NBA Best Bets Today, 2/8: Picks, Predictions & Player Props - Saturday
Meatloaf is back on the menu for the second time this week! And it came with two plus odd wins! The Detroit Pistons beat the Philadelphia 76ers like an 80s middle school bully. Almost wire to wire dominance and the game was over at halftime. The bold prediction by Fantasy Alarm paid off.
Victor Wembanyama was swatting more ‘bugs’ than a southern grandma sitting on the front porch with a fly swatter. He was rejecting everything, heck he didn’t even have to jump for one of them. Another successful plus odds prediction for the Betting Bungalow. Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat had a poor performance, which prevented the sweep but still, ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’.
NBA Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 2/8
The NBA is loading up on a slate today, because all eyes will be on the Super Bowl tomorrow. Make sure to check out our 2025 Fantasy Alarm Big Game Contest and our NFL DFS Super Bowl Picks, Predictions, & Playbook for DraftKings and FanDuel. Eleven NBA games take place today, beginning at 3:00 PM ET and the last game begins at 10:40 PM ET. A great day for basketball fans and NBA bettors.
Warriors vs Bulls Prediction: Nikola Vucevic Over 10.5 Rebounds (-125 on Bet365) *Bet of the Night
Fantasy Alarm went elsewhere with Nikola Vucevic, but are returning to the wager that has in part made Vucevic The Well. He has five straight games with 11 or more rebounds, and has stood by his comments of being a better rebounder for the Chicago Bulls.
Golden State allows the fifth most rebounds in the Association, and will have trouble against Vucevic. The Warriors allow 53.3 rebounds per game, but have allowed an average of 55.7 over their last three matches, and Vucevic should have another great performance.
The sportsbooks have not changed his line, but the odds have been slightly more juiced lately. That is okay as The Well is a proven winner and averaging 10.4 rebounds per game. Look for him to dominate against a much smaller lineup, and earn at least 11 rebounds again. Put a unit on The Well to deliver.
Pacers vs Lakers Prediction: Mark Williams Over 10.5 Rebounds (-130 on Bet365)
The new look Los Angeles Lakers could display Mark Williams and Luka Doncic tonight. The Indiana Pacers are playing great basketball and have won seven of their last ten games. They should press the Lakers with up and down basketball, and are currently -4.0 favorites to win.
There will be a new buzz in Crypto.com Arena, and it won’t be restricted to the fans. Former Charlotte Hornet Mark Williams is a big young man, and just like a bee he stays busy around the rim.
The newly minted Laker is averaging 9.6 rebounds per game, but the seven foot center earned 14 and 15 in two of his last three matches. The Pacers allow 52.7 rebounds per game, but have allowed an average of 63.3 over their last three matches. Williams will have every opportunity to surpass this line, as he was brought in almost exclusively for that reason.
Despite trading for the future face of their franchise, the Lakers are in a win now mindset. They have the size and the roster to return back to the NBA Finals. In truth, had they not played the Denver Nuggets they may have gone last year, but the reality is Denver will once again make another deep run.
They specifically looked at building their roster to challenge the Nuggets, and Williams is an important aspect in overcoming that challenge. Look for him to show his new coaches, teammates, and fans why that was a correct move.
Put a unit on the former Duke Blue Devil to earn 11 or more rebounds on his new homecourt.
NBA Player Props & Other Picks Today, 2/8
There is one match that is without question the game of the day, and it is nationally televised on ABC so almost everyone can watch it.
Celtics vs Knicks Prediction: BOS -3.5 (-110 on Bet365)
The Boston Celtics take their talent to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Knicks. An upper east side rivalry that could be experiencing a peak moment with both teams legitimately championship contenders. However the Fantasy Alarm Betting Bungalow is predicting the defending champions to win on the road.
The Boston Celtics have bounced back after losses, and in a big way. Their win totals after their last four losses are; 22, 15, 40, and 27. The Celtics know this could be an important match for tie breaking scenarios, and want to add separation to their 1.5 game lead on New York.
The Knicks have three starters listed as day-to-day and could decide to rest their players which would cause a drastic shift in the spread. It has already moved from -2 last night to -3.5 this morning. Although the Celtics have blown out their opponents following a loss, those opponents have not been the Knicks.
As tempting as it is to tease up the spread in favor of the Celtics, take the spread with the hook. Put a unit on Boston to have a bounce back performance, and win by four or more points.
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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.