‘Ma, more Meat Loaf!’ Once again Fantasy Alarm NBA Best Bets hit two of three (and that ain’t bad), and Michael Porter Junior did not play the last fourteen minutes of a blowout win against the Memphis Grizzlies. Turns out the Ja Morant is a game changer, in every sense of the word. Tonight is a stacked lineup of games, ten in total. Six teams are on back-to-back games; Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and Portland Trail Blazers. 

There will be no meatloaf after tonight as there are four bets for Friday night. There are two bets on games with teams in back-to-back games, the Denver Nuggets and the Charlotte Hornets. An Eastern Conference straight bet at even odds appears in the column today. There is also a favorable proposition bet in the Brooklyn Nets vs Washington Wizards game with a 7:00 PM ET tip off. It is today’s Bet of the Night. 

 

NBA Bet of the Night

Nic Claxton OVER 10.5 Rebounds (-135 at BetMGM 2 UNIT)

Nicolas Claxton missed the game against the Milwaukee Bucks due to an illness but is expected to play against the Washington Wizards tonight. Without Claxton, the Brooklyn Nets allowed an embarrassing 144 points, which is truly pathetic. They dismantled the Detroit Pistons in the two previous games, and Claxton earned eleven rebounds in the second match. He has only gone over this line four times this month, but one of those games was against the Washington Wizards. 

He earned fifteen rebounds in that game despite playing less than twenty-seven minutes. The Wizards allow the most rebounds to opposing teams and are last in both points and rebounds allowed to opposing centers. Claxton is a key piece of the Brooklyn Nets success, and if Claxton performs as well as he did in the last performance, he should cover with ease. This line has been seen as high as -170 on other sportsbooks, so take advantage of the MGM line. If you have not used BetMGM Sportsbook before, utilize Fantasy Alarm’s tab and receive up to $1,500 money back if your first bet is lost.

NBA Prob Bet of the Night

Jamal Murray OVER 2.5 Threes Made (-125 at DraftKings) 

Jamal Murray is on a hot streak, scoring twenty or more points in six straight games. His playing time is back above thirty minutes, minus yesterday’s blowout win. His one-two game with Nikola Jokic is art on the court. They outscored the other three starters 49 - 40, and are simply on an all-time level in their rhythm together. Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Peyton Watson were all open numerous times, but Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic continued to pass to each other. They will have the ball in their hands for sixty to seventy percent of Denver’s offensive possessions. 

Murray has shot five or more threes in five straight games, he has covered this prop in three of his last four games and is in one of his rhythms that very few teams can stop. The Oklahoma City Thunder did well in their last game forcing Jamal to go zero for six, his only game with less than two made threes this month. The Thunder are in the bottom five in points, rebounds, and assists allowed to point guards, and sixth for fantasy points. J. Murray when in a rhythm, and at home is too difficult for the Thunder to stop. Trust the threes made as the points line is rather tight.

NBA Straight Bets of the Night
New York Knicks Money Line (+100 at DraftKings)

The New York Knicks have had a loaded December schedule against top-tier talent including the Celtics, Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks three times. They now play the Orlando Magic in Orlando. Although the Magic have a better record, they have lost the last six of their last ten games. The Knicks score more points per game and have a better point differential. Isaiah Hartenstein is playing better basketball as the starting center and if the Knicks best two players, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, average their production the New York Knicks should win this tightly contested Eastern Conference showdown. 

Charlotte Hornets +15.5 (-110 at BetMGM)

The Charlotte Hornets are in action for the second night in a row and their third road game. They played in Los Angeles last night and Phoenix really is not that far from LA. They play in the 9:00 PM ET time slot and this spread seems inflated due to the Phoenix Suns players and the fact the Hornets are on back-to-back games. The Hornets have lost nine in a row, but only three of those were over this line. One was against the 76ers and they have no answer for Joel Embiid, the second was against the Indiana Pacers who the Hornets can not keep up with, and last night’s game was against the Los Angeles Lakers who have a great frontcourt. 

The Phoenix Suns have zero of those advantages against the Hornets. The Suns also only have a 0.5-point differential advantage, which is better than the Hornets -10.7 but it’s not enough to cover an additional five points. The Suns do not have a bench to blow away their opponents, even if it is the Hornets. Some players like to pad their stats, but those days are long gone for Kevin Durant who has nothing to prove. Devin Booker must focus on staying healthy as Bradley Beal is listed as questionable but not expected to play. The spread is too large for a team that is .500 and lost seven of their last ten games.

Remember to check out Fantasy Alarm for all your NBA fantasy needs. Basketball stats, rankings, DFS picks, tools to help with roster decisions and 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