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NBA Daily Tip Sheet Picks and Predictions – Wednesday’s Triple Threat

Michael Crosson
Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert
3 minute read

There's several ways to bet on the NBA, and some of the most popular ones include taking a side, a full-game total, or a player prop. So, this is what we like to call our Daily Triple Threat. Our three best bets in the aforementioned categories for NBA matchups on Wednesday, April 5th. Best of luck!

NBA Best Bets for Wednesday, April 5

  • Los Angeles Lakers +4.5 (-110) @ LAC
  • Bucks-Bulls Over 229 (-110)
  • Cameron Johnson (BKN) Over 15.5 Points (-120) @ DET
Updated on 11/18/2024
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Los Angeles Lakers +4.5 (-110) @ LAC

With just a handful of games left in the regular season, neither of these squads are safe from the dreaded Play-In Tournament, as the Clippers, Warriors, Lakers, and Pelicans are all separated by less than one game, occupying the 5 through 8 seeds in the standings; and only two of those squads will receive an automatic playoff bid. So, expect to see all hands on deck for both teams as they eagerly try to dodge the 7 and 8 slots, and earn some rest next week.

The Lakers appeared to be down for the count following an injury to LeBron James at the tail end of February, however, since his latest injury, they’ve actually played some of their best basketball, considering they’ve posted an impressive record of 11-5 since March 1st, while ranking Top 5 in the league in net rating during that span (+5.7 NetRtg), and now, they’re 3-1 since his return to action.

There’s no denying the fact that this Lakers’ roster is far from perfect, but all things considered, they are still much easier to trust than the Clippers at this point and time.

The Clippers are currently positioned 5th in the Western Conference standings with a record of 41-38, but you certainly wouldn’t know it based on how they’ve played as of late, considering they’ve posted a miserable record of 8-10 since the All-Star Break, while ranking 17th in net rating during that span (-0.1 NetRtg).

The Lakers are playing on the second half of a back-to-back, so fatigue could ultimately be a factor in this one. However, I still like the Lakers to handle business on a neutral floor in Wednesday’s matchup against a Clippers’ squad that’s 4-5 in their last nine games.

The Clippers are 4-5 SU in their last nine games. (Getty)

Bucks-Bulls Over 229 (-110)

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have a matchup between the Bulls and the Bucks, who both pretty much have their playoff spigots locked in place, with Milwaukee currently boasting a two-game lead over Boston for the one-seed in the East, and Chicago owning a four-game lead over Washington for the 10th spot.

To say that this game is rather “meaningless” might be a bit of an exaggeration, both teams still benefit from posting a win on Wednesday night, but with both squads playing on the second half of a back-to-back, and neither having much left to play for, I doubt we’ll see much defense throughout this one.

The Bulls rank 18th in the league in pace (98.6 PACE), and the Bucks rank 10th (100.5 PACE). So, the total for this one is set relatively low. But the Bucks enter Wednesday having scored 116+ points in 16 of their last 18 games, and the Bulls have scored 118+ in four of their last six.

So, I’ll take the ‘over’ in Wednesday night’s matchup between a pair of Central Division foes that have combined with their opponents for a lofty average of 247.2 PPG across their last six contests.

Cameron Johnson (BKN) Over 15.5 Points

At the trade deadline, the Nets elected to part ways with Kevin Durant in exchange for four first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, Mikal Bridges, and, of course, Cameron Johnson, who averaged 13.9 points on 4.8 field goal attempts per game across 17 outings for Phoenix earlier this season.

In Phoenix, Johnson was more of a complementary piece, usually averaging somewhere between 22 and 26 minutes per game across his four years or so with Phoenix. However, in Brooklyn, Johnson is one of the best players on the floor at any given time, and as a result, his volume numbers have seem an immediate uptick, averaging 16.7 PPG, 4.8 REB, and 2.1 AST  in his 22 outings since joining the Nets, while also posting a career-high average runtime of 30.7 minutes per game across that brief span.

Johnson has scored 15+ points in 12 of his last 20 outings for the Nets, with six of those performances ringing in at 20+ points, and now, he enters Wednesday having scored 16+ points in four of his last five. So, I’ll back Johnson to have another solid night in the scoring department against a Kings’ squad that’s surrendered 118+ points in six of their last nine contests, and ranks 25th in the league in defensive rating (116.8 DRtg).

Michael's Triple Threat Tracker: 72-52-2 (+1,244)

  • Los Angeles Lakers +4.5 (-110) @ LAC
  • Bucks-Bulls Over 229 (-110)
  • Cameron Johnson (BKN) Over 15.5 Points (-120) @ DET

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Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson
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