We are nearing the finish line for the NBA regular season. We have approximately one month left until the start of the play-in tournament, but there’s still plenty at stake for most teams.

Some are looking to solidify a guaranteed postseason spot or secure home-court advantage in the first round. Others are jockeying for positioning in the play-in tournament. Some of the less fortunate teams are attempting to land as many ping-pong balls as possible in the NBA lottery.

Ultimately, most teams have about 18 games to get things squared away.

That includes six games to choose from on Monday. Let’s dive into some of my favorite betting options:

Spurs (+4.5) vs. Warriors (-110; BetMGM)

The Warriors are not in a good place at the moment. Thankfully, they have a pretty large gap in standings over the No. 11 team (Houston Rockets), so they’re not in any real danger of missing the play-in tournament.

That said, they’re likely going to have to try to make the postseason from the No. 9 or 10 spot. That means winning two straight games just to earn a trip to one of the top seeds in the conference in the first round.

The biggest reason for pessimism involves the injury to Steph Curry. He’s already been ruled out for Monday’s contest vs. the Spurs, and there’s no guarantee he’s able to return to the lineup shortly after.

It goes without saying that Curry is the Warriors.

While the rest of the team has started to show their age, Curry is having another fantastic season. He’s averaging nearly 27 points per game while shooting better than 40% from 3-point range, and his impact on the team’s offense can’t be overstated. The Warriors average +5.4 additional points per 100 possessions with Curry on the court, and they increase their effective field goal percentage by +4.1% (per Cleaning the Glass).

Without Curry on Saturday, the team suffered a 13-point home loss to these same Spurs. San Antonio didn’t even have Victor Wembanyama or Devin Vassell available for that contest, and both players are expected to suit up on Monday. With this game being played in San Antonio, I’m happy to grab the 4.5 points with the home squad.

Pistons (-4.0) vs. Hornets (-115; DraftKings)

It’s weird to see the Pistons favored over anyone, but I think it’s justified for this matchup vs. the Hornets. While the Pistons are bad, their roster is clearly in better shape than Charlotte’s at the moment. The Hornets are still down LaMelo Ball, and they traded away most of their other top options before the All-Star break. Mark Williams, Cody Martin, Seth Curry, and Tre Mann are also expected to be out of the lineup on Monday.

That leaves the Hornets with a roster mostly devoid of NBA-level talent. Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges are forced to serve as the team’s top options, and neither is ready for that role at this point in their career. Unsurprisingly, Charlotte ranks 28th in Net Rating since the All-Star break, better only that the Blazers and Grizzlies.

Meanwhile, the Pistons are essentially at full strength. Ausar Thompson and Quentin Grimes are expected to suit up on Monday, and the team has played better of late. They’ve won two of their past six games, beating the Bulls in Chicago and the Nets at home. If they can get past those teams, I see no reason why they can’t do the same vs. a depleted Hornets squad.

Suns (-6.0) at Cavaliers (-112; FanDuel)

This is a matchup between two teams headed in opposite directions from an injury perspective. The Suns went 2-2 during a recent stretch without Devin Booker, but he’s expected to rejoin the rotation on Monday. While Kevin Durant is probably the team’s best player, Booker has been instrumental to the team’s success this season. They average an additional +9.4 points per 100 possessions with Booker on the floor, and he’s averaging 27.5 points per game.

When Booker, Durant, and Bradley Beal have all been available, the Suns have been one of the best teams in basketball. That trio has a Net Rating of +9.7, and the team’s starting lineup has a Net Rating of +11.1. The only reason they’re so low in the standings is because they’ve struggled to stay healthy: Beal has missed 29 games this season, while Booker has missed 14.

On the other side, Cleveland is still dealing with two crucial injuries. Evan Mobley remains out of the lineup with an ankle injury, while Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss another game with a knee injury. The Cavs have struggled in their absence, culminating with a 19-point home loss to the Nets on Sunday. Overall, they have a Net Rating of -4.7 with both players off the floor this season.

With Cleveland on the second leg of a back-to-back and Phoneix coming off a day off, I have no problem laying six points with the superior squad.

Tre Jones Over 6.5 assists (-115; FanDuel)

  • Play To: Over 6.5 (-125)

Jones has had a relatively quiet year. He’s appeared in 50 games for the Spurs, averaging 6.0 assists over 26.4 minutes per game. That said, those numbers don’t tell the full story. Jones has only started in 30 contests for the Spurs, and his numbers are unsurprisingly significantly better in that split. He’s averaged 7.1 assists per game as a member of the starting unit compared to just 4.9 when coming off the bench.

Jones has been particularly effective as a distributor of late, handing out at least 11 dimes in back-to-back games. That includes the team’s win over the Warriors on Saturday. He’s averaged 7.3 assists over his past 11 contests, in he’s done it in just 27.6 minutes per game.

With the Spurs taking the court as just small underdogs vs. the Warriors, it’s a good spot for Jones to see around 30 minutes. If he can get to that threshold, I like his chances of going over this number.

Jusuf Nurkic Over 10.5 rebounds (-115; DraftKings)

  • Play To: Over 10.5 (-140)

Nurkic can be a bit of a forgotten man for the Suns. He’s not seen as a member of their “big three,” but he’s been a huge part of their rotation. The team has averaged +8.8 additional points per 100 possessions with him on the floor this season while allowing -6.2 fewer on defense.

Nurkic’s biggest contributions have come on the glass. He’s racked up at least 10 boards in seven straight games, and he’s had at least 11 in all but one of them. He went off for a monster 31 rebounds vs. the Thunder, making him one of just five players to eclipse 30 rebounds in the 21st century.

The Cavaliers are a tough matchup for rebounding purposes, but they’re a bit less intimidating without Mobley. They’ve posted a rebound rate of just 49.3% over their past three games, which represents a meaningful decrease compared to their season average of 50.6%.

With Nurkic rolling, I don’t expect his rebounding streak to end on Monday.