NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions for Nikola Jokic, Bucks-Lakers and Celtics-Nets)

We've got a loaded slate in the NBA on Tuesday night, but the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers certainly headline the action.

LeBron James is playing some of the best basketball of his career, so this should be fun to watch him and Anthony Davis face Giannis Antetokounmpo and company. We've got some crazy trends in the NBA too, as the Atlanta Hawks have somehow failed to cover in a loss this season.

I've got three picks for you today, as we are trying to get back in the positives in the column this season.

All odds courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

NBA Best Bets Record to Date

• NBA Best Bets Record: 114-124-2

NBA Best Bets Today

• Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-110)
• Boston Celtics -8 vs. Brooklyn Nets (-110)
• Nikola Jokic OVER 24.5 Points (-125)

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Bucks -3.5 (-110)

I’ve been backing the Bucks when they are slight favorites all season, and I’m not going to stop here. Milwaukee covered in a similar spot against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, and it improved to 12-7 against the spread as a road favorite this season. 

The Lakers, meanwhile, are just 24-30 against the spread this season, and I think they’ll have trouble with Milwaukee’s Big 3 on the defensive end. 

The Lakers are 15th in the league in defensive rating this season, and I’m intrigued to see how they defend Giannis Antetokounmpo, as Anthony Davis did not take Julius Randle when the Lakers played the Knicks. Randle lit Los Angeles up for 32 points, so I imagine Giannis would have his way with this defense if a similar game plan is deployed. 

I don’t trust this Lakers team after how up-and-down they’ve been this season, so give me the Bucks as slight favorites. 

Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets: Celtics -8 (-110)

The Boston Celtics will put their five-game winning streak to the test when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. 

This should be an easier game for Boston, as the Nets have lost eight straight and won’t have Kevin Durant, James Harden or Kyrie Irving in the lineup at home.

Do not get cute and try to overthink this matchup. 

The Nets have been struggling mightily on this eight-game skid, and they have covered in just two of their last 11 games without him. 

Boston has been playing its best basketball of the season as of late, and the Celtics have a top-five defense in the league this season. 

A makeshift Nets team should suffer a similar fate as it did against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, so I’ll take Boston to cover in this game. 

Nikola Jokic OVER 24.5 Points (-125)

Nikola Jokic has cleared this line in back-to-back games despite taking just 10 and 15 shots in those games, and now he gets a New York Knicks team that he terrorized for 32 points on 14-of-19 shooting earlier this season. 

The Knicks have a solid defensive rating this year, but they are on a back-to-back in this game and may have some tired legs after blowing a lead to Utah. 

Jokic is averaging 25.9 points per game, and he’s cleared this line in nine of his last 11 games. This is an easy bet for me tonight.

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record in the NBA this season here.