NBA Best Bets Today, 2/3: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Monday
The Well came through again, this time from the coffin of a stat correction. Nikola Vucevic continues to provide for Fantasy Alarm NBA best bets with successful player prop predictions, and we love him for it. Scottie Barnes fell just short as he wasn’t needed late in the fourth quarter. The Toronto Raptors stun the Los Angeles Clippers with a great second half comeback.
Kyrie Irving was a late scratch as the Dallas Mavericks essentially gave up before the game began. The Cleveland Cavaliers set a franchise record with 91 points in the first half. That was the third most points ever recorded in a first half of an NBA game.
NBA Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 2/3
There are ten matches across the NBA tonight, and two games nationally televised on NBATV.
One of the games, Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors, features one of our NBA best bets, but the bet of the night comes from the New Orleans Pelicans vs. Denver Nuggets.
Pelicans vs. Nuggets Prediction: Denver ML & Murray O21.5 Points (+110 SGP on Bet365) *Bet of the Night
The Denver Nuggets have been in some really close games lately and needed last minute fourth quarter heroics to earn victories. Their last two wins were edged out against teams well below .500 on the season, and tonight’s match is the same.
The New Orleans Pelicans are 12-37 this season, and just lost star player Dejounte Murray for the season due to an Achilles injury. The Pelicans have lost five in a row and are currently +11-point underdogs. However, Denver has difficulty covering the spread this season, after all they couldn’t cover against the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets.
Due to that the heavily juiced money line is suggested in order to turn Jamal Murray’s point line into positive odds. Jamal Murray is finally looking healthy this season and he is rewarding the team with excellent play. Murray is playing an average of 36.0 minutes per game and brought his point average back above 20 points per game (20.4).
The Pelicans allow 118.1 points per game, and the Nuggets are in a position to build up a nice win streak prior to the All-Star break. Murray will have an advantage over the backcourt of Jose Alvarado and CJ McCollum, and he should take advantage.
Murray’s points come in flurries and expect him to have a few Murray Flurries in this match. Put a unit on the plus odds same game parlay and root for Murray to score 22 or more points.
Magic vs. Warriors Prediction: Stephen Curry Under 23.5 Points (-115 on Bet365)
The Golden State Warriors have been anything but golden this season. The team has been desperately seeking trade partners, including trying to obtain Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, and other superstars. The front office is very much aware that this team is incapable of winning a series, much less a championship.
The Warriors are currently 24-24 and have won five of their last ten games. A true .500 team that is incapable of moving the needle and currently eleventh in the Western Conference. They simply do not have the roster to compete with the elite teams of the Western Conference.
Stephen Curry is considered one of the greatest of all-time, but he is aging and has shown signs of decline. The fact that other teams can key in on him, double him, or look to stop his movement doesn’t help. This is why his points per game is the lowest it has been in over a decade, 22.1
Despite that his points are set above his average, against what is a great perimeter defense. The Orlando Magic allow just 105.4 points per game and have some of the best backcourt defenders in the Association. Curry has not gone over this line in the Warriors last seven games, and the prediction is for him to go under again. Put a unit on Curry to score less than 24 points.
NBA Player Props & Other Picks Today, 2/3
The Utah Jazz were the third team involved with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks trade that sent shockwaves through the sports community.
One person the Utah Jazz did not trade is a Fantasy Alarm NBA best bets favorite.
Pacers vs. Jazz Prediction: Walker Kessler Over 10.5 Rebounds (-130 on Bet365)
Walker Kessler, the Utah Ranger, is still with the team and still racking up the rebounds. He earned 15 in the Jazz’s most recent match and is averaging 11.4 rebounds per game. He is still a sought-after center for several NBA franchises, but will the Jazz move on from him?
Are they displaying him for trade bait? Or is Walker simply like most professional athletes that enjoy playing, enjoy competing, and ultimately hate sitting on the bench? Kessler is a dominant presence in the paint and has enjoyed a lifetime of using his strength and size to out rebound other centers.
Tonight, he is playing against Myles Turner, who although a good center, is not an elite rebounder. Turner averages just 6.8 rebounds per game even though he averages 31.2 minutes per game. The Indiana Pacers allow 52.0 rebounds per game, which is essentially the median of the league.
Kessler the Desert Cowboy will also have his faithful sidekick, the elevation of the Delta Center. Indiana plays with quick pace, and there should be several missed field goals this game. This benefits Kessler who should earn his average amount of rebounds or more against the Pacers. Put a unit on him to do just that.
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Bet Smart, Be Lucky - Iggy
*All odds accurate at time of writing and NBA best bets to be placed at 1 unit unless specified otherwise
Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.