NBA Betting Trends & Tips to Consider for the Weekend (Mar. 11-13)

Things are getting more intense around the NBA now that the 2021-22 regular season is nearing its end. Whether it’s a push for the playoffs or an individual award, everyone will be giving it their all in the closing weeks.

There are still a lot of opportunities for bettors to add some extra excitement down the stretch — including when it comes to the action coming over the next three days. While certain players and teams make better betting options than others, there’s clearly some value to be had there.

In order to maximize said NBA betting value, here’s a look at a few player and team trends ahead of the NBA games taking place from March 11 to March 13.

Reigning NBA Champs are Firing on all Cylinders

Few teams have been as consistent as the Milwaukee Bucks have been over their most recent stretch. The Bucks enter the weekend on a six-game winning streak, with a road matchup scheduled for Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.

Normally, the Warriors would pose a tough matchup against most teams, but they’ve been struggling lately. They’re 3-9 straight up in their last 12 games and don’t look like the same team that was pencilled in as a championship favorite earlier this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a monster during the Bucks’ six-game streak, averaging 31.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists over that span. Considering how the Warriors’ defense has been lackluster lately, the ‘Greek Freak’ could be an attractive option for player prop bets.

The Bucks vs Warriors game could also end up being a high-scoring affair. The total has hit the over in seven of Golden State’s last 10 games, while it’s also done so in eight of Milwaukee’s most recent 10 outings.

It also shouldn’t matter too much if the Bucks wind up being the road underdogs or not. The Warriors are 3-5 straight up in their last eight contests as the favorite, while being 6-8 as the underdog this season. With how hot the Bucks have been, bettors should be all over this Saturday night matchup.

Lakers Continue Second-Half Struggles

It sounds like a broken record at this point, but no NBA team has disappointed more than the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Once a championship favorite, the Lake Show are close to falling out of a play-in position after a 4-13 stretch in their last 17 games.

The Lakers have a pair of games coming up over the next three days that could provide some solid betting value. They’ll host the Washington Wizards on Friday before traveling to face the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Although the Wizards have struggled this season and will likely be road underdogs, the Lakers are 0-4 in their last four games as the favorite. In fact, Los Angeles hasn't won as the betting favorite since Feb. 5, which goes to show just how long these struggles have gone on.

When it comes to the Suns, they’re a perfect 2-0 against the Lakers this season. Phoenix has also held Los Angeles to an average of 97.5 points in those two meetings, with the total hitting the under in both outings.

As usual, Devin Booker will be a player to watch for the Suns against the Lakers. He’s averaging 23.0 PTS/7.0 REB/5.5 AST in this season’s two previous meetings. With the Lakers’ backcourt woes, bettors should consider him as a solid prop bet option.

DeAndre Ayton has averaged a 13.5-point, 13.0-rebound double-double against the Lakers this season. Anthony Davis is still out of the lineup and with Los Angeles surrendering the fifth-most rebounds this season, it could be a big night for the former first overall pick.

Keep an Eye on Tatum as Celtics Continue Climb Up NBA Standings

The NBA world is finally catching on to the fact that the Boston Celtics are one of the hottest teams in the league. They’re 8-2 in their last 10 games and a large chunk of their success has been thanks to Jayson Tatum.

The 24-year-old three-time All-Star has averaged 33.6 PTS/7.3 REB/4.5 AST in his last 10 games while averaging insane .587/.542/.870 shooting splits. To get a better idea of what he’s been doing, he’s hit at least 30 points six times over that stretch, including 54- and 44-point efforts in his last two outings.

There’s a great opportunity for Tatum to continue his success this weekend. First, the Celtics will host the lowly Detroit Pistons on Friday, with the latter owning the eighth-worst scoring defense this season.

The Celtics will then face the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Even though the Mavs will pose a more difficult test, Tatum did have 32 points and 11 rebounds when the two teams met back in November. Playing against the surging Luka Doncic could force Tatum to step up his game, which could result in another 30-plus-point performance.

Jokic Could Be Poised for Big Performance vs Raptors

Another player who’s been terrorizing opposing defenses lately has been Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic. The Serbian veteran has been dominating in all facets of the game, reminding fans and experts alike why he was last year’s NBA MVP.

The Nuggets are 10-3 in their last 13 games and a large part of that success has come from Jokic’s play. He’s averaged 26.5 PTS/14.4 REB/8.8 AST over that stretch, tallying a .621 true shooting percentage (TS%) as well.

Jokic has tallied a double-double in each of those games, as well as four triple-doubles. He’s finished with at least 30 points in three of his last four games and has not been held to a single-digit rebound total since Jan. 23.

Now, Jokic has a promising matchup scheduled for Saturday against the Toronto Raptors. Even though the Raptors are playing much better than they were at the beginning of the year, they don’t exactly have a player to nullify Jokic.

The Nuggets superstar had 28 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in Denver’s 110-109 victory over Toronto back in February. The upcoming collision will be played at the Ball Arena, where the Nuggets are 7-3 straight up in their last 10 home games.

At the end of the day, the Raptors should give the Nuggets a run for their money, however, bettors should keep an eye out of Jokic prop bets this weekend. He’s been hitting the over in most major categories lately, so take that into consideration if you plan on putting some money down.