NBA Best Bets & Player Props November 17: Houston Rockets Look to Upset the Los Angeles Clippers

Happy Friday, it’s a special day for the NBA, and the Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets are fresh off of a perfect performance, three of three. It is special for the NBA as there are eleven In-Season Tournament group games today. Six games in the Eastern Conference, two per group, and five in the Western Conference. The nationally televised games are on ESPN and feature the Sacramento Kings at San Antonio Spurs with a tip-off of 7:30 PM ET.
The second game is the Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz and begins at 10:00 PM ET. There are great games outside of ESPN as the Boston Celtics travel to Toronto to take on the tough Raptors. There is a prop bet in the Denver Nuggets at New Orleans Pelicans that will actually be teased up, and a huge discrepancy in a game of great curiosity featuring former teammates, and several Hall of Fame players at the latest tip-off time. Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets travel to Los Angeles to take on Kawai Leonard and the Clippers in a 10:30 PM ET matchup.
Bet of the Night
Aaron Gordon 8+ Rebounds (Alternate line) (+140 at DraftKings)
Although the game script will probably be different than a 20-point comeback for the Denver Nuggets against the New Orleans Pelicans, the game will still be a competitive one. As mentioned, all of today’s games are in-season tournament games, and Aaron Gordon was on national television, declaring, ‘The intensity is up… the In-Season Tournament is creating it.’ The Denver Nuggets are utilizing Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon as the bench players in the absence of Jamal Murray.
Aaron Gordon’s one-two game with Nikola Jokic is the best since his arrival, and Gordon has played at least thirty-four minutes and twenty-four seconds in every game since J. Murray’s departure… There are only forty-eight minutes in a game. He is an elite baller, even by the NBA’s standards. He earned 12 rebounds when they played eleven days ago and went over this teased-up line five games in a row prior to the game against the Clippers Tuesday.
The Pelicans allow the fourth most rebounds per game in the Association, with 56.5. Proposition betting lines will rarely be teased up, but Gordon to have one more rebound than the set line is too good to pass up.
Parlay of the Night
Boston Celtics & Sacramento Kings Money Line (-109 at DraftKings)
These two teams are on the road tonight but are still large favorites. They both begin at 7:40 PM ET and should have their superstars playing tonight. The Boston Celtics are 7.5 favorites over the Toronto Raptors in the international showdown, and the Sacramento Kings are 8.5 favorites against the San Antonio Spurs who have been struggling.
Professional teams are more inclined to focus on one game at a time, but if the Celtics win this game they have an easy route to go undefeated in group East C. The Celtics are on top of several people’s power rankings and should win this game, they beat Toronto without some of their starters by 23 points on the eleventh. They should win this game relatively easily.
The Sacramento Kings are in first place in the Pacific division and are undefeated in group play. They are an underdog to win the In-Season Tournament but they should win this game against the worst team in the league. This game is a marquee game tonight, and there could be plenty of live betting options. Domantas Sabonis should have a great game, and the Kings should win in the second-largest spread of the day. Trust the parlay with large spreads.
Straight Bet of the Night
Houston Rockets Money Line (+240 at BetMGM)
The Los Angeles Clippers are hosting the Houston Rockets tonight in the nightcap. The Clippers are seeking their first win with James Harden on their roster. The Houston Rockets are 6-3, and fourth in the Western Conference. They have beaten the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Los Angeles Lakers. They are severely disrespected on the money line and the Clippers are being overvalued.
The Clippers may have the better roster and a championship head coach, but those days are in the past for almost all of them. The Rockets have a mix of youth and veterans and are playing excellent defense, allowing the third-fewest points per game in the NBA, 105.8 ppg. It is a perplexing money line, and this could be the game that the Clippers get it together, but the Rockets have had five days to prepare for this game. The Clippers are all but eliminated from the in-season tournament and the Rockets are undefeated in the group stage. The Houston Rockets are worth a wager.
Remember to check out Fantasy Alarm for all your NBA fantasy needs. Basketball stats, rankings, DFS picks, tools to help your lineups, and of course the NBA DFS show with Jon and James.
Thank you for reading.
Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy
*All Bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise
Player News
Dalton Knecht shot 3-of-15 from the field and 1-of-4 from the foul line in Monday’s loss to the Clippers, scoring eight points with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one three-pointer.
Knecht had a rough night, shooting 1-of-8 from beyond the arc and 1-of-4 from the foul line. Unfortunately for the second-year wing, he’s had more difficult nights than good ones this summer, which is concerning for the Lakers. Generally speaking, teams want to see their returnees excel in Las Vegas, if not dominate. Knecht has not done that, which may result in him playing more games at summer league than the Lakers would have hoped.
Bronny James accounted for 17 points (6-of-10 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, five assists and three three-pointers in Monday’s loss to the Clippers.
James put forth his best performance of the NBA 2K26 Summer League on Monday, leading the Lakers in scoring and offering solid value in the rebound and assist categories. Looking forward to the regular season, the second-year guard is not in a great position to provide tangible fantasy value. The Lakers remain in win-now mode, likely limiting Bronny’s opportunities to contribute. His ability to crack the rotation will likely hinge on what James can provide as a defender and perimeter shooter.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser tallied 10 points (5-of-9 FGs), two rebounds and two steals in Monday’s win over the Lakers.
After two subdued performances, Konan Niederhauser was more involved offensively on Monday. The nine shot attempts exceeded his total in the Clippers’ first two games in Las Vegas, and the rookie’s teammates appeared more intent on getting him the ball. That led to a few dunks that likely boosted Konan Niederhauser’s confidence, and he finished in double figures. The hope is that he’ll be more consistent on both ends of the floor.
Jordan Miller finished Monday’s win over the Lakers with 19 points (7-of-11 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one three-pointer.
Waived by the Clippers just before the start of summer league, Miller is looking to earn another NBA opportunity, whether it’s with Los Angeles or another team. He needs to improve three-point shooting and defense, both on and off the ball. Miller looked good against the Lakers and performed well in Sunday’s win over the Bucks. The Clippers have a few standard contract slots available, and Miller may be positioning himself to earn one. However, he won’t be worth the risk in fantasy leagues.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports the Hornets have signed Drew Peterson to a two-way contract.
After spending his first two seasons with the Celtics, Peterson is reportedly headed to Charlotte. The player and his new head coach are familiar with each other, as Hornets coach Charles Lee was a Celtics assistant during the 2023-24 season. While the change of scenery may result in more opportunities for Peterson, he is not a player to target in fantasy drafts.
Rasheer Fleming accumulated seven points (3-of-6 FGs), two rebounds, one steal, one block and one three-pointer in Monday’s loss to the Kings.
After missing Phoenix’s first two summer league games with a sore right knee, Fleming was available to make his debut on Monday. The second-round pick out of Saint Joseph’s was a Suns target, as evidenced by the team’s moves to draft him. Fleming had a quiet night, but he’s a frontcourt player who has range beyond the three-point line and can defend multiple positions. Due to the Suns’ defensive struggles last season, Fleming may be able to earn consistent playing time as a rookie.