We called it! More Meat Loaf and ‘that ain’t bad’, but Nurkic left us with one rebound away from a perfect nine of nine betting night… one rebound. The math was good, the bet was the right angle, he just couldn’t get off the hook. This column mentioned it was the only risky bet, and it was. Such is betting, but still a 0.6 profit yesterday, and Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets will never apologize for winning. The earnings yesterday put the column over thirty units gained, and less than ten away from the goal of forty. Stay focused, stay disciplined, and place the bets advised in this column. Easy peasy. There are six games today, one nationally televised… and it is a great one. The Los Angeles Lakers fresh off a huge upset over the Boston Celtics, come to Madison Square Garden to play the red hot Jalen Brunson and New York Knicks. A wager will come from this match up. The Golden State Warriors are playing the Atlanta Hawks with a 7:30 PM ET tipoff, and the rare straight bet makes the appearance. The Cleveland Cavaliers play the San Antonio Spurs and there will be a prop bet in this game… surprisingly it is not Victor Wembanyama. The Bet of the Night takes place at Madison Square Garden, and it is at plus odds.

 

BET OF THE NIGHT

SAME GAME PARLAY: ANTHONY DAVIS & ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN 10+ REBOUNDS (+100 DraftKings Sportsbook)

The rare same game parlay to lead off the Bet of the Night, and it is on both the big men in this matchup. Anthony Davis took two games, back-to-back, rest and should be ready for a showdown against the other big man Isaiah Hartenstein. The Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks begins at 8:30 PM ET on ABC, and both teams are playing better now then the beginning of the season. Anthony Davis is averaging 12.1 rebounds and 24.9 points per game and playing like a true All-Star. The two days rest should have done his body good, and he is listed as questionable, but he is expected to play. Although I said the same thing against Boston in their previous match, he should want to play at the most iconic NBA venue in the country, against a team that is red hot. 

Isaiah Hartenstein has become one of the most frequent players on Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets. His rebounding line is mentioned in almost every game, and although Head Coach Tom Thibodeau praised Jalen Brunson in his forty point effort, he made sure to let the media know that the rebounding, particularly I. Hartenstein, has been elite and a large reason for their success. The truth is this is another risky bet, it’s at even odds, as one center could get sixteen rebounds and the other eight. However, a teased down line of two rebounds for A. Davis and one rebound for I. Hartenstein at plus odds is a smart bet. Have faith in the big men in tonight’s matchup. 

PROP BET OF THE NIGHT

DONOVAN MITCHELL OVER 28.5 POINTS (-125 DraftKings Sportsbook)

Donovan Mitchell has been making appearances in this column more frequently. The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing a different style of basketball with Darius Garland out, and it is benefitting D. Mitchell. He is averaging 28.1 points per game, and the reliable scorer is coming through for his team. The Cavs have won four in a row, and nine of their last ten. They went 11-2 in January and D. Mitchell had five games with over thirty points. Twenty-nine points is a lot, but the San Antonio Spurs give up points in bunches. The Spurs allow 120.9 points per game and somehow 121.2 points at home, more than when on the road. They allow the sixth most points to opposing point guards, and the Cavs are coming off of a days rest while the Spurs are playing in the second of back-to-back games. D. Mitchell should have a field day, and as long as this is not a blow out, he should get his points easy.

STRAIGHT BET OF THE NIGHT

MONEYLINE ATLANTA HAWKS (-135 DraftKings Sportsbook)

The rare straight bet makes an appearance, and it is on the Atlanta Hawks to beat the visiting Golden State Warriors. The Hawks are a younger team, won three in a row, and do not have to travel like the Warriors after last night’s game. Atlanta has a much better front court, and there is potential for them to dominate the paint with Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela. The Warriors highest rebounding line is at 6.5, the Hawks have two players over that. Something you may have heard is that straight bets are less dynamic than prop bets… That is simply not true. There are so many factors, and the complexities are many when trying to determine who can win a game. There could be a last minute collapse, foul trouble, injuries, lack of rhythm, one player having a career high game, and numerous other factors that influence the outcome of the game; spread, moneyline, and total. This is why you do not see many straight bets in this column, the complexities are too many to accurately say who is going to win a game, particularly with two sub .500 teams. Not to worry, a full unit is recommended on this bet and draftkings has a ‘reward’ that once you OPT IN, you can get $10 back in the form of a free bet if this should lose. $10 is less than most people’s units, but should this bet lose, a $10 bet can be used on the SuperBowl, an NBA Finals Futures, or however you would like. 

Thanks for reading. Remember to check out Fantasy Alarm for all your fantasy and betting needs across multiple sports. 

Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy

*All Bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise