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NBA Daily Tip Sheet Picks and Predictions – Sunday’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 Sunday, April 9th. Best of luck!

NBA Best Bets for Sunday, April 9

  • Los Angeles Lakers -17 (-110) vs. UTA
  • Pacers-Knicks Over 229 (-110)
  • LeBron James (LAL) Over 2.5 Three Pointers Made (+130) vs. UTA
Updated on 11/18/2024
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Los Angeles Lakers -17 (-110) vs. UTA

Betting on the NBA at this point of the season can be a slippery slope, however, in some cases, it’s even easier to identify potential blowout scenarios, and this certainly appears to be one of them.

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 13-6 since March 1st, while ranking 4th in the league in net rating during that span (+5.2 NetRtg), and now, they’re 5-2 since his return to action.

While on the other hand, the Jazz have already been eliminated from playoff contention, currently stationed 12th in the Western Conference standings with a record of 36-44, and as a result, their entire starting lineup is expected to sit out the rest of the way; including Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Colin Sexton, Walker Kessler, Rudy Gay, and a few others.

By no means is this a do-or-die game for the Lakers, but make no mistake about it, the Lakers want to hold onto every possible advantage heading into the Play-In Tournament, and they’ll definitely want to win this one with the Pelicans and Timberwolves breathing down their neck in the 8th and 9th slots.

This appears to be a situation in which one team truly wants to win, and the other doesn’t. Hypothetically, even if the Jazz had their best five on the floor, there’s still a decent chance that we see the Lakers run away with this one by double-digits. Lay the points with L. A. here.

Pacers-Knicks Over 229 (-110)

Speaking of teams with very little left to play for at the moment, the fates of both the Pacers and Knicks have already been decided at this point of the season on opposite sides of the spectrum, considering New York already has the 5-seed locked up with a two-game lead over Brooklyn, as opposed to Indiana, who’s already been eliminated from playoff contention.

In the meeting between these teams on April 5th, the Knicks managed to pull away with a 138-129 victory in a matchup that had an over-under set south of the OU 230-mark, which is pretty much par for the course in regards to Indy’s latest string of results.

So, I’ll take the ‘over’ in Sunday’s matchup between a pair of squads that have both seen at least one team cross the 120-point scoring mark in six of their last nine contests.

The Lakers are 8-2 in their last ten games. (Getty)

LeBron James (LAL) Over 2.5 Three Pointers Made

Due to the circumstances previously mentioned, the Lakers find themselves in a position in which they still want to win games for seeding purposes, but they’re far more focused on resting up for the playoffs. So, we’ll probably see them roll out a semi-full squad on Sunday afternoon, but expect another lackadaisical effort from them all-around.

LeBron James enters Sunday having knocked down 3+ three-pointers on 6+ long-range attempts in three straight games, which seems to stem from the Lakers’ overall sense of complacency at the offensive end of the floor, and we’ll probably see that type of play persist in their season finale.

So, I’ll back that trend to continue for LeBron is Sunday’s matchup against a Jazz’ squad that ranks Top 5 in the league in three-point attempts per game (37.9 3PA).

Michael's Triple Threat Tracker: TBD

  • Los Angeles Lakers -17 (-110) vs. UTA
  • Pacers-Knicks Over 229 (-110)
  • LeBron James (LAL) Over 2.5 Three Pointers Made (+130) vs. UTA

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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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