Top NBA Picks and Predictions Today (Thunder Elite as Underdogs, Back Celtics and Warriors)
By Peter Dewey
Who wouldn't want to bet on the NBA action Monday night, especially with all the value you on the board.
That's right, there are three games that I see value in taking a side in, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors are the forefront.
Let's dive into today's breakdowns and picks:
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks Odds, Prediction and Pick
The Thunder may not be winning a ton of games on the road (4-8 straight up), but they have found a way to cover when set as underdogs.
The Hawks, on the other hand, are just 4-5 against the spread as home favorites this season.
Last season, the Hawks were known for having an elite defense that struggled to defend, but it has been the opposite this season.
Atlanta ranks 20th in the NBA in offensive rating and ninth in defensive rating, with All-Star guard Trae Young struggling with his shot early on this season.
Oklahoma City is 20th in the NBA in net rating, not that anyone expected it to be a playoff team, but I think it can hang around in this matchup.
The Thunder have covered in four of their last five games, and Atlanta is just 4-5 against the spread as a home favorite this season.
Collins and Hunter are integral parts of Atlanta’s rotation, so losing both players should give OKC a better chance to keep this close. Six points is a few too many for me to trust the Hawks as favorites.
Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors Odds, Prediction and Pick
Yes, Toronto has been terrific at home this season, but I won’t pass up an opportunity to take the Celtics as a pick’em against a far inferior team.
Toronto has not looked great over the last week or so, getting blown out by New Orleans and Brooklyn before finally beating the lowly Orlando Magic.
The Raptors are going to need to be on their game offensively against a Boston team that is one pace to post the best offensive rating in NBA history this season.
Boston has the best record in the NBA for a reason this season, and even with Pascal Siakam back, I don’t think the Raptors will win this game.
Toronto has gotten off to awful starts against playoff-caliber teams in the Nets and Pelicans lately, and it simply won’t survive that against a Boston team that is one of the best first half teams in the NBA.
As long as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown play, Boston is a value bet at this current line.
Indiana Pacers vs. Golden State Warriors Odds, Prediction and Pick
Both of these teams are top-four in the league in pace, which could be a problem for the Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton on Monday.
Indiana ran out of gas on the offensive end against Portland on Sunday, and the Warriors’ high-powered offense (seventh in the NBA) should be able to outscore Indiana (16th in the NBA), especially at home.
Golden State is dominant at home this season, per usual, going 11-1 at Chase Center so far this season.
The Pacers seem to be coming back to reality after a strong start to the season, and there’s no way I’ll trust them without Haliburton in the lineup tonight.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.