There are five games on the NBA schedule on Thursday. Let’s take a look at a few overs to hammer.

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As in any sport, the key to an over hitting is a mix of strong offense and weak defense. It helps if a team has the star power to lift an offense.

Portland Trail Blazers at Miami Heat Pick

Trail Blazers vs. Heat Betting Report

Best Bet: Over 221 Points

The first pick of the night should be a good one between Portland and Miami. Damian Lillard leads an explosive Trail Blazers offense, which recently got CJ McCollum back in the lineup.

Portland is a top 12 offense in the NBA. The Trail Blazers are 10th in points per game and sixth in offensive efficiency. Both metrics help show the type of potential this group has.

Lillard is averaging a whopping 30.1 points per game, good enough to carry an over on any given night.

It isn’t just their offense that draws you in to hammer this over. The Trail Blazers defense is bad. They allow 115.5 points per game to opponents, 27th in the NBA.

They also allow their opponents to shoot well from the field, again 27th in the league. Their defensive efficiency numbers are second-worst.

Any game that Portland plays in is one to consider taking an over. It’s a perfect combination of strong offense and weak defense to help lead to shootouts.

On the other side is Miami, which has lost four straight. The Heat’s team makeup is the inverse of Portland, with a strong defense and a middling offense.

However, their offense has picked up steam a bit of late. Jimmy Butler has helped the resurgence, averaging 24.1 points per game in March.

The Heat defense has allowed an average of 119 points per game in their last three. While it’s an uncharacteristic mark, one shouldn’t expect them to suddenly figure it out against this Portland offense.

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LA Clippers at San Antonio Spurs Pick

Clippers vs. Spurs Betting Report

Best Bet: Over 222 Points

This is a reasonable line for a game that includes the Clippers’ top five offense. Third in effective field goal percentage and second in efficiency, this offense is elite.

We can thank this reasonable over/under to the respectable defense of both Los Angeles and San Antonio. But don’t let that scare you. The Spurs play at one of the highest paces of play in the NBA.

Pace is an important metric to keep an eye on. With more possessions and more shots, there is more opportunity for points.

Points are what we’re looking for, so hammer the over in this Western Conference showdown. The Clippers are 25-18-1 against overs this year, while San Antonio is 17-23.

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Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings Pick

Warriors vs. Kings Betting Report

Best Bet: Over 224 Points

With this pick, keep in mind that star guard Stephen Curry won’t be playing for the Warriors. Even still, a shorthanded Golden State team should be able to score on the Kings.

Sacramento is the owner of the league’s worst defense. At all three key metrics, the Kings are ranked 30th. This defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone all year, allowing nearly 120 points per game to opponents.

Curry’s absence understandably brings this over/under much lower than if he were playing. That is to our benefit, as it’s now a more attainable number.

While the Kings’ defense is dead-last, their offense is actually top 10 in most rankings. It’s likely thanks to volume and pace. With a turnstile defense comes a more back-and-forth game, which is exactly what we want.

Hammer this over confidently. Both the Kings and Warriors are inside the top 10 of pace. There should be an excess of attempted field goals; here’s hoping they go in.