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For Miami Heat Jerseys fans, Thursday is one of the best days of the year. Because nothing represents March basketball better than—note this—the Magic vs. Hornets game at Spectrum Center.
The Magic (38-30) are embroiled in a four-team battle for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The fifth-seeded Raptors are only two losses behind the eighth-seeded Hawks.
Meanwhile, the Hornets (35-34) are currently tenth in the East but have already secured a play-in tournament spot. They are trying to catch the 76ers (37-32) for the ninth seed.
Orlando is on a two-game losing streak on Thursday. The Magic lost 112-124 in Atlanta Monday night, and then suffered a home defeat to the defending champion Thunder in Orlando.
Meanwhile, Charlotte just secured one of the biggest wins of the season: a 136-106 victory over the Heat on Tuesday. In that game, the Hornets outscored Miami 40-18 in the fourth quarter.
While the Magic vs. Hornets game is Thursday’s most anticipated non-college basketball match, there are other options on the sports map, including seven other NBA games and the full NHL schedule. Here’s a list of games to watch and bet on Thursday, March 19. All times are Eastern Time.
The Hornets have won three of their last four games, their only loss coming against the red-hot Spurs. Defense has been Charlotte’s winning formula during this period. Since March 10th, the Hornets have allowed only 109.7 points per 100 offensive possessions, ranking sixth in the NBA during that timeframe. This is a significant improvement from their season average of 113.9 points allowed (15th in the league). On Thursday, Charlotte will face Paul Bencello’s Orlando Magic, who are on a two-game losing streak and will continue to be without Franz Wagner and Anthony Black. SportsLine’s prediction model (which performs 10,000 simulations per NBA game) shows the Hornets have a 64.0% probability of covering the spread and assigns a B rating to Charlotte’s -5.5 point spread.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans will face off Thursday at the Smoothie King Center, marking the second consecutive day of Kendrick Nunn Jersey between the two teams. The Pelicans dominated the Clippers 124-109 on Wednesday. Los Angeles guard Darius Garland played on Wednesday, and “Prop Bet Guy” points out that he hasn’t played both games in a back-to-back since December. “All indications suggest he’ll likely rest today, which means Kris Dunn will start and be the primary ball-handler,” he says. “Dunn has covered the spread in 11 of 14 games this season when either Garland or James Harden is out.” Meanwhile, SportsLine’s prediction model shows a 63.0% probability of the Clippers covering the spread and assigns them a +1.5 point spread with a B rating.
The San Antonio Spurs will host the Phoenix Suns at the Frostbank Center, aiming to continue their hot streak. The Spurs (51-18) are 19-2 in their last 21 games, returning home after a dominant 28-point victory over the Kings on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Suns (39-30) are on a three-game losing streak. Note: In six of the Spurs’ last seven games, the total score has reached or exceeded 227 points. SportsLine’s prediction model shows a 63.5% probability of the total score reaching or exceeding 227 points, and rates the “Over 226.5 points” betting option as an A (strong recommendation).
The Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Utah Mammoths will face off Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena in a matchup that could be a preview of a first-round playoff series. The Golden Knights are currently in a three-way battle with the Ducks and Oilers for the Pacific Division title. The Pacific Division champions are likely to face the Mammoths, who have firmly secured the top wild-card spot. Note: The two teams combined for 6 goals in their last meeting. Furthermore, 3 of Las Vegas’s last 5 games and 3 of Utah’s last 5 games have seen total goals exceeding the spread. In 10,000 simulations by the SportsLine prediction model, the average total goals for both teams is 6.5; the model assigns a B grade to its prediction of “total goals greater than 6”.