NBA Best Bet of the Day: Kawhi Leonard gets buckets on Luka Doncic

Looking at the best NBA playoffs bets to make each day, today we focus on the Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Dallas Mavericks.

What should be the first home games for the lower seeds is instead a continuation of the seven-game series, with four Game 3s, tipping off in the Orlando bubble Friday.

The quadruple-header features Joel Embiid trying to get his Philadelphia 76ers back into their series against the Boston Celtics and Luka Doncic versus Kawhi Leonard continues with the Dallas Mavericks meeting the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers-Mavericks is the game we’ll focus on today.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Kawhi to score more points than Luka (+115) 

This is a specialty prop, aka “Odds Boost”, offered by only BetMGM Sportsbook.

Los Angeles owned Dallas in the regular season, going 3-0, but the Mavericks are tied 1-1 in their first-round series. You could even make the argument that the Mavericks would be up 2-0 if Kristaps Porzingis weren’t thrown out of Game 1 because of the technicality of two technical fouls. 

A big reason why Dallas has looked so good is because of their MVP-contending superstar, Luka (first name basis), balling out of control in the first two games. He’s been a complete maestro out there, orchestrating the Mavericks offense to the tune of 127 points scored in their Game 2 victory.

Luka’s brilliance is made even more possible because of the injury to Clippers’ defensive force PG Pat Beverley, but that’s part of my handicap and why I actually like Kawhi to outscore him in Game 3.


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Kawhi versus Luka is the most entertaining matchup and Leonard will need to take more responsibility in guarding Luka if Los Angeles wants to get past Dallas in the first round. “The Claw,” as Kawhi is otherwise known, is no stranger to suffocating defense and if head coach Doc Rivers demands it, Leonard could oblige. 

These two have played head-to-head five times this season, including the playoffs, and they’ve scored as many points in two games, Kawhi has scored more in two games and Luka has the scoring edge in the other.

Another factor in me taking Kawhi to score more points than Luka is my “fade the market” angle. BetMGM opened the line at Kawhi favored (-118), but bettors have steamed the line to Luka favored (-115).

GRAB KAWHI (+118) since it’s going against the market. The House is usually the better side to be on. New to sports betting A $100 bet on Kawhi to score more points than Luka (+118) pays a $118 profit.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: Milwaukee Bucks shutdown Nikola Vučević

Looking at the best NBA playoffs bets to make each day, today we focus on Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Orlando Magic.

The second day of a Game 2 quadruple-header for the first round of the NBA playoffs is slated for Thursday. Each conference’s 1-seeds try to bounce back from stunning Game 1 losses when the Milwaukee Bucks meet the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers play the Portland Trail Blazers.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Under Nikola Vučević 22.5 points (-129)

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that something is a little off with the Milwaukee Bucks. They got routed in Game 1 by the 8-seed Magic, 122-110. A big reason why Orlando pulled off the upset is because of the work their big man Nikola Vučević put in.

He scored 35 points (a personal-high against Milwaukee) on 15-24 shooting and 5 of 8 from behind the arc. Essentially the Bucks dared Vučević to shoot and he made them pay. 

Vučević having his best scoring performance of 2019-20 led to an overreaction from BetMGM. We are getting close to three points of cushion compared to his season average of 19.6 PPG.

Also, we should expect regression from the five threes Vučević sank in Game 1, because he averaged 1.7 threes per game in the regular season and the Bucks’ bigs should close out on him more in Game 2.


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Even though the Bucks averaged the most points per game in the regular season, their defense is what will carry them to a title. Milwaukee is ranked first in defensive efficiency this season.

The Bucks allow opponents to shoot the most threes per game in the NBA but that’s by design because opponents score the least amount of points in the paint per game. Vučević averaged the ninth-most paint touches and 11th-most field goal attempts in the paint in the NBA. 

In 24 career starts against the Bucks, Vučević has eclipsed 22.5 points in just three games and he’s averaging 16.7 points per game against Milwaukee. Expect a motivated Bucks team, and both Lopez brothers, to focus on shutting down Vučević. 

New to sports betting? A $129 bet on Under Nikola Vučević 22.5 points (-129) pays out a $100 profit if the Bucks hold him to 22 or fewer points. 

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: Paul George pummels the Dallas Mavericks

Looking at the best NBA playoffs bets to make each day, today we zero in on the Dallas Mavericks vs. the LA Clippers.

Four first-round series Game 2s tip-off on Wednesday in the NBA. We’ll see the Denver Nuggets match up with the Utah Jazz, fresh off spoiling a 57-point performance, after beating them 135-125 in overtime and if the Toronto Raptors can stay hot from deep following their Game 1, 134-110, victory.

We are going to zero in on the Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers for the best bet of the day.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Paul George Over 26.5 points (-100) vs. the Dallas Mavericks

Dallas came to play in Game 1 against the Clippers. Not only did they take a punch on the chin to start the game, but they returned with a haymaker to eventually take the lead.

There’s a good chance the Mavericks pull off an upset if PF Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t get ejected in the first half. Also, the Clippers bench was pretty ineffective on Monday when both PG Reggie Jackson and SG Landry Shamet scored 0 points and PF Montrezl Harrell only scored six points in 15 minutes in his first game back in the bubble.

My point is the superstars of the Clippers — SF Kawhi Leonard and SG Paul George — need to step up if their team is going on a title run. And in this series, against a Dallas team that was the most efficient offense in the league, their scoring output is especially vital.


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George, in particular, needs to step up in this series. He’s got the easiest positional matchup of either teams’ starters. PG has cooked his Mavericks matchup, SG Tim Hardaway Jr., over the years.

His team has beaten Hardaway Jr.’s team in seven straight contests and George has scored 26-plus points in six of those seven games. PG put up 27 points on .455% field goal shooting and 4-11 on 3-pointers but only had three free throws.

If George can knock down one more three and/or get to the foul line more, he should clear 30 easily. Plus I’m not going to lie, I am enticed by no vig on George’s points prop. Let’s take advantage of that and BET PAUL GEORGE OVER 26.5 POINTS (-100/EVEN).

New to sports betting? A $100 bet on Paul George (26.5 points, -100) returns a $100 profit if George scores 27 or more points against the Mavericks.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: Lakers’ Anthony Davis lights up the Trail Blazers

Looking at the best NBA playoffs bets to make each day, today we zero in on the Portland Trail Blazers vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

The remaining first-round Game 1s tip-off, Tuesday, headlined by a meeting of former teammates Chris Paul and James Harden in the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Houston Rockets, and the runaway 1-seed Los Angeles Lakers playing red-hot Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Let’s turn our attention to a player prop in Trail Blazers-Lakers.

Just like in the seed schedule, BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Anthony Davis Over 29.5 points (-106) vs. the Portland Trail Blazers

Davis scored 36 or more points in four of his last six games against the Trail Blazers, including two of three this season on the Lakers. Davis has scored 30-plus points in two of the three playoff series’ Game 1s his teams have played in.

AD has feasted in games against the Trail Blazers C Jusuf Nurkic. He’s averaging 27.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in his nine head-to-head meetings with Nurkic, but has scored 36 or more points in three of them and dropped a 50-burger on him in another game.


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Portland is allowing the most points per game to power forwards in the NBA (25 PPG), according to fantasypros.com. The Trail Blazers opponents have scored 120-plus points in seven of their nine bubble games and they have the third-worst defensive efficiency in the NBA. The Lakers have the 11th most efficient offense in the league.

Portland’s bigs are compromised — PF Zach Collins is out of Game 1 with an ankle injury — so there could be extended stretches of C Hassan Whiteside, PF Wenyen Gabriel and SF Mario Hezonja, playing a stretch four.

Gabriel is not a regular rotation player and has only appeared in 19 games, averaging 9.2 minutes per game. Hezonja has a 110 defensive rating for his career and is not a guy you want guarding AD. Davis has worked Whiteside in their career head-to-head matchups:  AD is averaging 29.9 points on .519/.400/.807 shooting in their 10 meetings.

Another thing to factor is in LeBron’s motivation to get AD involved in the offense early and often this postseason. LeBron has never played with a big as dynamic as AD and getting him the rock makes LeBron’s job a whole lot easier. There’s been a lot of criticism levied on the Lakers for their offensive performance in the bubble and the best way for their offense to get back on track is a little pick-and-roll basketball with AD and LeBron.

This isn’t LeBron’s first rodeo and he’ll be more of a facilitator until Los Angeles needs him to be more of a scorer. Expect AD to get the ball early and often.

BET OVER 29.5 POINTS FOR ANTHONY DAVIS (-106). New to sports betting? A $106 bet on Anthony Davis to go Over his projected 29.5 points will pay a $100 profit if AD drops a 30-piece on the Trail Blazers.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: Brooklyn Nets get feisty with Toronto Raptors

Looking at the best NBA playoffs bets to make each day, today we zero in on the Brooklyn Nets vs. the Toronto Raptors.

The restart regular (“preseason”) schedule is over and now the NBA begins its real season — the NBA playoffs! Monday’s first-round slate features longtime rivals the Philadelphia 76ers versus the Boston Celtics and young Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks going against Kawhi Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers.

We’ll focus on the defending champion Toronto Raptors beginning their title defense against the 7-seed Brooklyn Nets

Just like in the seed schedule, BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets +9.5 (-110) vs. Toronto Raptors

Fortunately for the Nets +9.5 (-110), they will not have to go into “Jurassic Park” for Game 1 of the Raptors’ quest to go back-to-back. The edge of that “Holy Schnikes” moment for an unexperienced-playoff Nets team, with a new head coach, is lost.

Toronto went 3-1 in the regular season against the Nets, but Brooklyn won the last meeting and covered two of the four games. In the Dec. 14 game, the Raptors won 110-102 and covered by a half-point but the Nets were without SG Caris LeVert and PG Kyrie Irving.


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Brooklyn’s 19-point loss, and against the spread loss, to Toronto on Jan. 4 mostly went awry for the Nets in a fourth-quarter they were outscored 38-22. The line was Nets (-1.5) at home (which doesn’t matter all that much in Brooklyn’s case), despite Irving being sidelined, and the Raptors were only without PG Fred VanVleet. That line tells me bookmakers respect the Nets’ depth and continuity.

The Nets have played up to their competition throughout the restart. Their upsets over 19.5-point and 9-point favorites, the Milwaukee Bucks and Clippers, respectively, were the biggest surprises of the bubble.

A big reason for Brooklyn’s feistiness is because LeVert is hoopin’. He’s putting up 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game since the restart. LeVert stole the show in Brooklyn’s last regular-season game with 37 points in a 1-point loss to the desperate Portland Trail Blazers.

Don’t get me wrong — Brooklyn ain’t winning this series and most likely not this game — but THE NETS +9.5 (-110) ARE GOOD MONEY to make it a close Game 1 against the Raptors.

New to sports betting? A $110 wager on the Nets +9.5 (-110) earns a $100 profit if Brooklyn wins or loses by nine or fewer points.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

Also see:

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: Miami Heat’s depth is better than Indiana Pacers’

Looking at the best NBA bets to make each day, today we zero in on the Miami Heat vs. the Indiana Pacers.

It’s the final day of the NBA restart seed schedule — Friday, Aug. 14 — and there’s absolutely nothing for these teams to play for. It’s like a lamer version of Week 17 in the NFL. Let’s focus on a matchup we’ll see a lot over the next couple of weeks:  Miami Heat versus Indiana Pacers.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA action.

Miami Heat (-121) vs. the Indiana Pacers

Miami and Indiana enter their final game of the bubble with the same record (44-28) and are playing each other as the 4- versus 5-seed matchup in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Heat have had their way with the Pacers all season: Miami is 3-0 against Indiana this year, and the last two victories were double-digit wins.

The biggest challenge of handicapping Heat-Pacers is figuring out how many minutes the starters are going to play. Judging by the box scores of Thursday’s games, most teams are getting their starters out of the game at the end of the first half.


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If we could guarantee that Miami and Indiana would both play their starters for the first half of Friday’s game, then we would HAMMER THE HEAT. One of my winning “best bets of the day” was the Heat beating the Pacers in the first half of their Aug. 10th game.

However, we cannot guarantee any minutes for starters and both teams are sitting a majority of their starters so depth will be even more crucial in this game.

This is where Miami has a clear edge. The Heat’s bench is outscoring the Pacers bench by an average of 46-40 over there three meetings this season. Miami’s bench is sixth in the NBA in points per game and Indiana’s is 22nd.

According to RealGM.com, Miami’s bench ranks 5th in free throw attempt per field goal attempt rate (aggressiveness to get to the charity stripe) and seventh in HOB (“hands on buckets” or the rate of which a player is involved in either the assist or the score in a bucket). Indiana ranks 20th in FT/FGA rate and 19th in HOB rate.

Most importantly, the Heat’s bench has been playing much better than Indiana’s in the bubble. Miami’s bench has been outscoring opponents 46-36 and has a 5-1-1 bench record while Indiana’s bench is being outscored 27.8-33.3 and has a 3-4 bench record in their last seven games.

New to sports betting? A $121 wager on the Heat (-121) earns a $100 profit if the Heat beat the Pacers outright.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz pile on points

Looking at the best NBA bets to make each day, today we zero in on the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Utah Jazz.

It’s the penultimate day in the NBA seed schedule and there is a seven-game slate featuring two games of consequence when the Portland Trail Blazers play the Brooklyn Nets and the Dallas Mavericks face the Phoenix Suns. Portland and Phoenix are hoping to clinch berths into the play-in series for the 8-seed in the Western Conference.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA action.

Over 232.5 (-110) in San Antonio Spurs vs. the Utah Jazz

San Antonio has a lot to play for and Utah doesn’t. The Spurs have their 22-year playoff streak on the line as the try to win their way into the play-in series for an 8-seed in the West, but they need a lot of help. 

The Jazz will not have their full complement of players in their game against San Antonio and the effects will be felt on the defensive end. Utah will be without reigning Defensive Player of the Year C Rudy Gobert and above-average defensive guard in PG Mike Conley.


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The OVER 232.5 (-110) is the “best bet of the day” because of several factors. First, their recent history shows Spurs-Jazz games going Over their projected total: Over is 11-3 in the last 14 meetings. 

Second, the Over has cashed in four of seven Spurs games in the bubble but San Antonio did its part in two of the three Unders by scoring 122 and 123 points in those games.

Third, these teams don’t play the tenacious defense we’ve been accustomed to them playing. Utah is out of the top-10 (ranked 14th) in defensive efficiency for the first time in seasons and San Antonio has the 25th most efficient defense.

Furthermore, this is evident in their team Over/Under records this season. Sports bettors think they are betting defensive teams but their combined O/U record this season is 80-60-1. San Antonio has the second-highest percentage of Overs in the NBA this year.

Last thing, the referee crew assigned to this game has a propensity to officiate high-scoring games as their O/U record is 94-62.

New to sports betting? A $110 wager on Over 232.5 points (-110) returns a $100 profit if the Jazz and Spurs combine to score 233 or more total points.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: LA Clippers clinch versus Denver Nuggets

Looking at the best NBA bets to make each day, today we zero in on the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets.

There are only a few more days left in NBA’s eight-game seed schedule before we get a play-in series for the final spot in the Western Conference. Wednesday’s card is headlined by a rematch of the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers and a chance for the Los Angeles Clippers to clinch the 2-seed in the West against the Denver Nuggets. 

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA action.

Los Angeles Clippers -4.5 (-110) vs. the Denver Nuggets

The most difficult part about handicapping these seed-schedule games, especially down the stretch, is figuring out the motivation edges. How much influence does playoff standings have? Do certain players have an ax to grind (in a basketball sense) in their individual matchup? That’s the game here.

We have a spot with a team that should be motivated with the Clippers having a 1.5-game lead on the Nuggets for the second seed in the West and only two games remaining.


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The Clippers -4.5 (-110) steamrolled Denver in the last meeting, 133-102, but they were completely healthy. However, the closing line was Clippers -7, and I don’t believe when factoring in the injury reports that Los Angeles should be favored 2.5 points less given the situation. 

Both teams lost their last game, and Denver’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers isn’t as embarrassing as the Clippers’ loss to the Nets, but the Clippers sat SG Paul George against Brooklyn. The Clippers have sat both Kawhi Leonard and George in recent games and, if they play against Denver, it would appear that it was to have their stars fully healthy for a clinch game.

Leonard has played great in his career versus the Nuggets. His teams are 16-4 in games he starts and Leonard is shooting .525% from the field, has a .624% True Shooting %, plus a 122-rating in offensive efficiency and 98-rating in defensive efficiency. George hasn’t had the same team success against Denver, but he’s scored 24 or more points in his last five games against them.

If Los Angeles has their dynamic duo out there against Denver, then the CLIPPERS -4.5 (-110) IS A LOCK. New to sports betting? A $110 bet on the Clippers -4.5 (-110) returns a $100 profit if Los Angeles beats Denver by five or more points.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: Phoenix Suns stay hot against Philadelphia 76ers

Looking at the best NBA bets to make each day, today we zero in on the Phoenix Suns vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.

NBA’s Tuesday slate is light on games of playoff importance and championship contenders. It’s hard to tell who’s playing on teams eliminated from contention and teams trying to get healthy ahead of a title run. But for a gambler, any day of NBA action is as good as any. 

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA action.

Phoenix Suns -8 (-110) vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix has incredible momentum entering Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia, winning all six of their bubble games and playing its way into contention for the 8-seed in the West. They are a game back of the Memphis Grizzlies with two remaining.

SG Devin Booker is on the shortlist of “Bubble MVPs”, averaging 30.3 points and six assists per game on .504% field goal shooting and .940% free throw shooting. Booker is a legit answer to every team’s question of, “Do we have someone who can get us a bucket when we need it?”

Not only are the Suns undefeated straight up but against the spread as well. On Monday, Phoenix was an 8-point favorite against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who was without a couple of starters, and they pasted them, 128-101.


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The “no one believes in us” rallying cry was a lot more actionable in the Philadelphia 76ers’ last game, a 124-121 loss, against the Portland Trail Blazers. SG Josh Richardson stepped up in a colossal way, putting up 34 points on 13 of 20 shooting, and six of 10 from three. Richardson is due for some shooter regression his matchup against Booker. 

More importantly, C Joel Embiid injured his ankle in the first quarter and he’s expected to miss this game against the Suns. Also, SF Tobais Harris and C Al Horford are both listed as questionable. Harris missing the game would have Philadelphia without its first-, second- and third-leading scorers. 

No doubt, the Suns -8 (-110) is a big number however BetMGM is trying to use “sticker shock” to scare us away from a Phoenix bet. They have something to play for and Philadelphia is just biding time till the postseason. 

New to sports betting? A $110 bet on the Suns -8 (-110) returns a $100 profit if Phoenix beats Philadelphia by nine or more points.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

Also see:

  • SixersWire – Philadelphia 76ers news and information

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

NBA Best Bet of the Day: Miami Heat scorch Indiana Pacers early

Looking at the best NBA bets to make each day, today we zero in on the Miami Heat vs. the Indiana Pacers.

There are incredible games scheduled to tip-off in the NBA on Monday. We’ll see a meeting between the 1- and 2-seeds in the East when the Milwaukee Bucks play the Toronto Raptors plus a game between Western Conference powerhouses when the Denver Nuggets face the Los Angeles Lakers.

BetMGM Sportsbook has NBA odds and NBA props for all bubble games so we’re bringing you the best bet for every day of the NBA action.

The Miami Heat (-139) First Quarter vs. Indiana Pacers

The Heat and Pacers meet up for the third time this season for what is a much-anticipated rematch between SF TJ Warren and SF Jimmy Butler. In the Jan. 8th meeting, Butler and Warren had an on-court conflict that ended with Warren being ejected. Butler then talked trash to reporters and on social media after the game. 

Butler has missed the last three games and PG Goran Dragic missed the  Heat’s last game as well — a 119-112 loss to the Phoenix Suns. Butler is Miami’s leading scorer and Dragic is its second-leading scorer, so needless to say, but the Heat’s offense should be more potent.


Special Monday Line! Bet $1 on either the Lakers or Nuggets, WIN $100 (in free bets) if either team hit a 3-pointer Monday, Aug. 10th, 2020. Regardless of the outcome of the game, you win! Place your legal NBA bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM now! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet Now!


Major reasons the first-quarter moneyline of HEAT (-139) is the “Best Bet of the Day” is because of how well Miami has opened games in the restart, and in the rest of the regular season. 

The Heat have outscored their opponents in four of the five first quarters they’ve played in the bubble. The average margin of those first quarters was 3.4 points (Miami averages 28.8 points and their opponent 25.4 points per first quarter over the last five games).

In the regular season, Miami outscored their opponents by the exact same margin, which was the second-best in the NBA. Indiana had an 18th ranked -.4 point margin after the first quarter in the regular season.

Expect Butler to get going early since he has always played with a chip on his shoulder and he’s returning from injury so he should be at his freshest early.

New to sports betting? A $139 bet on the Heat (-139) to win the first-quarter returns a $100 profit if Miami outscores Indiana in the first quarter of Monday’s meeting.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a legal NBA bet in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM Sportsbook.

For more NBA sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire. Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]