NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions for Celtics-Bulls, Knicks-Thunder and Anfernee Simons on Monday)

Yours truly is in the midst of a hot stretch in the NBA, winning 12 of my last 15 bets to move our season record to 10 over .500. 

I’m back for Monday’s eight-game slate with three plays, two which actually have a little plus-money value. 

There’s a betting trend that you can’t miss in the New York Knicks-Oklahoma City Thunder game, and Damian Lillard’s injury opens up a unique angle for a prop bet in the Portland Trail Blazers matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Can we have a 3-for-3 night? 

NBA Best Bets Record to Date

• NBA Best Bets Record for 2022-23 Season: 55-45-1 (+3.7095 units)

NBA Best Bets Today

• New York Knicks Moneyline (+115) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
• Boston Celtics -6 (-110) vs. Chicago Bulls
• Anfernee Simons OVER 5.5 Assists (+100)

New York Knicks Moneyline (+115) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Knicks are looking to close their West Coast trip strong on Monday when they take on the Thunder in the second night of a back-to-back. 

There is no team in the NBA better on the second night of a back-to-back than Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks, going 8-6 straight up and 10-4 against the spread since the start of the 2021-22 season. 

New York lost badly to Phoenix on Sunday, but it was able to rest some players in the fourth quarter since it was a blowout loss. 

Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose are both day-to-day, but a return from Reddish would really bolster the Knicks on both ends of the floor in this game. 

The Thunder have been a pleasant surprise this season, with guard Shai Gilgeus-Alexander looking like an All-NBA player through the first month-plus of the season. 

However, I’m going to back the Knicks as underdogs here to pull off the win. 

Thibodeau’s team won’t mail it in on the second night of a B2B, and the Knicks already took down Denver on this road trip in a similar scenario. 

Remember, these two teams combined for 280 points in their last meeting, so the Knicks really just need to figure some things out on the defensive end. After being favored against OKC at home, this is too much of a line swing for me to fade New York. 

Boston Celtics -6 (-110) vs. Chicago Bulls

Boston is an impressive 7-2 on the road so far this season, winning recent road games over the New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks. 

This has been a weird season for the Bulls, who are 12th in defensive rating, 22nd in offensive rating and 22nd in net rating. Lonzo Ball’s absence has certainly hurt, but the Bulls have been relatively healthy compared to last season. 

Marcus Smart is off the injury report for Boston and expected to return tonight, a huge boost after he missed the team’s last two games. 

Boston is just 9-7 against the spread this season, but its average margin of victory is 7.2 points this season. Chicago comes into this just 4-6-1 ATS as an underdog, and I just don’t have confidence that the Bulls will be able to keep up with Boston’s shooting. 

The Celtics average 16.2 made 3-pointers per game, the most in the NBA. As for the Bulls? Well, they rank 28th with 10.1 made 3s per game. 

Boston can shoot Chicago right out of the gym tonight. 

Anfernee Simons OVER 5.5 Assists (+100)

If you’ve been following the column this season, I’ve been a frequent flier on the Anferenee Simons points prop express, but we’re going in a different direction to back on the NBA’s best young guards. 

With Damian Lillard out with a calf strain, Simons is going to have a much bigger role as a playmaker in this game against Milwaukee. 

Even though he’s averaging just four assists per game this season, Simons is averaging 7.0 dimes per game when Lillard is out of the lineup, clearing this total in all three games. 

Jrue Holiday could make things tough on Simons tonight, so I expect him to get his teammates involved with the Blazers set as major underdogs. 

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.