Miami Heat (-150)
The Miami Heat have been hit by multiple different injuries this season, which is a major concern. They will be without Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson, while Hassan Whiteside and Rodney McGruder are questionable tonight. They did recently see Dwyane Wade and James Johnson return from injury, though. Even with injuries, Miami ranks 21st in the NBA in net offensive and defensive rating (-1.9). They get a matchup against the Chicago Bulls, who currently rank 28th in the league in net off and def rating (-9.4). They are also dealing with injuries, as Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen, Bobby Portis, and Denzel Valentine will all continue to miss time. The Heat have been struggling recently, going 1-6 in their last seven games, but they get a significantly easier matchup tonight. The Bulls have struggled to keep games close this season, and an injured Miami offense should still find plenty of success in this matchup.
Bet 3 units on Miami -3 spread to win 2.6 units (-115)
Los Angeles Lakers (-150)
It truly pains me to continuously bet against the Utah Jazz, but they are simply getting too much respect at the moment. They rank 23rd in the NBA in net off and def rating (-3.1), while losing four of their last five games. In those five games, they own a -80 point differential. The Jazz have featured one of the worst offenses in the league, while surprisingly ranking as a below average defense, as well. The Los Angeles Lakers struggled early this season, but they rank 12th in the NBA in net off and def rating (1.6) through 17 games. They have also won six of their last seven games, although the competition outside of the Blazers has been less than elite. Los Angeles also owns a 5-1 record over their last six home games. The spread is surprisingly close, and we can take advantage of that for the time being.
Bet 3 units on Los Angeles -3 spread to win 2.7 units (-110)
Memphis Grizzlies (+160)/Los Angeles Clippers (-190)
This is an interesting game from a betting standpoint. The Los Angeles Clippers have been a fast paced, offensive team, while the Memphis Grizzlies have slowed the pace down and featured a more defensive focused gameplan. Overall, Los Angeles ranks eighth in the NBA in pace, while Memphis ranks last in the league in pace this season. The Clippers also rank third in the NBA in points (117.9) per game, while the Grizzlies are averaging only 103.1 points per game. More importantly, Memphis features one of the best defenses in the NBA this season, allowing only 100.2 points per game. Los Angeles also ranks 14th in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 113.5 points per game. Memphis has been outstanding at slowing the pace down in game, and even Los Angeles could struggle to score in this game.
Bet 2 units on Memphis/Los Angeles UNDER 212 to win 1.8 units (-110)
Parlay Bet
Parlay 2 units on Houston -4.5 spread, New Orleans -8 spread, and New Orleans/New York UNDER 236 to win 11.6 units (+581)
