Saturday has two-thirds of the league in action as the third week of March 2026 draws to a close. It features 10 contests on a full NBA slate with start times ranging from 5:00 PM ET to 10:00 PM ET.
Can the Lakers cover the 2.5-point spread as road favorites against the Magic? Will the Cavaliers cover on the road against the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans? I’ll make picks for both contests below. Read on for our Saturday NBA Best Bets March 21 article.
NBA Best Bet: Los Angeles Lakers -2.5 over Orlando Magic
I like the Lakers here. Los Angeles is in a good spot to cover the 2.5-point spread against the Orlando Magic on Saturday night. Los Angeles thrives in this scenario, posting a strong 20-15 ATS road record and a dominant 28-13 ATS mark as a favorite this season.
What’s more, the Lakers handle out-of-conference foes well (15-9 ATS) and consistently maintain momentum, going 24-20 ATS after a win in 2025-26. Riding a massive hot streak, L.A. is 9-1 straight up and 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Backing Los Angeles here is the sharp play.
Final score projection: LOS ANGELES LAKERS 120, ORLANDO MAGIC 113.
NBA Best Bet: New Orleans Pelicans +4.5 over Cleveland Cavaliers
I’d take the Pelicans in this one. New Orleans is primed to cover the 4.5-point spread as home underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. The Pelicans thrive at the Smoothie King Center, posting a 16-10-1 ATS mark as a home underdog and a 17-7 ATS record after a win this year.
They compete well in non-division games (30-26 ATS) and consistently deliver in normal rest scenarios, going 24-18-1 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest and 22-19-1 ATS when facing an opponent on equal rest this season. Riding a hot streak, New Orleans is 6-2 straight up and 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games overall. The Pelicans should play well enough to cover and have a shot at an outright win on Saturday.
Final score projection: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 125, NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 122.
Saturday NBA Best Bets March 21
- Los Angeles Lakers -2.5
- New Orleans Pelicans +4.5
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