NBA Picks for March 5: Best Betting Picks for Thursday

A surprising array of conference heavyweights tangled in a rematch of San Antonio’s recent win over Detroit as the headliner of Thursday’s nine-game NBA tourney.

The Spurs (44-17) return home to face the Pistons (45-15). San Antonio beat Detroit 114-103 in late February.

We’ll break down three plays for Thursday’s action. Remember to monitor the odds throughout the day as side and total markets are constantly changing.

Here are our free NBA picks for Thursday, March 5: Odds provided by DraftKings

Best NBA play of the day

• Warriors at Rockets (+9.5)
• Spurs Pistons (+3.5)
• Lakers at Nuggets (+5.5)

Warriors at Rockets (+9.5) – 7:30 PM ET

Golden State was ravaged by injuries as the Warriors traveled to Texas to take on the Rockets. Steve Kerr’s team is coming off back-to-back home losses to the Lakers and Clippers, ending with Monday’s loss blowing a 14-point first-half lead.

The Rockets return to Toyota Center coming off a 2-1 road trip that included wins at Orlando and Washington. Houston has won four of its last five games to become a double-digit home favorite, ahead of Utah and Sacramento.

The Warriors have performed better on the road recently, winning four of their last seven games on the road against Chase Center. Houston won its first matchup as a three-point underdog in November without Kevin Durant, winning 104-100. Look for Golden State to stay within these big numbers in Houston.

Pistons at Spurs (+3.5) – 8 PM ET

Two teams with NBA Finals aspirations meet for the second time in 10 days, with Detroit looking to avenge a 114-103 home loss to San Antonio. The Pistons led after the first quarter, but the Spurs outscored Detroit in the final three quarters to get the road win.

Detroit had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 113-109 home loss to Cleveland on Tuesday, while the Pistons fell to 1-4 in their last five games against the spread. The Pistons enter tonight holding an incredible 11-1 ATS mark in the underdog role this season.

The Spurs returned home after wrapping up a five-game road trip with a 40-point win over the 76ers on Tuesday. Catching the Spurs on a long road trip, along with the Pistons’ dominance as dogs, makes Detroit worth a strong look here.

Lakers (+5.5) vs. Nuggets – 10 PM ET

The Nuggets are looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since late January, coming off a 128-125 win at Utah as 11.5-point favorites. Denver has won five straight and has covered the spread as a favorite in one of its last seven games.

The Lakers head to Denver on a three-game winning streak with a 110-101 home win over the Pelicans on Tuesday. This is LA’s third away game since February 5th and the Lakers return home tonight after a short game in Denver.

Since Jan. 11, the Nuggets have won 13 games, and only one of those wins was against a team with a winning record (Boston). Let’s take a look at the Lakers’ points at Ball Arena.