NBA Betting: Vol. 2

Honestly, Miami is the heavy favorite here. They’re absolutely dialed in right now. Meanwhile, the Celtics seem a bit weaker this season compared to how they usually play, and there's even a chance Paul Pierce might sit this one out. At this point, Boston is probably just focused on securing their spot in the playoffs, so if they can stay healthy, maybe they'll actually try to turn it up once they get in there.

Charles Long63 said:What’s the move for the Lakers today? Honestly, the odds look way too high for my liking—feels like they're being undervalued for no reason at all. I guess we'll see, but something feels off there.🤷

Honestly, you only need to look at how they’ve been playing over the last two games to see the problem. Plus, it’s their third game in three days—that kind of schedule is brutal, I guess.

Charles Long63 said:Thoughts on the Lakers today? The odds seem way too high for my liking—feels like a setup.🤷

It’s not for nothing...

pogledaj ovaj post:

They’ve dropped two in a row now—definitely looking a bit rusty out there. If you ask me, betting on the spread today feels like the smarter play.😉

"Just look at their last two games. They're on their third game in three days."

I haven't caught them playing lately, so I can't say for sure how they're looking, but my money is on them winning today. The Utah Jazz look pretty weak this season to me.

Three games in a row and Kobe is shooting like there's no tomorrow?

Just give us those Jazz fans already🤣

Wait, they're actually the favorites? haha... unbelievable🤣

Lawrence Vaughn3 said:Paul Pierce isn't in the lineup for the Celtics... honestly, I feel like he should go higher than 16.5.. he'll probably drop around 20 today

Here’s what I’m looking at for today: Deron Williams over 22.5 @1.85
Milwaukee - Minnesota 5.5 spread -2- 1.85
Al Jefferson under 18.5 @1.85

It doesn't really matter if Pierce is out, since it's not even a sure thing he won't suit up.
Just because a player is missing from the roster doesn't mean you can automatically bet the over on someone else. You have to look at the specific role and mindset of the player in question; Rajon Rondo is a point guard, so his bread and butter is running the floor and dishing out assists. When it comes to Rondo's scoring, he's pretty thin there because his perimeter shot is super shaky—his main strength is just getting those easy layups. He had a little "flash" during that game against New York City, but honestly, the most credit goes to the Knicks' interior defense where he managed to sink 16 points on layups in 10 attempts(shooting 8-10), plus he picked up some easy buckets on the break because their transition defense was basically 0.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIoXD2THO8I 🤦 They offered nothing on defense.

So, let's talk about today's opponent, the Miami Heat, who are basically the heavy favorites to hoist the trophy this season. Miami boasts an incredible interior defense; they were among the best last season, holding opponents to just 58% shooting. The Heat are definitely going to come prepared for this matchup and will likely focus their energy on neutralizing Rondo and stopping him from driving to the rim. Last season against Miami, Rondo averaged 8.9 points over 9 games (4, 8, 11, 7, 8, 20, 6, 10, 6). As you can see, he only had that one outlier performance; without it, his average would actually be lower than 8.9.
Now, looking at that 16.5 line—Rondo cleared that mark 15 times in 77 games last season, and we can all guess which teams he did it against. At first glance, it looks like a "low" line, especially after seeing how he performed against the Knicks, so most people will naturally gravitate toward the over. But I wouldn't call it that; for a playmaker with Rondo's skill set, this is actually a pretty high bar. Sure, he could blow past it, but the whole point here is finding value in that 16.5(value) number. ☕

James Taylor3 said:Solid pair. Rondo isn't going to have an easy time scoring against Dwyane Wade and a crew like that, especially compared to a porous Knicks defense. Plus, if Paul Pierce ends up playing tonight, the chances of Rondo hitting that over drop even further.
Either way, it's a really strong pick. 👍

👍

The season's first consensus 👋

“I think in the first quarter I’ve got to establish myself a little bit more,” said the reigning league MVP who aside from that wonderful game saving floater against the Lakers Christmas Day game hasn’t been very valuable at all as the Bulls were bludgeoned 99-91 by the Golden State Warriors Monday game. “I see that being laid back is just not doing it. I think both games in the first quarter I shot the ball just one or two times (one of four total and zero free throws). I see that approach is not working. So next game I’ve got to change it up.”

Well, damn.

Dwyane Wade might go over tonight; he's got a 24.5 margin and averaged 30.5 against the Boston Celtics last season.

Arthur Hill2 said:Three games straight and Kobe’s shooting like there's no tomorrow...

Just bring on the Jazz fans 🤣

Wait, they're the favorites? lol... 🤣

Kobe Bryant (-26.5+) vs the Lakers against the Utah Jazz—honestly, nobody else is stepping up more than him today. If he grabs at least 5 rebounds and dishes out 5 assists, that's an easier bet than the final score. You can tell Kobe is pissed...😳

Plus, taking the Lakers (-10.5) over the Utah Jazz at 1.30 seems solid enough...😉

James Castillo8 said:Kobe Bryant (-26.5 points+) for Lakers vs. Utah Jazz — honestly, I don't see anyone else making a bigger impact today. If he hits 5+ assists and 5+ rebounds alongside that, it's almost a lock. It feels easier to hit those props than the final score; I have a feeling Kobe is playing with a massive chip on his shoulder today. 😳

Given all that, taking the Lakers (-10.5) at 1.30 seems like a solid play. 😉

The problem is when Kobe gets angry—he starts forcing shots and trying to do everything himself, which is usually disastrous for the Lakers.

Look at that last possession against the Chicago Bulls a couple of days ago. Kobe takes the final shot to win it, surrounded by three Chicago defenders, and instead of finding a wide-open Pau Gasol under the rim, he forces the shot anyway... Naturally, he gets blocked.

Despite all that, I still think the Lakers (-10.5) vs. Utah Jazz is a solid bet at 1.30 😉

I'm right there with you 🙂
Plus, maybe take the mill/minn (-11.5) at 1.30.

Ray Allen over 17.5?
I mean, he’s gotta step up today. If that jumper is falling early, he could easily clear 25+.

Milwaukee-Minnesota?
NY-Atlanta 1

James Castillo8 makes a valid point here; Kobe Bryant is essentially the only one truly capable on this Los Angeles Lakers squad right now, so I expect him to hammer away at 20 shots or more tonight.

+Word is Pau Gasol is dealing with an injury.

They really ought to be playing in Minnesota

James Taylor3 said:...

tsigi, what’s your take on Nets vs. Hawks?! I’m looking at this Atlanta line at 1.55 and it just looks too good to pass up... man, that starting five with Teague, Johnson, Williams, Smith, and Horford—it feels solid. Then you look at the bench and they've got T-Mac, Stackhouse, Pachulia, and Collins coming off the pine... whereas the Nets are basically just Deron and Humphries carrying everything while the rest of the roster looks pretty weak to me... 🤷

Arthur Hill2 said:James Castillo8 makes a fair point—Kobe is basically the only one pulling weight for the Los Angeles Lakers right now, so he'll probably hunt down another 20 shots tonight.

Word is Pau Gasol is banged up, too.

Where can I actually check if he's out? I've been scrolling through www.nba.com but nothing's popping up... plus, his line is sitting at 18.5. 😁Gonna go for a quick run to clear my head before I try to put a parlay together.

Anyway, caught the game against the Chicago Bulls... honestly, he'd have been better off just hunting threes every time he touched the ball. A three would've landed way faster than trying to take on a 1v3...😁

Keith Moore21 said:James Taylor3, what's your take on Nets vs. Atlanta? That @1.55 line on Atlanta looks solid to me... their lineup of Teagua, Johnson, Williams, Smith, and Horford seems great—plus T-Mac, Stackhouse, Pachulia, and Collins coming off the bench. The Nets are basically just Deron and Humphries; the rest of the roster isn't much to write home about. 🤷

To be honest, I haven't a clue.
I haven't kept up with either squad heading into this season—especially not Atlanta. They were one of those unpredictable teams last year, capable of beating anyone but also prone to losing to the basement dwellers.

The Nets are going to miss Lopez quite a bit; I doubt anyone can really step up to support Deron.

Atlanta is the better team, sure, but it’s still the start of the season—you can see how erratic the results are.

If the total is under 185, I'd personally lean toward the under—just a gut feeling. 😁

James Taylor3 said:Honestly, I haven't got a clue.
I haven't really done my homework on either squad heading into this season—especially not Atlanta. They were such a wildcard last year; one day they look like they could take down anyone, the next they're dropping games to bottom-feeders.

The Nets are definitely going to miss Lopez, and honestly, I doubt anyone can step up and match what Deron brings to the table.

Atlanta probably has the better roster, but hey, it's just the start of the season—you can see how weird the results have been lately.

If I had to pick, I'd probably lean toward the under if the line is anything less than 185, just as a rough guess. 😁

It’s sitting at 180.5 on the sportsbook... and then I'm reading that the Atlanta coach is promising a high-octane offense this year, mostly because he wants everyone to run with Teagua. And we all know that guy is lightning fast. 😁 Man, you just get all sorts of results with these things... I don't know, maybe I'd just parlay Miami at 1/1 with a Portland straight up win and call it a day... nothing fancy for Miami though, just like what I was telling you this morning...

Hey everyone, what’s the consensus on Minnesota?
Is it actually worth putting money on them, or maybe just taking the 5.5 point spread? They gave Oklahoma a real run for their money earlier, and honestly, I don't see the Bucks being much of a step up in quality.

@agent check out the League Pass footage of the Brooklyn Nets vs. Washington, D.C. last night. Watching that first half... you won't even have to think twice about whether to bet on the Atlanta game. 😁

Bryan Adams6 said:@Keith Moore21/">@@Keith Moore21 man, you gotta check out the Brooklyn Nets on League Pass from last night against Washington, D.C.—the first half was just... wow. After seeing that, I don't think you'll even have to wonder whether to bet on Atlanta or not. 😁

Where have you been hiding, man?! You're basically a ghost at this point—can't find you anywhere. 🤣
Yeah, I know, I saw it too... that's why I'm saying, forget about Atlanta for a second, but those Nets don't look half bad to me either. Honestly, though, I kind of feel for Deron having to play for a squad like that...

Bryan Adams6 said:@Keith Moore21/">@@Keith Moore21, take a look at the League Pass footage of the Brooklyn Nets against Washington, D.C. last night—specifically that first half... once you see how much of a mess that was, you won't be second-guessing whether to put money on Atlanta anymore... 😁

They were down by 37:45 at the half against a much weaker squad than Atlanta... honestly, I’d take the Brooklyn Nets over Atlanta any day, but reality is hitting hard here—it's a 2-point spread and even then, the odds are sitting at 1.55...