Emotions were riding high in the final seconds of last Tuesday night’s games. The over/under could have gone either way, but unfortunately, it went in the wrong direction for both bets. The good news is both the spreads covered, resulting in a 2-2 performance. This puts the overall record at 8-5. Here are the best bets for tonight:
Nuggets (-4.5) at Heat
The Nuggets will be looking to add another win to their four-game win streak in Miami. Denver has looked sharp as of late, covering the spread five times out of their last six. They are one of the premier offensive teams, ranking fourth in shooting percentage at 47.9% and scoring at 116.8 points per game. The Heat have been decimated by COVID and injuries. Without Jimmy Butler, the Heat have won just two out of their last eight. They have also only covered the spread twice against Denver in their eight prior matchups. Miami is 10th in shooting at 47.4% but ranks in the bottom ten for points at 109.3 per game. Denver will take advantage of an injury-riddled Miami team and cover the spread.
Jazz (-4.5) vs. Mavericks
The Jazz are without a doubt the hottest team in the league. They have won nine straight games and covered the spread in each match. Utah has been dominating both ends of the court, ranking 3rd in defensive efficiency and 5th in offensive efficiency. COVID has been a big problem for Dallas, as they sit in 10th place in the West with an 8-9 record.
Fortunately for them, Dwight Powell, Josh Richardson, and Dorian Finney-Smith are expected to return tonight. They need these guys badly as they have only covered the spread twice over their last six. The Mavericks will need a big game from Luka and his supporting cast to compete with Utah. They might hang with them for the first half, but expect the Jazz to pull away towards the end and cover.
Pistons at Cavaliers OVER 215.5 Points
After consecutive losses, the Cavs are trying to get things back on track against the woeful Detroit Pistons. Both teams have been sub-par offensively this season, ranking in the bottom ten for shooting percentage and points per game. However, the Cavs and Pistons always seem to play highly competitively when facing each other. They have split their last ten matchups, and the total has gone over eight times out of ten.
Additionally, they both shoot just over 47% and score above the 110-point mark, with Cleveland at 110.1 and 113.4. In the Cavs’ last eight games in Detroit, the over has covered every time. While the season statistics do not point to a high-scoring affair, the trends certainly do. Expect a competitive game when these two teams meet with the total going over.
Warriors (-8) vs. Timberwolves
The Warriors meet the Timberwolves again after beating them 130-108 on Monday night. Steph and the Warriors have held their own this year at 9-8, but their offensive numbers are nothing spectacular. They rank 15th in scoring at 111.5 and 22nd in field goal percentage at 44.8%. Luckily for them, they are playing a Minnesota team that is pretty bad in every category.
They are in the bottom five for scoring, field goal percentage, and offensive/defensive efficiency. In Minnesota’s last eight games at Golden State, they have yet to win a game. On the opposition, Golden State has won six of their nine against Western Conference foes. Although Golden State’s 18th ranked defense is nothing special, it does not take much to guard a team like the Timberwolves. Look for big games from Steph and Co. as they should cruise to an easy cover.
