slightly overvalued by the market.
The travel factor adds to the motivation, as underdogs on the road tend to play with urgency and discipline to stay competitive.
By isolating games where perception favors the home team and the spread is wide enough to allow value, this system captures bounce-back opportunities where public sentiment skews the line, rewarding disciplined bettors who back undervalued road dogs in resilient spots.
Action PRO projects the spread for this game at Timberwolves -7.2, providing an huge 14.6% edge against the current line of -13.5, which is good enough to make Jazz +13.5 an A+ play in our system.
Pick: Jazz +13.5 (-110)
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Lakers vs. Rockets Prop Bet
By Joe Dellera
The Lakers face off against the Rockets on Wednesday night, and I’m going to bet on Luka Doncic to continue his strong play.
Luka has been absolutely outrageous lately and is doing so with a dominant usage rate.
On the season, Doncic is averaging 22.4 field goal attempts per game on a 36% usage rate. However, over his last six games, he’s up to 26.3 attempts per game and a 38.6% usage rate — which includes a 36-point performance against the Rockets last time out.
Luka is a bit of a streaky player. However, with this amount of volume, the shot variance is almost always playing out in favor of the Over.
Doncic should be able to find success here again.
The Rockets expect Alperen Sengun back today, but that does not improve the Rockets' defense, especially if his back is still bothering him at all.
Plus, as good as the Rockets’ defense is, they continue to struggle against pick-and-roll ball-handlers.
I’ll back Luka to score over 31.5 points tonight.
Pick: Luka Doncic Over 31.5 Points (-115)
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