Good afternoon gamblers, it's Chris Bengel back with you on this Tuesday.
I hope everybody enjoyed all of the sensational NBA basketball that we were treated to in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The NBA should make a habit out of having schedules like that a few times every season. It's pretty wild being able to place wagers and follow your bets through most of the day.
Unfortunately, normal NBA schedules are back, but I've got a few plays that should win us some money tonight. Let's dive into the action.
All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook
🔥 The Hot Ticket
Trail Blazers at Nuggets, 9 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV
- Key Trend: The Nuggets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games.
- The Pick: Nuggets -6.5 (-110)
Considering how hot the Nuggets have been thanks to their dynamic offense, I have no problem riding with Denver's side of the spread in this spot.
The Nuggets have been victorious in 13 of its last 15 games with an average win margin of 12.2 points during that span. It's not surprising when you take into account the fact that they're averaging 117.0 points-per-game, good for sixth-most in the league. A big reason is that Denver shoots an NBA-best 39.9 percent from three on the year. Seven of the team's integral rotation players shoot at least 37.0 percent from long-range this season, including MVP candidate Nikola Jokic (37.0 percent).
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers haven't been quite as consistent as the Nuggets. This is a team that has dropped five of their last seven games (despite winning their last two) and are 2-5 ATS during that rough stretch. The Trail Blazers are also 0-5 ATS in their last five meetings in Denver. Take the points and feel good about it.
💰 More NBA Picks
Raptors at Bucks, 7:30 p.m. | TV: TNT
The Pick: Raptors +2 (-110) -- The Raptors are playing some of their better basketball season right now, even if they were forced to play overtime in order to record a comeback win over the Knicks on Monday. Still, even after playing that extra frame, I'm going to take Toronto with the small spread here.
The Bucks did earn a 132-119 win over the Indiana Pacers on MLK Day, but were forced to do it without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is currently dealing with a knee injury. It'll be the same scenario tonight, as Antetokounmpo has been ruled out. Sharpshooting guard Khris Middleton is still working his way back from the injured list, so the Bucks are going to be shorthanded against a much more talented Raptors squad.
Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet combined to score 53 points for Toronto on Monday. VanVleet does a large amount of his damage from beyond the arc and their inside-out game shouldn't face nearly as much resistance with Antetokounmpo out of the lineup. Given the small number, I think this is a situation where the Raptors can easily win this one outright -- but I'll play it safe and take the points.
Key Trend: The Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
76ers at Clippers, 10 p.m. | TV: TNT
The Pick: Joel Embiid Over 46.5 Points, Assists, & Rebounds (-104) -- The Clippers are one of the league's top defensive teams, so that might lead many to believe that Joel Embiid could have a pedestrian evening. That couldn't be further from the truth.
Embiid is the type of player that can dominate any defense, and he did just that when the two teams met last month in Philadelphia to the tune of 44 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Embiid has registered at least 47 points, assists and rebounds in five of his last eight contests. In addition, the Sixers star has scored at least 30 points in nine of his last 10 games, so that gives us a nice jumping off point.
Key Trend: Embiid has recorded at least 47 points, assists, and rebounds in five of his last eight games.
