NBA Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for In-Season Tournament Friday

NBA Best Bets Today | Expert Picks for In-Season Tournament Friday

We hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and that the day off from the Association didn't bother you too much. But the wait is over, and after going a whole day without a full NBA plate (the agony, we know) to dig into, we are back at it with NBA Best Bets today and our expert picks for the in-season tournament on Friday.

It's nothing less than entertainment on the way with a 10-game slate ahead, so let's get right into our NBA best bets today: expert picks for Friday, November 24.

By Chris Baker

This Magic team has been extremely fun to watch but they still have played the eighth easiest schedule in the NBA and have significant issues with their half-court offense. I think the Celtics humble them here and cover this spread as they really have no exploitable holes for the Magic to attack.

As long as the Celtics slow the pace down here they should have a significant edge in the halfcourt and they should be able to win with margin. I bet the Celtics at -5.5 and would play this up to Celtics -6 and would even consider it up to -7.

Pick: Celtics -5.5

By Chris Baker

I love this over as Keegan Murray will be out here and he has actually been one of the Kings best defenders this season. The Kings will resort to playing guys like Sasha Vezenkov, Trey Lyles, and Harrison Barnes more minutes in his absence and all three of these guys can politely be considered “cones” on defense as this point in their careers.

This number is slightly deflated due to the Kings season long pace numbers having them just 13th in total pace but that is due to Fox being out for about half the season. With Fox in the lineup this team has played fast and efficiently as the Kings have an offensive rating of 117.2 with Fox on the floor and a transition rate of 16.7% (80th percentile) with Fox in the lineup.

The Timberwolves are an elite half-court defense but rank league average at limiting three pointers on defense. This is an edge for the Kings and they should be able to limit some of Rudy Gobert’s impact by spacing him out with the three ball. The Timberwolves will also be without their second best defender Jaden McDaniels here so that should force Towns, Naz Reid, and Kyle Anderson to play more minutes.

On the flip side of the ball, the Kings defense ranks 21st in defensive rating despite playing the eighth-easiest schedule of opposing offenses and I expect their struggles to continue here as they lack reliable wing defenders to contain Anthony Edwards. I think Edwards and Towns should eat here as the Kings simply do not have a good matchup to stop either of them.

This total is too low at 229.5 and I would play this up to 231.

Pick: Over 229.5 | Play to 231

By Joe Dellera

Are you interested in a Black Friday Sale? This is a great buy low opportunity since Rudy Gobert has only exceeded this line in 3 of his last 10 games. However, this is a great spot.

The matchup against Domantas Sabonis and the Kings is the one I’ve been targeting. Gobert absolutely dominates in this matchup. He has played 15 games against Sabonis in his career and has recorded a Double Double in 14 of those matchups. He has recorded 14, 14, 14, and 16 rebounds in all four matchups while Sabonis has been on the Kings as well.

His rebounding line is set at 11.5 and I’ll grab that over along with 14+ at Fanduel (+200) plus a double-double at DraftKings (-120).

Pick: Rudy Gobert over 11.5 Rebounds

By Jim Turvey

The New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Clippers square off on Friday in, as Joe Dellera called it, the: "I'd rather bet on Zion after Thanksgiving than James Harden after Thanksgiving."

Honestly, it sounds less the lesser of two evils, but thankfully it doesn't come down entirely to which heavy-set superstar will have less tryptophan in his body come Friday night.

These are two of the weirdest teams in the league, but the Pelicans (fool me twice) look good again, having won four of their last five, with the lone loss a one-point L to the Timberwolves. Per Cleaning the Glass, they have the fourth-best spread differential over the past two weeks, as the market hasn't quite adjusted to their recent hot streak.

Now in all fairness, that turn around came as part of a six-game home stretch, but The Crypt is far from a fortress for the Clippers still. The Clippers have won three straight themselves, but it has come against far lesser competition than the Pels. They still don't have a signature win with Harden in town, and are 5-8 against the spread this season.

As of this second, DraftKings has a stray +7, but I would take this to +5.5 -110 and I like sprinkling the moneyline at +205 or longer.

Pick: Pelicans +7