As another weekend of NBA games is in the middle of being played, there are a few games you should be monitoring to make bets on. With several to choose from, read on to find the three games that you cannot go wrong by betting the favorites on come Sunday.
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Picks
Knicks vs. Celtics Game Preview
Best Bet: Celtics (-6.5)
It’s been a rough stretch for the New York Knicks, who opened the year with a 5-3 record. It seems that the magic of Julius Randle and the rejuvenated squad was too good to be true.
The Knicks have lost five games in a row, as it seems coach Tom Thibodeau’s guys are not as fired up as they were coming out of the gates.
While the Knicks have played poorly, the Boston Celtics came out triumphant in their last game. They took down the Magic after health and safety protocols had a number of their guys unable to play or practice, leading to multiple postponements.
Even with Jayson Tatum out of the lineup, the Celtics looked good. It seems that they got a serious steal in the NBA Draft by selecting guard Payton Pritchard.
The Celtics can be counted on to win with Jaylen Brown as their alpha player. They will cover the 6.5-point spread and emerge with a win.
Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets Picks
Best Bet: Nuggets (-3)
Utah has been a little up and down this year, but they did hand the Cleveland Cavaliers a drubbing on Tuesday night. That was the highlight of their week, without question.
It has been nice to see Derrick Favors back on the team, though his role is clearly defined as backup center now, with no more minutes coming at power forward. Donovan Mitchell is the clear leader for the Jazz, and he’s continuing to show growth, even though he’s a little inconsistent.
Denver will again be without Michael Porter Jr., who has been out since Dec. 30. The Nuggets have managed to win without him, but when he is healthy, his presence will be a treat to the team.
Gary Harris will return after missing a few games, bumping Bol Bol out of the rotation. It was good to see Bol get the minutes, but the Nuggets will be better without him.
Nikola Jokic is continuing to dominate this season and should be in the discussion for league MVP.
The Nuggets have a little more star power here, and that’s the reason to bet on them. Denver -3 is a pretty favorable cushion. They’ll beat the team they rallied from 3-1 down against in last year’s playoffs.
New Orleans Pelicans (-2) at Sacramento Kings
Pelicans vs. Kings Game Preview
Best Bet: Pelicans -2
It has been a decent start to the year for the New Orleans Pelicans, who have been battling the injury bug of late. Nickeil Alexander-Walker turned in a surprising 37-point effort in a tough loss to the Clippers a few nights ago.
Surprisingly, we haven’t seen the aggressive Brandon Ingram that has grabbed eyes and headlines the past two seasons in the past few contests. With Ingram and Zion Williamson leading, you hope to win more often than not.
It has been another odd season for the Sacramento Kings. They have a nice backcourt with De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, though the rest of the roster is a little mish-moshed.
Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes have done some good things, and rookie Tyrese Haliburton is already looking like a stud. But something always gets in the way of consistency.
They got blown out by 38 points against the Clippers Friday, so they hope to shake it off fast.
It’s hard to bet against the Pelicans in this game, as they have more offensive firepower. Look for a strong Steven Adams performance to help guide the Pelicans to a win, helping them cover their two-point spread layout.
