What’s better than Meatloaf? A Sweep! Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets cleaned house yesterday with a perfect day of betting! And with two plus odd bets, the prize was twice as nice! The Washington Wizards laid waste to the Brooklyn Nets with a 119 - 99 victory. The Denver Nuggets almost won the game, but ran out of gas in the last minutes of the fourth quarter. However they easily covered the +13.5 spread. Jay Huff played 20 minutes, but managed only two rebounds, never getting close to the 4.5 line.

Yesterday was fun, but the best bets today are the focus right now. This outstanding week of betting continues into the weekend. There are eight games this Saturday, as the NBA gets ready for their TV takeover once the regular season of the NFL ends. Three games are nationally televised on NBATV, and the first best bet of the day is one of them. 

 

 

 

NBA Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 1/3

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Miami Heat: Saturday, 1/3

Game Time: 5:00 PM ET | TV: NBATV | Location: Kaseya Center | Odds: MIN -2.5 | O/U 239.5

Prediction: Miami Heat Moneyline (+122 on FanDuel Sportsbook) 

The Miami Heat host the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Kaseya Center in an East versus West battle. It’s actually the most southern state versus the most northern state in the “lower 48”. Miami and Minnesota are 1,861 miles apart, and are on opposite ends of the win column. Miami has won four consecutive games, Minnesota lost their most recent game in dramatic fashion. 

Anthony Edwards walked into the locker room with time remaining in the game. There have been Minnesota players and coaches voicing their displeasure in postgame interviews. Miami has different players stepping up every night, and continue to display their ability to be the best team in the Eastern Conference. Miami is also 12-5 at home this season, and opposing teams generally do not play well when they visit South Beach.

Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell have been playing better than anticipated. Kel’el Ware has turned a corner this season and is a great offensive player for Miami’s frontcourt. Bam Adebayo, Jaime Jaquez, and Nikola Jovic are all probable for today’s game, and Miami will have a rotation that has been successful this season. Put a unit on this plus odds best bet, and expect Miami to pull off the upset at home.

Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Clippers: Saturday, 1/3

Game Time: 10:30 PM ET | TV: NBATV | Location: Intuit Dome | Odds: LAC -1.5 | O/U 219.5

Prediction: LA Clippers Moneyline (-118 on BetMGM Sportsbook) 

The Los Angeles Clippers have been hotter than fish grease, and we are dropping bets on them like French fries into the hot oil. They host the Boston Celtics in the late game on NBATV, and that should favor the Clippers. It is the closest spread of the day, and it should be the best match as well.

The odds were shifted this morning, either the money came in on the Boston Celtics, or the algorithm in their simulators updated overnight. But both teams are still listed with negative odd moneylines. Although the sportsbooks have this game predicted as a close one, the expectation is for the Clippers to defeat the Celtics.

Boston has the better record, but Los Angeles has won six consecutive games behind the resurgence of Kawhi Leonard. As mentioned before Leonard plays his way into shape, and he has played over the crucial amount of minutes. 500. He has been a force, and as this column has mentioned, the injury to Zubac forced the Clippers to play with more space. This has benefited Leonard and James Harden immensely. As well as the Clippers.

The Celtics have won seven of their last ten games, and have a 11-7 road record. They are not walking out of the Intuit Dome victorious. Put a unit on the Clippers moneyline, even though it was juiced up overnight.

 

 

 

NBA Prop Bet Today, 1/3

Draymond Green Under 6.5 Rebounds (-140 on DraftKings Sportsbook) 

The Golden State Warriors host the Utah Jazz as the Warriors play their second of back-to-back games. However, most of the team took last night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder off. Al Horford was the Warriors' leading scorer with 13 points, which is not a good sign for Horford or the Warriors. 

Tonight, they are -12.5 favorites against a streaky Jazz team. If the game becomes a blowout, Draymond Green will be on the bench. However he has recorded less than 6.5 rebounds in four of his last five games, and even with playing time this proposition seems safe. Utah has a tall front court, and Jusuf Nurkic and Green have had altercations in the past. Who knows how the battle between them will play out.

The juice is high on the under, due to the improbability Green can cover the 6.5 rebounding line. And with Green a double technical, flagrant ejection, and walking out on his teammates is a real possibility. Which is why under 6.5 rebounds is the best bet of this matchup. He’s averaging 6.0 rebounds per game, and this bet needs his average or less. Put a unit on it.

 

 

 

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Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy G. -
*All bets placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise.