Navigate

NBA Best Bets Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (2/14)

by |

We’ve only got a few more days left of the first half of the NBA season.

Over the weekend, the NBA will take a break and hopefully deliver on the NBA All-Star Weekend.

Let’s enjoy these regular-season games while we have them! Here are my two favorites bets for tonight’s small slate in the NBA.

And here are our other top picks for Tuesday:

View 5-star bets and historical prop performance by players with our Prop Bet Analyzer >>

Today’s Best NBA Bets

All wagers are 1 unit
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook as of Tuesday morning

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks

The Boston Celtics will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in one of two matchups featured on TNT tonight.

Unfortunately, Jayson Tatum is doubtful for tonight’s game with an illness. Therefore, the Bucks are heavy favorites in tonight’s game at home.

Marcus Smart is also out but should return soon for the Celtics. He’s been dealing with an ankle injury. On the other hand, Jae Crowder, who was recently traded to the Bucks, will be unavailable for the Celtics this week. Bobby Portis will also miss tonight’s game for the Bucks.

The Bucks are one of the best defenses in the NBA. They’ve held teams to 110 points per 100 possessions and have also held teams to a 51.5% effective field goal percentage. That would be ideal going up against a Celtics team that is also averaging a high amount of points per 100 possessions.

The Bucks won’t force many turnovers but should be active on the defensive glass and limit the Celtics from getting second chances.

Meanwhile, the Bucks haven’t been very consistent on the offensive end. They’ve scored 113.8 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 20th in the NBA. Milwaukee likely won’t see the foul line often. The Celtics have limited teams to the lowest free throw rate on the defensive end. The Celtics have also held teams to 111.4 points per 100 possessions and an effective field goal percentage of 53.2%. Both of those rank in the top five in the NBA defensively.

The theme in this game is defense. Without Jayson Tatum, I like the Under. Grab the Under at 226.

Bet: Under 226 (-110)

Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are heavy favorites against the Warriors tonight. Golden State has listed Klay Thompson as questionable for tonight’s game. They’re hoping he can play in the second game of a back-to-back, but the Warriors are currently uncertain.

Of course, the Warriors are also without Steph Curry right now. He’ll be out beyond the All-Star break.

The Warriors typically get good looks from the floor, shooting an effective field goal percentage of 57.3%. But when shots aren’t falling, the Warriors are helpless. They’ve turned the ball over nearly 16% of the time and have earned just 25% of offensive rebounds while earning a free throw rate of just 17.7.

The Clippers are active on the defensive glass and limit fouls. That should help them defensively against the Warriors, regardless is Thompson is playing. On the other hand, Los Angeles has been inconsistent on the offensive end.  But things are at least better when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are playing together.

Golden State sends teams to the line often. There’s a good chance the Clippers get more freebies and add more second-chance points off offensive rebounds.

But we don’t know the complete status of Thompson for tonight. I know that if the Warriors struggle to make shots, they’re not going to have a tremendous offensive game because they rarely do the little things well. Grab the Under in this one too.

Bet: Under 228.5 (-110) 

Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our How To Section — including How to Avoid the 7 Biggest Sports Betting Mistakes â€” or head to a more advanced strategy — like Thinking Like an Expert Sports Bettor â€” to learn more.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts