Today is one of those days that I love underdogs. The underdogs are all good teams. The Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers are both underdogs today. When I get a day like today, I always lower the number of units. The betting value is there today. When betting on the NBA, taking the value play is the best way to go. There are a lot of games in the season, and we need to take the value where we can get it. Make sure to sprinkle some of these NBA bets into your college football betting today.
Join the BettingPros Discord Chat for Live Betting Advice >>
Atlanta Hawks +5: -115 at DraftKings Sportsbook
I will be honest. The Phoenix Suns are on a three-game winning streak and have looked phenomenal lately. Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges have been stepping up and getting to the bucket. My concerns are the teams they are playing. They beat the Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Together these teams are 8-18. Cleveland is 6-4 and the only good team that the Suns have beat on their streak. Statistically, Devin Booker and Trae Young are almost identical.
Atlanta is 4-5, but they have played better competition than the Suns. They’ve lost to the Nets, Jazz, 76ers, and a Wizards team that has been playing well through the first couple of games this year. The Hawks have scoring power and depth: Trae Young, John Collins, Cam Reddish, and Clint Capela. They are going to be able to score points in this matchup. Based on the level of competition that these teams have played early in the season, the Hawks covering in this matchup has value. They have been losing away games, which is why I am picking them to cover instead of taking the Moneyline.
Boston Celtics Moneyline: +160 at DraftKings Sportsbook
The Boston Celtics are having some struggles early this season, but let’s not forget about the talent that this team has. They have Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford. This team is going to win games this year. They have a new head coach in Ime Udoka and are still figuring some things out. This team has depth and star power. Depth is something that the Dallas Mavericks do not have.
Dallas is having a good year. They are 5-3, and Luka Doncic leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists. That is part of the reason this game worries me. Doncic can not win by himself every night. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been okay this season, but Kristaps Porzingis feels like a flop. Porzingis has been having some back issues too, which is concerning. The Mavericks do not have the depth to compete with the Celtics’ bench when Doncic is not on the floor. Boston provides value in this game.
Los Angeles Lakers Moneyline: +155 at DraftKings Sportsbook
The Lakers have been a weird team this year. They are 5-4 and are still trying to figure out where everyone fits. Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard had their fight a week ago. Everyone is saying Russell Westbrook needs to come off the bench, and LeBron is out. The only highlight for this team this year has been Carmelo Anthony. He is playing quality minutes and great basketball. Through all of these oddities, I think the Lakers are still a talented team. Beyond their stars, they also have a ton of veteran depth that can take them deep into games.
Portland is 4-5, and Damian Lillard has been underwhelming this season. He is still a great player, but he is struggling to score. They played the Pacers last night and won in a close game 110-106. All of their starters put in 30+ minutes. McCollum and Lillard both put in close to 40 minutes. They are going to be tired tonight. Portland is going to struggle to keep up late into this game. The value leans toward the Lakers with the plus money.
Join the BettingPros Discord Chat for Live Betting Advice >>
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our Sports Betting 101 Section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners — or head to more advanced sports betting strategy — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread — to learn more.
Cameron Lynch is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Cameron, check out his archive and follow him @captron26.