My goodness, what a day for Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets yesterday, with a 3.98 unit gain. Myles Turner only had three rebounds at halftime but turned on the juice in the second half and covered both the rebounding and double-double prop. Scottie Barnes also came through and he will be a fixture on the column until the sportsbooks account for his new position. Those bets also earned the 100th correct bet in this column! 

It took 185 bets to get there, and this column is at +15.22 units currently. That is all well, but that is expected from Fantasy Alarm, and it should be expected from all bettors. The goal is forty units, but this column is on pace to get there before the end of the season. 

There are five games today, with two back-to-back conference clashes on TNT. The Boston Celtics travel to Milwaukee to play the Bucks in an Eastern Conference rival of the best of the best. That is followed by a western showdown of the Phoenix Suns versus the Los Angeles Lakers. It is a showdown between LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as the two long-time vets battle each other once again. The surging New York Knicks take on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, with a favorable prop bet. There is also a game in Paris, France, with a 2:00 PM ET tip-off! This does not happen very often and leads to the bet of the day.

 

NBA Bet of the Night

Cameron Johnson OVER 2.5 Threes Made (-130 at DraftKings)

Cameron Johnson is settling into a role with the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded from the Phoenix Suns in a package for Kevin Durant, and he is playing well at the moment. He has played thirty-two or more minutes in five of his last six games, and he has shot thirty-three threes this month in four games. He is successful on 42.4% of his three attempts and has covered this prop in every game of January, and six of his last seven. 

With improvement to his defense, he could be a true ‘3&D’ guy but his shot from behind the arc has never been questioned. He came in shooting well, and it has continued with the Nets. Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus will be shooting from behind the arc and scoring often for the Cleveland Cavaliers today. Johnson will be the Nets best three-point shooter, and the former North Carolina Tar Heel could have an excellent shooting day.

NBA Prop Bets of the Night

Isaiah Hartenstein OVER 10.5 Rebounds (-150 at BetMGM 2 Units)

A new favorite is back in the column. Isaiah Hartenstein could make Mitchell Robinson old news. The Knicks are 5-0 in 2024 and I. Hrtenstein’s sixty-eight rebounds are a large part of that. He has more rebounds than points, forty-seven, in 2024. His rebounding per-game average is still crazy low, but that accounts for when he was a backup. As a starter, he has been a monster on the glass. The Knicks are validating themselves for talks of the Eastern Conference Finals, and the organization is making the moves for a playoff push. However, the Dallas Mavericks can score anywhere from 100-140 depending on the game, and the money line is a risk.

What is not a risk is the rebounds against the Mavericks, as they have moved down to second most allowed per game, 55.6, in the Association. In addition to that, they allow the third most rebounds and second most points to opposing centers. Until Dereck Lively returns, the Mavericks will not have a center with paint presence. Luka Doncic, the point guard, is the leading rebounder on the team with 8.1 per game… Hartenstein will dominate this game and is well-rested after the blowout against the Portland Trail Blazers. This line is heavily juiced but putting two units on it returns over a unit in profit. Trust the big man.

NBA Boost Special

LeBron James and Kevin Durant Each 25+ Points (+150 at DraftKings $25 Max)

Sportsbook boosts are not recommended to bet on and rarely are mentioned unless it is a boost to a bet of your choice. This parlay of props is listed originally at +120, and they are both inconsistent in their scoring. Kevin Durant has rotated covering 25+ over/under in six straight games. LeBron James can either score to control a game or pass to Anthony Davis when he is giving maximum effort. 

Both James and Durant stated in their previous matchup they realize how special their games against each other are, and both realize there could be only a handful of these games left. They have played each other in three NBA Finals, and this will be their thirty-sixth match against each other. There are other superstars on their team, and this is a divisional matchup…so they are familiar with each other. 

The Suns hold a 0.5-game advantage in the rankings, as they currently sit at eighth and ninth in the Western Conference. It is a primetime game on TNT with a national audience, and they both are healthy and playing great ball. This bet is asking them to be themselves, with season points per game averages of, Lebron James at 25.1, and Kevin Durant at 29.6. If $25 is more than your unit, place your normal unit amount instead. If it is more and you bet $25 it would return $62.50 and can be converted to your unit profit. 

 

Thank you for reading and remember to check out Fantasy Alarm for all your Fantasy and Betting needs.

Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy

*All Bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise