Last night’s marquee matchups turned into second-half blowouts. The Warriors dismantled the Mavericks after Dallas got off to a hot start, and the Lakers did the same thing to the Nuggets. Tonight’s slate promises some more competitive action, however, and our experts are here to break things down for you.
Here are the top NBA betting plays for Friday, February 5, provided by BettingPros experts James Bisson, Raju Byfield, and Isaiah Sirois (Main game odds courtesy BettingPros Consensus; lock and prop odds sites may vary):
Betting Locks of the Day
Bisson: Nets -5 (-105 at FD Sportsbook)
The Nets have flaws, sure. But when this team gets going on offense, it’s a sight to behold. Toronto hasn’t been terrible defensively, but they will be without OG Anunoby on Friday night - and that’s a huge void in a starting lineup that will struggle to keep Brooklyn’s Big Three at bay. I don’t see Toronto keeping up in this one.
Sirois: Wizards +6.5 (-106 at FD Sportsbook)
The Wizards took down the Heat by a three-point margin on Wednesday, and they did it without Russell Westbrook. Today, they find themselves with a 6.5-point disadvantage against Miami. Weird. The Wizards may not play great defense, as they rank second-worst in defensive efficiency, but the Heat haven't been great, either; Miami ranks 11th-worst in the metric. Meanwhile, Washington ranks 11th in offensive efficiency in seventh in points per game (114.4), stats in which Miami grades considerably worse — they rank 26th in offensive efficiency and 16th in points per game (111.6). My model favors the Wizards tonight, and they're an easy ATS lock for tonight's slate.
Top Team Props of the Day
Bisson: Cavaliers First Quarter Under 25.5 (+104 at FD Sportsbook)
The trends are not working in Cleveland’s favor when it comes to early offense. The Cavaliers own the league’s worst first-quarter scoring average entering Friday, while the Bucks rank eight overall in first-quarter defense. And let’s not forget that Cleveland had just 14 points in the opening quarter of its last meeting with a Bucks team that was playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Sirois: Bucks First Quarter -3.5 (-110 at FD Sportsbook)
The Bucks score the most points per first quarter (31.5) while the Cavaliers score the fewest (24.2). Meanwhile, the Bucks allow the eighth-fewest points per first quarter (26.7), and the Cavs allow the 13th-fewest (27.2). While Cleveland's strong defensive play is somewhat concerning, the Bucks should still outscore them in the first quarter by at least four points. They outscored the Cavs by 13 first-quarter points back in early January, too.
Top Player Props of the Day
Bisson: Nikola Vucevic Over 13.5 Rebounds (+148 at FD Sportsbook)
The Chicago frontcourt remains short-handed heading into Friday’s encounter with Orlando. Lauri Markkanen is seeing plenty of time at center, but he’s a natural power forward - and that leaves him in a difficult position against one of the NBA’s top centers in Vucevic. He’ll need to play heavy minutes with Aaron Gordon still sidelined, and he should have no trouble dominating the boards here.
Sirois: Tyler Herro Over 16.5 Points (-118 at FD Sportsbook)
Tyler Herro has played the Wizards twice this season, and he's easily cleared this total both times. He dropped 31 points against them earlier in the year and 20 points on Wednesday. The Wizards give up 22.7 points per game to opposing shooting guards, too, so I'm confident that Herro will go over again.
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