NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions for Jaylen Brown, Luka Doncic and Thunder-Jazz on Wednesday)
By Peter Dewey
We've got a shorter slate in the NBA on Wednesday night, and with several teams already locking up playoff position or being eliminated from contention, it isn't as easy to find betting value in this slate.
That's why there are player props, right?
I have two star players that I'm eyeing to have big games in matchups that do have playoff-implications, as well as one major underdog.
Let's get into the picks for Wednesday:
NBA Best Bets Record to Date
- NBA Best Bets Record: 180-164-5 (+0.9112 units)
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record in the NBA this season here.
NBA Best Bets Today
- Oklahoma City Thunder +17.5 vs. Utah Jazz (-110)
- Jaylen Brown OVER 25.5 Points (-120)
- Luka Doncic OVER 29.5 Points (-105)
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Utah Jazz: Thunder +17.5 (-110)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to lose, and yet, they have won back-to-back games heading into the second night of a back-to-back against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Both of these teams picked up wins on Tuesday, with the Jazz beating the Memphis Grizzlies in overtime, but they are trending in clearly different directions this season.
As much as I don’t want to back OKC with the tank in full force… 17.5 points??
Are we sure?
I know the Jazz are a much better team, but Utah had lost six of seven games heading into Tuesday, and it is just 4-7-1 against the spread in back-to-backs this season.
The Thunder are 7-6 against the spread in back-to-backs this season, and I think it’s worth noting that 10 of their last 11 games have been decided within 17 points, with an 18-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks as the only outlier.
Utah’s offense may make this tough on the Thunder, but there’s no way I’m laying 17.5 points with this Jazz team after going to OT on Tuesday.
Jaylen Brown OVER 25.5 Points (-120)
Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics are seven-point road favorites against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, and I think we’re getting a bit of value on JB against a Bulls team that is 25th in defensive rating over its last 10 games.
Brown has cleared 25.5 points in eight of his last nine games, and he’s taking an average of 19.0 shots per game over that stretch, shooting 56.7 percent from the field. That volume alone is enough for me to bet on Brown, but he’s also gotten to the line an average of 5.3 times per game as well.
The Bulls are also on a back-to-back after getting trounced by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Give me the over for Brown to stay hot tonight.
Luka Doncic OVER 29.5 Points (-105)
This is a pretty simple one on Luka Doncic for the Dallas Mavericks’ matchup with the Detroit Pistons, as Luka has scored 32 or more points in five straight games.
I like that we are only getting -105 juice on his OVER, and the Mavericks star has taken 20 or more shots in eight of his last 10 games. I don’t love a ton of props on the board tonight, so give me Luka to have a big game in Detroit.