Betsided

Fade These Five Teams When Betting the Over

By Donnavan Smoot

Draymond Green defends the basket.
Draymond Green defends the basket. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

Sometimes you don’t know who will win the game, but you have a feeling about how the game will be played — so you turn to the point total. 

Betting the OVER in NBA games is a hot trend right now, but it is bound to go the other way soon. However, if you want to “zig” while everyone is “zagging," here are the five best teams to bet the UNDER on.

Worst NBA Teams to Bet the OVER On

  • Golden State Warriors
  • Dallas Mavericks 
  • Philadelpia 76ers 
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Cleveland Cavaliers 

Golden State Warriors (7-20-1)

When we think about the Warriors, fast paced basketball and prolific shooting come to mind. However, it’s the defense that has the Warriors atop the league standings. The Warriors have the best defensive rating in the league (100.2) and are three points better than the Suns (103.9). 

While the Warriors have a great offense, their defense limits the scoring in their games – making them enemy No. 1 of over bets.

Dallas Mavericks (8-17-2)

Dallas isn’t as prolific on defense as the Warriors. In fact, they aren’t prolific at anything. The Mavericks are 15th in the league in defensive rating and have a net rating of zero. They are literally the middle ground. 

The Mavericks’ ability to play average defense and average offense don’t allow for crazy anomalies in either way and lend itself to the under. Combine this with the fact they play at the slowest pace in the league, and you have nothing but unders coming in. 

Philadelpia 76ers (10-17-1)

The 76ers are in the same boat as the Mavericks. According to defensive rating, the Sixers are the 21st best defense in the league. However, they play at the slowest pace in the league as well. With Joel Embiid as the focal point of the offense, slow games are bound to happen and it allows the 76ers to control the tempo of the game. 

Philly is also around the middle of the pack on offense, which creates these situations. 

Milwaukee Bucks (11-18-0)

Now the Bucks are top 10 in pace and offensive rating, but also defensive rating. Their defense is the reason they hit the under in so many games. Also, there was a long stretch where the entire team wasn’t available, bringing the offense down for a majority of the year. 

Milwaukee’s defense is still going to be strong for the season. Yet with COVID outbreaks and players coming in and out, the offense might suffer. Keep betting the under in Bucks games.

Cleveland Cavaliers (11-18-0)

Last on this list is the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are one of the league’s biggest surprises this season and it’s because of the “Twin Towers” they have. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen make it nearly impossible to score at the rim. Also, the Cavs allow the fourth-lowest 3-point percentage in the league – reminiscent of the New York Knicks of last year.

The Cavs are in the bottom third in pace, which helps, but ultimately this is about their defense. If teams can’t make layups or 3s, what else are they supposed to do? 

Home/NBA Betting News