NBA Odds, Best Bets and Experts Tips

Atlanta Hawks @ Detroit Pistons

Over 228.5 total match points | $1.88 with QuestBet

The Hawks have pretty consistently been playing in some pretty high scoring games this season. There are a few reasons for that. For starters, their pace of 103.22 (which means how many possessions they have per game) is the third highest in the league. The efficiency with which they score is only around league average, but playing at a fast pace means that still leads to high scores. What’s more, their defensive rating is the fifth worst in the league, so combine that with their fast pace and you get some very high opposition scores. They are scoring the ninth most points in the league and conceding the third most, meaning their total match scores have been pretty hefty. Their first seven games of the season saw 232 points or more scored, before they had a lower scoring game (courtesy of their own ineptitude on offence) against the Celtics, then bounced back with 237 in their most recent game against the Knicks. That means that in eight of nine games this season, they have surpassed the 228.5-point match line set for this game. Of course, they do have an opponent, and the Pistons games have not typically been particularly high scoring this season. Their offence is the sixth worst in the league while their defence is around league average, and playing at a slow pace means that they have not played in very high scoring games very often. But the Hawks should be able to change that. They will look to whip the ball up the court as quickly as they can, as they have all year, resulting in plenty of possessions. The Hawks should put up a decent score, and while the Pistons aren’t super efficient, up against the Hawks very bad defence and in a fast-paced game they should score enough to get this over the total line.

Phoenix Suns @ Dallas Mavericks

Kevin Durant to score 30+ points | $2.80 with Unibet

LeBron James has become the poster boy for refusing to age like a normal person, with his 39-year-old body still doing incredible things on the basketball court. But his feats have overshadowed those of a couple of his fellow oldies, namely Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Durant, in particular, is playing unbelievably well at the ripe old age of 36. Eight games into the season, he is averaging 27.8 points on 55.1% shooting, hitting 42% of his long range shots – and that is with a couple of pretty quiet games. He started off with a 25-point outing, and since then has scored 30 points or more in five of his last seven. Despite that, the over/under points total set for him by betting sites remains at just 25.5. Durant is the kind of player who very consistently scores a similar number of points, so if you want to be safe and just take the over then that would be a reasonable decision to make. But given how regularly he has been hitting the 30-mark, we are opting for a little more value and taking a slightly bigger risk. Granted he has not been surpassing 30 points by very much, but he is so incredibly consistent that he has been getting there far more often than not, meaning that the nearly $3 on offer with most NBA betting sites looks extremely tempting. What’s more, the ball should zip up and down the court against a Mavericks team far more focused on offence than defence. Don’t expect Durant to surpass 30 points by all that much, but this looks like a great value bet for a veteran in some serious form.

New Orleans Pelicans @ Orlando Magic

Magic -4.5 | $1.88 with PlayUp

The Pelicans could be a really good team if things go their way. They have a really well-rounded group of up to seven guys, with a starting lineup consisting of Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, and with the talented Trey Murphy III coming off the bench. Unfortunately for them, a whole bunch of those guys are injured. Of the aforementioned group, only Ingram and Williamson will be available for this game against the Magic, and even then Williamson is day to day and could potentially miss. What’s more, Jordan Hawkins, who has provided some scoring spark in an injury-ravaged team, will also miss this game. Unsurprisingly, the Pelicans have been struggling as a result. In fact, their start to the year has been little more than a disaster. After winning their first two games they have lost six of their last seven, and they have not been good losses. In that time they have lost twice to the Trail Blazers by an average of 20 points (not good), lost by 15 to the Hawks, and 18 and 15 in consecutive games to the Warriors. They are struggling to beat just about anyone at the moment, and though the Magic are struggling plenty themselves, their losses have been to far better teams. The Magic should be a good team this season but have been rattled by the news of a medium-term absence to star second year Paolo Banchero, but still – they have a few good players at their disposal and are very good defensively, and that should be enough for them to knock off the Pelicans. The Magic have actually lost five games in a row, but three of those were to the Cavaliers, Mavericks and Thunder, while the latest was a close loss to the Pacers. Compared to the Pelicans, who have been losing heavily to teams like the Trail Blazers, that’s not that bad. Both of these teams badly need a win, but the Pelicans are so, so thin with all their injuries, and the Magic should be able to take advantage.