NBA Best Bets: Tuesday, November 1

Well, karma hit us quite hard last week with a 1-3 record. Tough look, but that’s why we come back this week.

Batman’s dad taught me that we get knocked down so we can pick ourselves up, and that’s exactly what we’re doing tonight.

Categories:
Layups: 2-Unit Plays
Two-Pointers: 1-Unit Plays
Three-Pointers: 0.75-Unit Plays
Half-Court Shot: 0.5-Unit Plays

Season Record: 4-4 (-1.6 units)

Two-Pointers

Bulls ML @ Nets (+110): The Nets are messier than my college apartment’s bathroom after a party. Coach? Gone. Ben Simmons? Out. Kyrie Irving? Somehow still there. Brooklyn is in shambles and the Bulls are just kinda vibing.

Zach LaVine is supposed to return for this one, so backing the Bulls seems like a logical option here. They haven’t lost three straight this season, and they’ve shown to be serviceable after a few losses. The funny thing is that when Steve Nash’s firing was announced, the line actually moved in the Nets’ favor. I certainly don’t think Nash was the main problem for the Nets, so I’ll take advantage of a line moving in our favor here.

Rudy Gobert Over 13.5 Rebounds (-125): Before you stat nerds start saying, “Oh, Phoenix is one of the better rebounding teams in the NBA,” I’d like to remind you there will be no Deandre Ayton tonight. It’s time for Rudy Gobert to FEAST!

A deeper dive into the stats shows the Suns actually give up a pedestrian 15.0 rpg to the center position. Without Ayton in the middle, it should be the Gobert Show down low. If the game script works out the way Vegas thinks, Gobert will be getting plenty of playing time with the T-Wolves playing from behind. Gobert’s also shown the propensity to grab 20+ rebounds in a game, so I’m comfortable betting over 13.

Heat-Warriors Over 226 (-110): Golden State is an astounding 6-1 on the over, while the Heat are 4-3. These teams also hit the over in their last five matchups against each other. Golden State’s defense gives up the most points per game in the NBA this season at 122, while the Heat are the fifth-worst in the NBA in three-point percentage defense, which hurts when you’re playing the team that takes the second-most three-pointers a game.

Three-Pointers

Magic +3 @ Thunder (-110): Look, I’m as big of an OKC supporter as you’ll find, but even I don’t think this team should be favored by three over anyone. That’s not to say they’re bad — because they’re not, as they’ve won their last three games in a row. But this is the first time the Thunder will be a favorite, and I’m a bit hesitant to back them. They’re young and inexperienced, and this line should probably be closer to a pick‘em than anything, so I’ll take the points.