Welcome to the weekend! What an amazing first round of play-in games yesterday, and Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic were one statistic away from the +2600 bet from yesterday. The Warriors losing the TEASED bet on the hook… unreal. So close, yet so far…Ces’t la vie, tis’ betting my friends. However, all is well on the betting front as this column is still plus units after 30 NBA best bets less than two weeks into the season. There are eight NBA games that begin with the Phoenix Suns at Philadelphia 76ers. The tip-off for the intra-conference showdown is 1:10 PM ET. There is another East vs West battle, but this one is on the third coast, kicking off at 7:10 PM ET. The Atlanta Hawks travel to the New Orleans Pelicans in a tightly predicted game, the spread is only two points. A bitter rivalry in the northeast begins at 8:10 PM ET as the NBA’s last unbeaten team, the Boston Celtics, travel to the Brooklyn Nets. Also the defending champion Denver Nuggets are playing in back-to-back games, hosting the Chicago Bulls with an 8:10 PM ET as well. It is an all monyeline bet Saturday, but there is a parlay involved. 

 

BET OF THE NIGHT

Philadelphia 76ers, Moneyline (-250) MGM; Two Units

In the process of writing this column this line went from -160, to -185, to -205 and is currently -250. Due to the line change this bet has now become a double unit bet. However the odds do not change the belief about this game.The Phoenix Suns do not have a competitive center and the San Antonio Spurs demonstrated they have difficulty with size and teams that play well in transition. Enter the Philadelphia 76ers with one of the best scoring centers in the league, and Tyrese Maxey who runs up and down the court. The Suns will be without Devin Booker and Bradley Beal again, leaving Kevin Durant as the man to do all the lifting. Trust the 76ers to win this game and place the double unit.

New Orleans Pelicans Moneyline (-125)

The New Orleans Pelicans are quietly dominating their competition and doing it with several injuries to their team. Brandon Ingram could be out for the fourth straight game, and as of now Zion Williamson is questionable. The injuries have allowed role players such as Dyson Daniels and Herbert Jones to make plays. Daniels had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in the win over Detroit Thursday. Starting Pelicans center, Jonas Valanciunas, has stepped up his performance with double digit points in all but one game this year too. The New Orleans Pelicans are also first in the competitive Southwest divisions. The Atlanta Hawks are in first place of the Southeast division, and won three in a row. They have scored 126 or more points in four of the five games this season and although rookie Kobe Bufkin and veteran Wesley Matthews are out, they have a healthy top ten roster. It should be a great game, if Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram are declared to play this game, the odds will likely change, so hop on it before they do.

PARLAY: BOSTON CELTICS AND DENVER NUGGETS (ML For Both, -172)

The Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets are huge favorites today in their respective matches. The Celtics are the sole remaining undefeated team and leaders of the Eastern Conference. The Nuggets are 5-1 and in first place in the Western Conference. Although the Celtics are on the road, they are 9.5 point favorites, the largest spread of the day. The Celtics also have the largest point differential in the league with +20.5. They should make easy work of the Nets who could be without key players again. The Denver Nuggets are playing in back-to-back games, but they are at home, in Ball Arena. Chicago can score points but will not be able to play defense well enough against the Denver Nuggets to win this game. Denver is a difficult place to play and the Nuggets bench players of Chistian Braun, Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji, and Reggie Jackson are playing as well as any starting unit in the NBA. The odds are worth putting a parlay on the best teams in the NBA.

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

 

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