NBA Best Bets for April 7: Take Advantage of a Team Trying to Lose
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Spread Astaire
- April 7, 2025
Top NBA Pick: Miami Heat -14.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
We are in the final week of the regular season of the National Basketball Association, and we have two exciting games on the schedule tonight. With the standings so jumbled up, playoff position is on the line. Most games this week have playoff implications and these two games are no different.
First, the Sacramento Kings will be in Detroit to take on the Pistons. Can the Kings build off their upset win in Cleveland on Sunday? Then, the tanking Philadelphia 76ers take on the Miami Heat. This game has a huge point spread. The Heat will most likely win, but can they cover this large number? When these games tip off, which team should you back to make winning NBA picks?
Sacramento Kings vs. Detroit Pistons
Monday, April 07, 2025 – 07:00 PM EDT at Little Caesars Arena
Sacramento Still Searching for Consistency
The Kings have been flailing to end the season, but they hope to gain momentum with one of their biggest wins of the year, a 120-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland. The Kings were 10 point underdogs at top sportsbooks coming into this game, but they were able to get the huge upset.
The win moved the Kings to ninth place in the Western Conference meaning they would host a play-in game. In the Kings huge win, Zach LaVine had one of his best games in a Sacramento uniform when he scored 37 points. Domantas Sabonis had 27 points and 9 rebounds for the Kings second straight win. Although the Kings have had plenty of ups and downs this season, this team hopes to build momentum this week to make a playoff run.
The Kings have the talent, they just not have not shown consistency. Although the Kings have many weaknesses, they also have many top offensive players and can outscore any team on any given night. So, while I do not rate the Kings that highly, they will be a dangerous opponent to upset anybody in a 1 game situation if they get a hot shooting night.
The Pistons will be coming into this game looking to bounce back after a 109-103 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. In this game, Pistons star Cade Cunningham returned to the lineup but his 25 points and 9 rebounds were not enough to help the Pistons recover from their slump. The loss against Memphis was the Pistons third loss in their last four contests.
Pistons Catch a Break
One thing that the Pistons will have in their favor tonight is the rest advantage. The Kings have struggled and the second game of back-to-backs all year. The Kings are only 3-12 ATS on their second night in a row. Betting against Sacramento in these situations has been profitable
The Kings have given up more than 120 points in their last five back-to-backs. When the Kings are fatigued, their defense gets worse, and this should be an excellent opportunity for the Pistons to bounce back.
The Kings have already struggled on back-to-backs this year, and this is a prime let down spot coming off one of their biggest wins of the season. Expect the Kings’ inability to play well on consecutive nights to continue. Back the Detroit Pistons -7.
NBA Pick: Detroit Pistons -7 (-110) at BetOnline
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat
Monday, April 07, 2025 – 07:30 PM EDT at Kaseya Center
Heat Eye Bounce-Back Win
The Miami Heat have been playing better as of late but they are coming off a disappointing 125-115 loss in overtime at home to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. The Heat will be looking to get a win to move up out of the 10th seed and potentially play at least one home game in the play-in tournament. Looking at their schedule, they have a sight that every team that needs a win wants to see, a date with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers got famous for naming their tanking strategy “The Process”, and after The Process brought them some modicum of success, the 76ers are back to trying to intentionally lose. No one does losing better than the 76ers. The 76ers are back at home doing what they do best, racking up losses and moving up in draft position.
The 76ers conundrum this season can be led to one of the most tragic rules in the National Basketball Association. The scourge of pick protections allowed in trades has once again reared its ugly head. Philadelphia has traded away their draft pick this season, but it is top six protected. That means that if the 76ers fall within the top six they keep their first round pick this season.
Miami’s Climbing, Philly’s Crashing
After the 76ers season got off to a rough start, the Sixers shut down all their best players in an attempt to secure their draft pick. People bemoan too many threes and not enough defense as reasons they don’t watch today’s game, but tanking is the biggest problem the league faces. Pick protections are the ultimate incentive to tank and need to be done away with right away.
Now that I’ve got done fixing the NBA for you guys, it’s time to give you a winning pick. Simply put, just bet against the 76ers for the rest of the season. This is a joke, and the fact that the league allows this to happen is a pockmark upon the game and a reason why this league’s ratings continue to go down.
Prior to Philadelphia’s covering a 16.5 point spread and a 114-109 loss to Minnesota on Friday night, the 76ers failed to cover nine games in a row. This team has packed it in for the season while the Miami Heat are gearing up for their playoff run. There isn’t much analysis to put in this one folks. Fade the Philadelphia 76ers. Take the Miami Heat -14.5.
NBA Pick: Miami Heat -14.5 (-110) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
