Welcome back from the NBA All-Star break! It’s been a week since we’ve had any real NBA action to bet on (although thanks again to Mac McClung for Saturday night), but the association comes out of the break with some strong betting cards on Thursday and Friday. We also have some solid future markets available on DraftKings Sportsbook that I think time out well to bet before games out of the break return. Let’s breakdown some NBA bets.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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New York Knicks at Washington Wizards
*Potential play on NYK
Strong lean to Knicks +2 in this one, but I’m still considering how I’m going to play this game. The Knicks got hot entering the break, and I expect them to have a strong finish (as you’ll see below).
I just want to see if Bradley Beal winds up ruled out to feel more confident in this play. I also may look to the first half line, as the Knicks have been the best 1H ATS team in the NBA at 40-18-2, including 19-10 1H ATS on the road.
Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks
*Potential play on MIL
This one is extremely simple. The game is priced for Giannis Antetokounmpo (wrist) to be ruled out, and I expect him to be. However, Giannis did get in a limited practice on Wednesday. On the off chance he’s ruled in, you’ll want to grab the Bucks -115 price on the moneyline ASAP.
Los Angeles Lakers UNDER 40.5 Wins (-110) — 1.5-units
Outside of the bubble, this LeBron James/Anthony Davis-led Lakers team has been a massive disappointment. Year-after-year, the market expects them to do something, and they don’t. The Lakers are once again overpriced here coming out of the break.
I do like the moved the Lakers made at the trade deadline, but not enough to call them a .500 team for the season. Sitting at 27-32, we need the Lakers to finish 14-9 to lose this bet, which just doesn’t feel obtainable. This team was in the exact same spot last year and fell flat on its face.
New York Knicks Seeding UNDER 6.5 (+140) — 1-unit
First, for clarity, the UNDER 6.5 as a seed means the Knicks will finish with the 6-seed or better in the East. Basically betting them to make the playoffs by avoiding the play-in.
I was considering backing the Knicks on a win total over, but the over 43.5 quickly moved all the way to -135. I think this team should finish strong, so the +140 to finish in the top-six in the East is the way to do it. New York was clicking entering the break, winning six of its last eight, and it also feels like we’re overvaluing some of the teams around them in the standings. The Nets are 2.0 games ahead of the Knicks, but we know their record is better than their roster following the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving trades. The Heat are favored to make the top-six over the Knicks, which doesn’t make much sense to me.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.