The first week of the new NBA season is in the books and we have already seen a couple of surprises. Toronto, Detroit, Denver and New Orleans are a few of the teams that have started off strong, while the Lakers, Thunder and Cavaliers have yet to notch a victory.
There are plenty of interesting games on tap for the upcoming week and we’re taking a look at a few of them that have strong betting angles. Last week, the Milwaukee Bucks fell a point shy of giving us a 4-1 week so we had to settle for a 3-2 record. It’s still early but here are the top five games from an NBA betting perspective.
Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons – Tuesday, October 23rd
This Eastern Conference matchup features the Philadelphia 76ers, who are expected to at least be a playoff team, visiting the Detroit Pistons who are not expected to do much despite getting off to a fast start. While the Pistons are healthy from top to bottom, the same can’t be said of the 76ers. Aside from a few injuries to depth players like Zhaire Smith, Wilson Chandler, and Mike Muscala, starting point guard Ben Simmons appears to still be dealing with a sore back although it doesn’t seem too serious.
Related: NBA Betting Guide
Philadelphia has won and covered in the last four meetings between these two teams and they have also prevailed ATS and SU in three of their last four visits to Detroit. Despite the vastly different expectations that have been placed on these teams, this should actually be a pretty good tilt although Philadelphia should come out on top. The 76ers have only been favored in Detroit four times since 2001 and they have won and covered in each contest.
My Pick: Philadelphia ATS
Washington Wizards at Golden State Warriors – Wednesday, October 24th
It’s not that there is a lot of doubt about who is actually going to win this game. The Wizards are off to a slow start as a lot of people expected and they will be missing Dwight Howard while the Golden State Warriors are the Golden State Warriors. The biggest question will be who covers. The Wizards struggled on the road, especially toward the end of last season while the Warriors produced an excellent SU record at home.
The thing is, Golden State simply hasn’t been a reliable home team to back against the spread. In their last 30 home games, the Warriors are 11-18-1 ATS and they have failed to cover in their last six straight home games dating back to the tail end of the 2017-18 regular season. The only way this game can be exciting is if you are betting ATS. It’s the only realistic way to bet against Golden State in this situation.
My Pick: Washington ATS
Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets – Friday, October 26th
This game might not have been on anyone’s radar entering the season but it has the potential to be quite entertaining. A lot of pressure is on the Rockets this season and they have come out of the gate rather flat although their win over the Los Angeles Lakers had some very entertaining moments. After serving his two-game suspension as a result of his involvement in the fracas that occurred versus the Lakers, Chris Paul will be back in Houston’s lineup for this one and he should be motivated.
Despite low expectations, the Clippers are off to a pretty good start and they shouldn’t feel like they are in deep over their heads when they visit Houston as they have won four of the last six games against Houston SU and they are 5-1 ATS in those games. They have covered in three of their last four trips to Houston and in eight of their last dozen visits. Even more shocking is LA’s 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS mark that they have racked up as underdogs in their last nine trips to Houston. This could be surprisingly entertaining.
My Pick: Los Angeles Clippers ATS
Boston Celtic at Detroit Pistons – Saturday, October 27th
The Detroit Pistons have a busy week and they are going to face some stiff competition. It isn’t going to get any easier for them when they host the Celtics but at least they can take solace in the fact that they will have home-court advantage. At this point, it looks as though both teams will be healthy entering the contest, although anything is possible. Overall, Boston has fared well against Detroit in the past couple of years going 5-2 SU and 4-3 ATS. However, Boston has really torn it up when they have played in Detroit over the past few years. They are 5-0 SU and ATS in their last 5 visits to Detroit and 6-1 SU and ATS in their last seven visits. It’s also worth noting that the last five games between these two teams in Detroit have resulted in the score going under the total.
While the Celtics have started the season 1-0 SU and 0-1 ATS as road faves, they have been a pretty good team to back ATS as road favorites. From an entertainment standpoint, this one might be a bit of a dud unless you back the Celtics ATS.
My Pick: Boston Celtics ATS
Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs – Saturday, October 27th
Even with the great LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers will be lucky to earn a postseason berth and they have been very slow out of the gate. It’s not like the Spurs are projected to get too far either but this game could provide a lot of excitement — especially if you are a fan of LeBron.
The Lakers have won and covered in their last four meetings with the Spurs and they are 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 visits to San Antonio. The Lakers may or may not have recorded their first win of the season entering this one but it is a very good spot for them to come together and put on a show. They should cash in tickets for those who back them ATS even if Rondo and Ingram are suspended.
My Pick: Los Angeles Lakers ATS
