Gambling: A look at two bet opportunities in Sunday’s NBA
The NBA regular season is only five-to-seven games away from concluding (depending on the team), meaning each game carries massive playoff/seeding implications, or other teams are embracing the tank.
Below is a pair of bets that I am targeting Sunday. If odds are available at the time of writing, they are listed. If not, I will note the cut-off when I would avoid making the bet and what odds to target.
New York Knicks at Los Angeles Clippers
The pick: Knicks +7.5 (-110, PointsBet)
Despite holding the league’s best record against the spread (42-24-1), the Knicks continue to get disrespected by oddsmakers and come in as a heavy underdog against the Clippers. While the Clippers are a tough opponent, especially with the return of Kawhi Leonard, the Knicks have been one of the most reliable units in the NBA on the defensive end.
They rank fourth in defensive rating (108.1), fifth in preventing points off of turnovers (15.3), and fourth in fewest opponent points in the paint (43.8), all while allowing the lowest field-goal percentage on 3s this season. They come in having won 12 of their last 15 games and with their most recent loss being a 23-point defeat to the Suns, the oddsmakers seem to be ignoring their torrid stretch and instead are running with recency bias. This is a line to hop on before it drops.
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
The pick: Suns -5.5 (-110, PointsBet)
Despite Anthony Davis being back, the Lakers are in the midst of a rough stretch. They’ve lost eight of their last 10 games with some brutal losses coming at the hands of the Blazers, Kings, and Mavericks (twice). So, why are they only 5.5-point underdogs against a Suns team that has the second-best record against the spread (41-25-1) in the NBA? Who knows, but this is something to take advantage of. Not only is LeBron James still out, but Talen Horton-Tucker and Dennis Schroder remain out as well, leaving Davis and Kyle Kuzma as the only reliable sources of offense. Given how effective this Suns’ defense has been this season, this is another line to grab before it jumps.