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The NBA has another six games to choose from on Wednesday, starting with the Utah Jazz vs. the Memphis Grizzlies at 2:30 p.m. ET and ending with the Boston Celtics vs. the Brooklyn Nets at 9:00 p.m. ET. That means we have another day where we can bet on basketball for nearly 10 hours!
Here are five of my favorite bets to target on Wednesday’s slate.
DraftKings users can get in on the action by betting on DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DK Sportsbook app.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
Utah Jazz vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Grizzlies +5 (-109)
The Grizzlies are going to have to overcome the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr., who tore his meniscus in their last game. That’s a big blow, but they do have a pair of strong frontcourt options they can turn to in Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Clarke. In fact, the Grizzlies have posted a better Net Rating with either of those two players on the court than Jackson this season.
On the other hand, the Jazz have unsurprisingly been unable to overcome the absence of Bojan Bogdanovic. Their starting lineup has been fine, but they’ve been absolutely crushed when they’ve had to turn to their bench units. The Jazz have been outscored by a whopping 48 points with Clarkson on the court over their past three games. They don’t have anyone else to turn to either: Georges Niang and Emmanuel Mudiay have arguably been even worse than Clarkson.
The Grizzlies absolutely need to win this game after starting the bubble with three straight losses. I think they’ll get it done, but I’ll grab the five points just to be safe.
Washington Wizards vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Over 230.5 (-108)
The 76ers have been an over machine through their first two games. Their offense has been more efficient and playing much faster after sliding Ben Simmons to PF and Al Horford to the bench, and those changes have also hurt their defensive numbers. Overall, the average score through their first two games was a whopping 255 points.
The Wizards are another team that has been generous to over bettors this season. The over has gone 38-28-1 in Wizards games, which is not all that surprising since they rank 29th in defensive efficiency and sixth in pace.
With that in mind, this total is simply too low.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets: Spurs +4.5 (-112)
The Spurs lost a heartbreaker to the 76ers in their last game, and that could ultimately keep them out of the postseason. They’re currently 2.0 games behind the Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot and 0.5 games behind the Blazers for the No. 9 spot. The Blazers won last night vs. the Rockets, so the Spurs need a win today vs. the Nuggets to keep pace.
Luckily, they are catching the Nuggets at a good time. They’re dealing with a few key injuries, which makes them vulnerable. Gary Harris and Will Barton have already been ruled out, while Jamal Murray is currently listed as questionable. Even if Murray plays, there’s a good chance that he will be limited. The Nuggets really have nothing to play for at this point, so there is no reason to push him.
Of course, the Spurs are dealing with their own injury at the moment. LaMarcus Aldridge will not play for them again this season, but I think that might actually be a good thing. The Spurs’ Net Rating has decreased by -5.2 points per 100 possessions with Aldridge on the court this season, and his absence allows them to put more shooting around DeMar DeRozan.
The Spurs have covered the spread in each of their first three games in Orlando, and I think they make it four it a row.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Under (Line TBD)
What do you get when you take two aging teams that are playing for nothing? I’m hoping an under.
The Lakers have already clinched the top spot in the Western Conference, so I’m expecting them to start looking for rest spots for Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Both guys have carried large workloads this season.
The Thunder have a few veterans of their own who need managing – Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari – and they’ll also be without Dennis Schroder for their next few games. He’s been one of their best players this season in terms of Net Rating differential, but he left the bubble to attend the birth of his child.
We’re still waiting for a total to be posted on this game, but I’m taking the under as long as it’s higher than 215.
Orlando Magic vs. Toronto Raptors: Raptors -6.5
The Magic got off to a fantastic start in the bubble, but that has caused them to become a bit overvalued. They were favored vs. the Pacers yesterday despite the fact that the Pacers have been the better team all season. The Magic actually have a negative point differential this season, so they’re frankly just not that good.
Meanwhile, the Raptors just continue to take care of business. They’ve rattled off wins vs. the Lakers and Heat to start the seeding games, and they’re looking more and more like a serious threat to defend their title. The Raptors have taken care of business as favorites all year, posting a mark of 27-19-1 in that situation.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mlamarca) and I may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.