Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference showcase a lighter night in the NBA. There is plenty of star power in the later affairs as LeBron James hopes to play through another questionable tag when the Lakers host the Suns. As always, we shop the best line and total with OddsShopper, giving us even the slightest edge against the market. Let’s look at the best NBA side and total bets for Thursday night!
Best NBA Bets Today: Picks, Side Bets & More
Best NBA Side Bet: Knicks-Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are hoping Grant Williams can suit up tonight against the New York Knicks, mainly out of desperation. Dallas is running out of players, with Luka Doncic leading a cast already ruled out ahead of hosting the Knicks. To make matters worse, New York is scorching right now, winner of their last five. The win streak consists of some good teams in Minnesota and Philadelphia, combined with not letting down against bottom feeders like the Trail Blazers or Wizards. Don’t expect the Knicks to sleepwalk tonight just because there’s no Doncic on the floor.
The Mavs can’t even fully capitalize on Mitchell Robinson‘s absence as Dereck Lively II is also out for Dallas. It’s going to be an uphill battle to match buckets with the Knicks no matter how much Kyrie Irving scores. The blowout wins — four double-digit victories in a row — help get more bench and rotation guys involved, another plus for the Knicks. Dallas is scrambling right now versus a rested and healthy Knicks team. OddsShopper found 3.5 still alive for the Knicks, and most books are moving to -4.
Best NBA Side Bet: Knicks -3.5 at Caesars Sportsbook
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Best NBA Total Bet: Celtics-Bucks O/U 243.5
This number is already starting to drop as Boston hits the second of a back-to-back in Milwaukee against a desperate Bucks team. There’s hope with the return of Damian Lillard as Milwaukee comes in on the heels of a two-game skid. Defense hasn’t been synonymous with Bucks basketball this year, but there’s still some value in getting under at 243.5 points. The Celtics just fought to come back and force overtime against the Timberwolves, all last night in Boston. That’s not easy to keep up with Milwaukee the following night, especially with a rested Lillard pushing tempo.
The Celtics score, but they’ve won plenty of games on the defensive front. It’s not the easiest pathway with tired legs, but they are talented enough. The Bucks can’t afford to keep dropping games, especially to teams like the Celtics. It’s clear they had little interest defending the three against the Jazz, but that should change with two full days of rest. Boston was without Kristaps Porzingis last night with a knee injury, and his absence hurts the Celtics interior scoring. There’s a good chance Al Horford and even Jaylen Brown may sit out to rest — add Derrick White to that list.
Get this number now while it’s still too high.
Best NBA Total Bet: Celtics-Bucks Under 243.5 (-110 at BetRivers)
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