Sunday’s NBA action kicks off with an awesome game at 1 p.m. EST between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, and those aren’t the only two playoff-caliber teams in action.
The Detroit Pistons take on the Toronto Raptors in what could be a potential playoff matchup this season at 3:30 p.m. EST while contenders like the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers will also be in action as they try to gain ground in a competitive Eastern Conference.
Plus, there is a ton at stake in the play-in tournament field with the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers all taking the floor on March 15.
So, why don’t we place a few bets on the action?
A strong Monday through Thursday this week has pushed this season’s record to 208-162, and there are a few players I love for Sunday’s action, including a pick for the Pistons-Raptors showdown.
Here’s a breakdown of each bet – and the latest odds – on March 15.
1 Season, 600 Bets: NBA Betting Record
- 2025-26 season record: 208-162 (+13.54 units)
- 2024-25 season record: 281-293-5 (-4.94 units)
- OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1499-1399-27 (+46.69 units)
Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
NBA Best Bets Today
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
- Detroit Pistons -3.5 (-115) vs. Toronto Raptors
- Portland Trail Blazers-Philadelphia 76ers UNDER 229.5 (-120)
- 3-Team Moneyline Parlay (-156)
Detroit Pistons -3.5 (-115) vs. Toronto Raptors
The Pistons saw their lead dwindle a bit in the Eastern Conference after a mini losing streak after the All-Star break, but they’re back to 4.5 games up on the Boston Celtics heading into Sunday’s game with Toronto.
The Raptors are freefalling at the moment, as they’ve fallen behind Orlando in the standings and are in danger of dropping into the play-in tournament with a loss on Sunday.
Toronto has struggled at home this season, going 5-6 against the spread as a home underdog and 18-16 straight up. On top of that, Scottie Barnes and company are eight games under .500 against teams that are .500 or better.
So, the Pistons – who have an 18-point win over Toronto already this season – are in a prime spot to cover as small favorites.
Detroit is just 6-4 in its last 10 games, yet it still ranks in the top-10 in the league in net rating during that stretch. The Raptors’ offense (19th in the NBA this season) is going to have a tough time against Detroit’s No. 2 defense – which held the Raptors under 100 points already this season.
I love this price for the Pistons on Sunday.
Portland Trail Blazers-Philadelphia 76ers UNDER 229.5 (-120)
I’m eyeing the total for one of the first games on Sunday night, as two teams in the play-in tournament mix square off.
The Portland Trail Blazers have a bottom-10 offense this season, and now they take on a Philadelphia 76ers team that is down Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. The Sixers are playing the second night of a back-to-back after a 104-97 win over Brooklyn on Saturday.
Over their last 10 games, these teams rank No. 24 (Portland) and No. 23 (Philadelphia) in offensive rating. Things have gotten even worse for Philly since Maxey went down. The Sixers have scored 109 or fewer points in three of the four games that he’s missed, and they’re averaging 114.2 points per game in the six games he’s missed overall.
Portland won’t have Shaedon Sharpe in this game, and I think this total is a little high with the 76ers down so many key pieces. Both teams have hit the OVER more often this season, but part of that is due to the fact that they’re both in the bottom half of the league in defensive rating.
I’m not buying Philly’s short-handed team to take advantage of the Blazers in this game, especially since it scored just 104 points against a Brooklyn defense that is 28th in defensive rating over its last 10 games.
3-Team Moneyline Parlay (-156)
- Cleveland Cavaliers Moneyline
- New York Knicks Moneyline
- Milwaukee Bucks Moneyline
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs blew out the Mavericks by 33 on the road on Friday night, and now they are heavily favored at home on Sunday.
Cleveland should make quick work of the short-handed Mavs, who are expected to be without Daniel Gafford (doubtful) and Klay Thompson (doubtful).
Cleveland has not been great against the spread this season, but I’m fading tanking teams like it’s going out of style at this point in the campaign. Dallas is 28th in net rating over its last 15 games (-12.0), posting a 3-12 record during that stretch. On top of that, the Mavs have lost nine of 10 games and are a dreadful 8-24 on the road.
The Cavs have moved up to No. 6 in the league in net rating for the entire season, and I’d expect them to roll again in this matchup. Dallas has one of the worst paint defenses in the league – allowing 55.8 opponent points in the paint per game – so the Cavs’ No. 5 offense should feast in this matchup.
New York Knicks
The Knicks remain one of the best teams in the NBA at home this season, going 23-9 straight up while covering the spread in 18 of their 29 games as a home favorite.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors have lost four games in a row, including losses to the tanking Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls. The Warriors are now just 9-18 without Steph Curry this season, and I don’t know how they compete with a Knicks team that is No. 5 in the NBA in net rating.
New York has the best defensive rating in the NBA over its last 15 games, and it ranks third in the league in offensive rating for the entire 2025-26 season. Meanwhile, the Warriors have fallen to 18th in the NBA in net rating this season and 20th over their last 10 games.
I’m trusting the Knicks to get the job done at home against an under .500 team. New York is 19-6 against those teams in the 2025-26 season.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have done a solid job this season against teams that are under .500 (14-9) when you consider the fact that they’re just 13-30 against teams that are .500 or better.
On Sunday – even with Giannis Antetokounmpo questionable – I think they’re a must-bet against the Indiana Pacers, who have dropped 12 games in a row.
Indiana has a net rating of -14.9 over its last 10 games (28th in the NBA), and it’s listed a ton of players on the injury report, including Pascal Siakam (doubtful). When Siakam sits this season, the Pacers are just 1-11.
The Bucks have been awful recently, posting the worst net rating in the NBA over their last 10 games thanks to a few huge blowout losses. But, they appear to still be trying to make the play-in tournament in the East, and they need this game at home.
Indy is just 5-28 straight up on the road, 11-19 against the spread as a road underdog and has the worst road offensive rating in the NBA.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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