NBA Best Bets: Nets-76ers

The Sixers have been very strong at defense when playing at home. Can they keep that trend going against the Brooklyn Nets?

I'm so happy the All-Star break is over so we can get back to cashing winning tickets. I was able to turn over a few dollars betting college basketball over the break, but now it is time to get back into what I handicap better than anyone else and that's the NBA. 

I spent most of the first half of the season betting NBA sides. We did well, hitting 55% of our best bet wagers. In the second half of the season, I will continue to place wagers or sides, but I will start to mix in more totals. The reason for that is because after the break, teams take games more seriously since they know they have fewer than 30 games left to position themselves for the playoffs. In the second half of the season, I like to bet the under on conference opponents who are in the playoff hunt. For example, if the Grizzlies are playing the Mavericks, I'm likely going to bet the Under. These games will be played like they are playoff games, therefore you can expect fewer possessions. The first half of the NBA season featured Overs cashing at a high rate. I expect that to change to the Under in the second half.

As far as tonight's slate, I have two best bets. One of them is a conference Under between two playoff teams. Outside of those best bets, I like the Hawks to cover the number at home against the Heat. Milwaukee is laying big wood against the Pistons, but I would take a shot on the Bucks covering the first-half spread. The Kings hosting the Memphis Grizzlies is a tough game to handicap but I would lean to the side of the Grizzlies money line.

Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers: Under 215.5

Right out of the gate, we get to test my conference opponents in the playoff race theory. This is a good game for it since both teams have been tough defensively this season. As we know, Philadelphia is great at home. A big reason for that is the fact that they only give up 101 points per game at home. 

The Nets have been playing well as of late but will be without Kyrie Irving to start the second half of the season. Brooklyn averages 109 points in road games and they have been playing well defensively. Over their past 10 games, opponents have averaged just over 106 points per game. 

We have also seen some reverse steam line movement hit this number. This game opened up with a total of 219. The majority of tickets for this total have been placed on the Over, yet the line has dropped to as low as 213 in some shops. I don't know if it's my theory that has the sharps all over this Under, but I'm happy to be on the right side of the line movement. When I bet Under in these games, I also like to place a small bet on the game going to overtime. Nothing blows up an under like an expected extra period.

Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors: Warriors +10

It was just a couple of months ago that this was one of the hottest rivalries in the NBA. Tonight's game won't have that kind of importance, but I think the Warriors will come out to play. The last time these two teams met was on Christmas Eve, a game in which the Warriors scraped out a victory. 

Golden State has not been terrible in these nationally televised games. No one really wants to watch these games. It is like the public wished TNT had flex scheduling. The truth is that the Dubs have shown up in most of these games. Houston has been a double-digit favorite 11 times this season, but they have covered in just four of those outings. The Warriors have been a double-digit dog 18 times this season. They are 11-7 ATS in those games. Houston should pull out the victory but the Warriors will cover.

People's Parlay ( Remember this is for fun only )

Hawks+6, Grizzlies ML, Warriors +10 (+582) 

Season Record: 71-59

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