Three bets worth considering when the weekend kicks off

Chicago Bulls at Dallas Mavericks
American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
8:30 PM ET
SuperBook Line: Dallas -11.0

At this point in the season, the Bulls don’t have much to play for. That’s not because they’re out of the postseason chase; it’s because Chicago is locked into the No. 10 seed. The Mavericks, on the other hand, have everything to play for. Dallas is currently the No. 11 seed in the NBA’s Western Conference.

However, the Mavs are tied with the Thunder, who currently hold the last spot in the play-in tournament. Oklahoma City will play Utah and Memphis in their final two games. Dallas faces Chicago and San Antonio in their last two. In order to make the playoffs, the Mavericks will have to win one more game than the Thunder, considering that they don’t have the tiebreaker.

What this essentially means is that Dallas has to win both of their games and hope OKC loses one of theirs. Needless to say, this game against the Bulls means everything.

The Mavericks will be coming off of a nice win against the Kings on Wednesday, a game in which Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combined for a total of 60 points. With those two guys, it’s hard to imagine the Mavericks losing to a Bulls team that has nothing to play for, but crazier things have happened.

It’s now or never for the Mavericks; their season is on the line. The franchise’s reputation is on the line. It’s what the NBA is all about.

Will the Mavericks stay alive? Or will they pack their bags for Cabo? Irving and Doncic, playing at home with their season on the line, against a team that has little to play for, seems like an easy choice.

Jason Schlefsky’s pick: Dallas M/L (-600)

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Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings
Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA
10:00 PM ET
SuperBook Line: Golden State -9.5

Technically, the Kings still have a shot at getting the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. It would take a miracle considering they would have to win out and the Grizzlies would have to lose out, but it could happen. Therefore, they still have something to play for, and certainly won’t be resting any players in this matchup against the Warriors.

Golden State has much more to play for than Sacramento. With two games left to play, they can climb as high as the No. 5 seed and fall as low as No. 9. Currently, they are sitting at No. 6 in the Western Conference. Unfortunately for the Warriors, though, they haven’t exactly been stellar on the road.

Golden State has a road record of 9-30 this season, the fourth worst in the league. The last time the Warriors played the Kings in Sacramento, they lost 122-115.

Overall, however, they are 2-1 against Sacramento. The Kings are 5-5 in their last 10, while the Warriors are 6-4.

Both teams are high scoring, as the Kings put up 121.3 points per game (first in the NBA) and the Warriors put up 118.5 (second). Both teams have loads of talent. The Kings had two All-Stars in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Warriors have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, who may be returning to the team soon, have had great seasons as well.

The Warriors are a threat no matter what. Whether they have to participate in the play-in tournament or not, they will still be NBA championship contenders, as they are almost every year. They are a tough team, with Hall of Fame players and a Hall of Fame coach.

They may have a bad road record, but they are hard to bet against when it comes to crunch time. Take Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Jason Schlefsky’s pick: Golden State M/L (-400)

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Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers
Gainbridge Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN
7:00 PM ET
SuperBook Line: Indiana -7.0

The end of the NBA season is thrilling. Almost every game is worth watching and almost every game has playoff implications. The one without postseason connections, though, can be pretty tough to watch. See tonight in Indianapolis.

It’s a terrible team against a terrible team and it’s a game in which neither squad even bothers to play their top players. The only thing those games are good for are cheap tickets and good value.

The Pacers are 34-46 and were recently eliminated from NBA playoff contention. That’s not good. However, that’s stellar compared to what the Pistons have going on. Detroit hasn’t won half as many games as Indiana, coming into tonight with a record of 16-64. They win just 20% of their games.

But it’s been even worse as of late. Since Feb. 10, the Pistons have won just one game. One. Game.

Going 1-23 over a nearly two-month span is mind boggling. But hey, if you’re gonna tank for the top pick, do it right.

There is one detail that is worth mentioning. The one game that they did win was against the Pacers. Neither team had their best players in action and the Pistons were able to grab the W.

So, while the Detroit Pistons have been by far the worst team in the league of late, there might be a small chance of them actually winning. Even without Bojan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III, they may have a chance.

That being said, it’s still too much of a risk. Putting money on the Pistons to win is like predicting that a meteorite will hit Earth tomorrow. Technically it could happen, but we all know it won’t.

Jason Schlefsky’s pick: Indiana M/L (-270)

NBA: Perfect Parlay

1. Dallas M/L (-600)
2. Golden State M/L (-400)
3. Indiana M/L (-270)

The Mavericks and the Warriors have everything in the world to play for, facing teams that don’t. They seem like layups. And the Pacers are playing a team that is 1-23 in their last 24 games. That seems too easy. Bundle the sure winners for a nice little one-to-one payday.

Jason Schlefsky’s Three-Leg Parlay = +104