Wednesday, November 20, 2024, brings an exciting NBA slate, including matchups like the New York Knicks visiting the Phoenix Suns, the Houston Rockets hosting the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks taking on the Chicago Bulls. As teams come off NBA Cup play and settle into key regular season matchups, let’s dive into today’s best bets and insights from the "Buckets" podcast crew.
NBA Best Bets, Picks Today
- New York Knicks -5.5 vs. Phoenix Suns
- Houston Rockets -5.5 vs. Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Over 237.5
- Oklahoma City Thunder First Half -7 vs. Portland Trail Blazers
New York Knicks -5.5 vs. Phoenix Suns
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5 -105 | 224 -110o / -110u | -210 |
| Suns Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5 -115 | 224 -110o / -110u | +175 |
"It's kind of a backing of the Knicks, and it's kind of a fading of the Suns. They don't have [Bradley] Beal or Kevin Durant, so they’re just overly reliant on Devin Booker. Booker struggles when he gets double- and triple-teamed, and that's exactly what the Knicks are going to do tonight. The Knicks’ advanced stats, like net rating, suggest they’re better than their record. The number is at -5.5, and I think that’s still playable. I expect this line to move higher as we get closer to tip."
Pick: New York Knicks -5.5
Houston Rockets -5.5 vs. Indiana Pacers
| Pacers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 231.5 -110o / -110u | +210 |
| Rockets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 231.5 -110o / -110u | -260 |
"The Rockets are just a tough team at home. [Alperen] Sengun has been incredible — he had a triple-double in the last game. Indiana is one of the softest teams in the league. They’re coming off a blowout loss to Toronto where their defense looked completely out of sync. The number is -5.5, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it moves to 6 or 6.5. This is a great spot to fade the Pacers and back the Rockets."
Pick: Houston Rockets -5.5
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Over 237.5
| Bulls Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8 -110 | 237.5 -115o / -105u | +275 |
| Bucks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8 -110 | 237.5 -115o / -105u | -350 |
By Sean Little
"The Bulls are leading the league in Pace at 106.2 possessions a game. Their defense has been giving up huge totals — 143 to Houston, 144 to Cleveland. Milwaukee is the perfect team to take advantage of that with Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and [Damian Lillard] both active. The last time these two teams played, it ended 133-122 and easily cleared this number. Chicago just doesn’t have the personnel to slow down the Bucks’ offense. This game feels like it has 240-plus written all over it."
Pick: Over 237.5
Oklahoma City Thunder First Half -7 vs. Portland Trail Blazers
| Trail Blazers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 223 -110o / -110u | +550 |
| Thunder Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 223 -110o / -110u | -800 |
"(The Thunder are) coming back home, right? Portland have won three straight. So that's super impressive. That's arguably probably the best basketball they've played in two and a half years. But I think it's a great time to fade. So, it's a situational spot for both sides. It's a good time to back OKC and it's a good time to fade the Blazers. Also, I know it's way too early to talk about must-win type game situations, but OKC right after this is going on the road, West Coast road trip [to Sacramento, Golden State and the Lakers]. So they basically have to get this win. That's why I like the first half a lot more because I think they're gonna come out and really put it to Portland."
Pick: First Half -7
