The NBA Cup is starting tonight. It’s the in-season tournament that was held last season and received positive feedback from fans.
Ultimately, the next chunk of games in the NBA Cup will be on Friday, but we’ll zero in on tonight’s games. Here are some of the best bets in the NBA that you’ll want to consider tonight.
Tuesday’s Best NBA Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers will have Paul George and Joel Embiid available for tonight’s game against the Knicks. Of course, Embiid is back when the game means more than just a regular-season game.
That said, the 76ers still don’t have an injured Tyrese Maxey. They’re also still 2-7 to start the season.
On the other hand, the Knicks are 4-5 and also have a losing record. They’ve lost multiple leads in the fourth quarter and ultimately forgot how to close. New York is still without Precious Achiuwa and has listed Miles McBride and Cameron Payne as game-time decisions.
Ultimately, the 76ers are a completely different team. I’m not sure exactly what that means for them. However, with Embiid back, it might take some time for the other players to get accustomed to playing with him. Embiid hasn’t played a regular-season game with Paul George, Caleb Martin, Guerschon Yabhusele, Jared McCain, etc. The chemistry might not be where it needs to be.
It’s also unclear if Embiid can play a full 30+ minutes or if he’ll give full effort on the defensive end. After all, the Knicks rank 3rd in the NBA in points per 100 possessions and have shot a very high effective field goal percentage. The Sixers have not defended very well this season.
Meanwhile, the Knicks haven’t been much better defensively. Though, they rank 2nd in the NBA in defensive free throw rate. The Knicks should escape with the win if they can keep Embiid off the foul line.
Pick: Knicks -1.5 (-110)
Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors
Klay Thompson will make his return to the Chase Center. It’ll be his first game against the Warriors after a storied start to his career over there.
He’ll likely get a warm standing ovation and a tribute for his time there. But it’s unlikely Thompson and the rest of the players on either side will have an epic offensive performance.
The Warriors are second in the NBA in points per 100 possessions defensively. Golden State has held teams to a 50.1% effective field goal percentage, which is also second-best in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks rank 7th in points per 100 possessions and have held opponents to a 52.2% effective field goal percentage. Dallas has more potential on the glass, but the Warriors will likely get to the foul line more. Either way, neither team is consistent enough offensively to warrant backing the Over. Instead, I’ll grab the Under 232.5 (-115) in this one.
Pick: Under 232.5 (-115)
