Best NBA Bets Today | NBA Picks March 6

Thrilling matchups from across the league are on the NBA's Monday night schedule! We have odds and predictions for some of the night's most exciting games!

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers battle for position at the top of the standings. Also, in the East, the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat battle to stay out of the Play-In position. And to close the night, the Toronto Raptors try to take down the Western Conference's best, the Denver Nuggets.

Let's check out the bets!

Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers

When: 7:00 PM EST

Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5 (-110) @ DraftKings Sportsbook

The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers face off to define their position amongst the Eastern Conference's top four teams. The Boston Celtics are currently second in the Eastern Conference, owning a 45-19 overall record and a 20-11 road record. The Cleveland Cavaliers own a 40-26 overall record and an impressive 27-7 home record.

One of the league's best offensive teams, the Boston Celtics average 117.5 points per game (4th in the NBA) while hitting 15.8 threes (2nd in the NBA) on 37.8% efficiency (6th in the NBA). The Celtics will look to build off of a loss in their last game, where they allowed 131 points on 49.5% from the field and 36.6% from three in a double-overtime affair. The Cleveland Cavaliers will challenge them with their top-tier defense, which allows just 106.4 points per game (1st in the NBA) on 46.6% shooting from the field (6th in the NBA). To beat the Celtics, Cleveland will have to build on what's been a mediocre defensive effort through their last five games - allowing 110.2 points per game on 46.8% from the field and 43.4% from three-point range.

With Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams unavailable, the Boston Celtics need more bench production. While the Celtics certainly have their fair share of firepower, the Cavaliers' defense has done well to limit their possessions in three meetings this season. We project Cleveland will make it two losses in a row for the Boston Celtics.

Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat

When: 7:00 PM EST

Moneyline: Atlanta Hawks (+126)@ FanDuel Sportsbook

The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat are separated by just one-and-a-half games in the Eastern Conference, signaling the importance of this matchup for both teams. The Miami Heat are seventh in the Eastern Conference, owning a 34-31 overall record and a 20-12 home record. The Atlanta Hawks are just a little behind them with a 32-32 record and a 14-19 road record.

With a new coach at the helm, the Atlanta Hawks hope to improve on a defense that has allowed 115.7 points per game on 49.1% shooting through Quin Snyder's first three games. The Hawks will, however, look to maintain their scoring and ball security as they've averaged 117.0 points per game (7th in the NBA) while committing just 12.9 turnovers per game (3rd in the NBA). The Miami Heat will challenge the Hawks with their disciplined defense, which allows just 108.8 points per game (2nd in the NBA) on 82.8 field goal attempts per game (2nd in the NBA) while forcing 16.0 turnovers per game (3rd in the NBA). Miami's offense starred in their Saturday meeting with the Hawks, scoring 117 points on 50.6% from the field and 37.1 from three-point range.

We don't expect Miami's offense to be sustainable for their second meeting, and the Hawks are on a decent 3-2 run over their last five games. Off the back of a renewed Atlanta Hawks offense and with the motivation to push for a higher playoff seed, we expect the Hawks to come out the winner.

Toronto Raptors @ Denver Nuggets

When: 9:00 PM EST

Spread: Denver Nuggets -7.5 (-110) @ PointsBet

While the Denver Nuggets seem comfortable at the top of their conference, the Toronto Raptors enter this game motivated to qualify for the top six in their conference table. Atop the Western Conference table, the Denver Nuggets own a 45-19 overall record and a 29-4 home record. The Toronto Raptors enter this game ninth in the East with a 32-33 overall record and a 12-20 road record.

The Toronto Raptors are a defense-focused team, allowing just 112.0 points per game (7th in the NBA) while limiting opponents to just 82.7 field goal attempts (1st in the NBA) and forcing 16.7 turnovers per game (2nd in the NBA). The Raptors showed their grit in an overtime win in their last match, scoring 116 points on 52.2% from the field and 40.0% from three-point range as they continue their climb up the Eastern Conference standings. The Denver Nuggets offense is one of the best in the NBA, though, scoring 117.1 points per game (5th in the NBA) by collecting 29.3 assists per game (2nd in the NBA) and shooting 50.9% from the field (1st in the NBA) and 38.9% from three (1st in the NBA). Denver is on a three-game winning streak, which has seen them score 126.7 points per game while holding opponents to just 111.0 points on 45.4% from the field and 32.0% from three.

The Toronto Raptors have looked strong since re-acquiring Jakob Poeltl to patrol the paint for them, but their offense has still struggled at times. Considering the Raptors have cleared 100 points in just three of their last five games, the Nuggets' offense projects to outpace them. We expect the Nuggets to take control of this match as the game progresses.