NBA Preseason Friday Picks: Three Totals to Bet

The opening tip of the NBA regular season is scheduled for Tuesday night. Because of this, preseason basketball is in full effect.

Preseason betting couldn’t be a better warmup for bettors to get a taste of the action before Tuesday.

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Here are three totals that should cover on Friday night.

If you’re new to sports betting – read our over/under betting guide.

Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers Picks

Best Bet: Over 217.5

The Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers both have the ability to score points. The 76ers are led by Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris. Simmons averaged 16.4 points per game last season and has the ability to get everyone involved on the floor.

The 6-10 point guard averaged eight assists per game as well last season. Embiid cleans up mistakes in the paint. His ability to grab rebounds and get putbacks is what makes him so special.

Indiana has lost its first two preseason games, but it is averaging 105 points per contest. Shooting guard Victor Oladipo is the team’s go-to guy with the game on the line.

He averaged just under 15 points per game last season. The last time these two teams met, they combined for 248 points.

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Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors Picks

Best Bet: Over 218.5

The Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors are two of the best teams in basketball. Last season, the Heat had the Cinderella run in the NBA playoffs before they were beaten by the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry are day-to-day. These two are leaders of the Heat and Raptors, respectively.

This doesn’t concern me, considering this is the preseason. These two wouldn’t play big roles with the regular season beginning on Tuesday night if they were healthy.

This will give young stars the ability to show up and score points to establish themselves on their individual teams.

The Raptors are averaging 111.5 points per game. The Heat have only competed in one preseason game in 2020-21. The key for them to score will be Tyler Herro.

Herro made an impact in the NBA playoffs and could be the guy in Miami moving forward. He will contribute on Friday in a big way without Butler by his side.

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Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns Picks

Best Bet: Over 109.5 1st Half

The Los Angeles Lakers have played three preseason games this year. Their biggest scoring effort came against the Clippers, as they put up 131 points on their own.

Talen Horton-Tucker has been the preseason star in Los Angeles. He only averaged 5.7 points as a rookie in 2019-20, but he has been big in the preseason thus far.

Against the Clippers, Horton-Tucker was all over the floor. He went 11-of-17 from the field, which resulted in 33 points.

Kyle Kuzma will also play a role for Los Angeles. He scored 23 points and went 8-of-15 from the field against the Phoenix Suns a couple of days ago.

When Phoenix and Los Angeles met on Dec. 16, the teams combined for 219 points. However, I like the first half total for one reason on Friday night.

This is the last preseason contest for both teams. If the headliners for both teams will play, their time will be minimal.

Have fun betting the totals on Friday, and good luck betting on the NBA this season!