The NBA is back and it FEELS SO GOOD! We earn a 3-1 start (with a push) in our return to betting the association – onto Friday!
I’ll put numbers next to my picks for now on, not stars, so that it’s more clear and so that we can do 1/2 unit betting, too. Remember, we ALWAYS bet to WIN that unit amount. In other words, if I say a play is 1 unit and it’s -110, I’m putting 1.1 units on that bet to win 1 unit. Hopefully that makes sense – let me know if it doesn’t.
One other note – sorry to do this, but I’m going back on my Lakers pick. The discord in the Lakers’ locker room is uglier than I thought. And this game, like many, comes down to how motivated LeBron is. Do I think the Lakers will win? YES. I think LeBron responds, but it’s too volatile. I’d pull out your bets, unfortunately, and thankfully you should be able to get a full reimbursement because the line either hasn’t changed or it’s moved against us. My apologies for that – trigger happy.
NBA Picks:
- Magic/Rockets over 229, 1.5 units
- The only thing we know about these two piss poor teams is that they like to run fast, REALLY fast. And for what it’s worth, both Houston and Orlando have pretty decent offensive talent, especially when they’re all healthy. I expect the young players to put on a show and little resistance to match it on the defensive end.
- Raptors Team Total over 114, 2 units
- If there’s one thing we know about this matchup, it’s that Toronto can score points against the Hornets. They have a significant size advantage down low, resulting in their ability to constantly out-rebound the Hornets and get second-chance opportunities. I like the Raptors in this game but Charlotte needs to get back on track if they want a chance at a postseason run and they’re at home. I’ll take Toronto’s point total instead.
- Heat -5.5, 1.5 units
- I thought about playing on the Knicks here but, no Derrick Rose still? Kemba out for the season? RJ Barrett is questionable? And oh yea, the Knicks are definitely a team to fade in the final 2 months of the season. The Heat, meanwhile, are just coasting on top of the Eastern Conference and now they’re FULLY healthy heading to MSG. Good luck, Knickerbockers.
If you ever have any questions, message me here, on Twitter, or on Instagram. I will make myself available from 9am to 5pm every day, but please don’t expect an answer outside of those hours. I gotta shut it down sometimes. All picks are 1-5 stars based on unit size and confidence. 3 star picks are rare, 4-5 star picks are VERY rare. -Chris
