NBA Best Bets, Odds Today: Matchups, Picks, Predictions for Saturday
Saturday's seven-game NBA slate features multiple teams in need of a bounce-back performance. Read on for our NBA picks and best bets for Saturday.
After an 11-game Friday card, we’ll get some lighter fare Saturday with just seven games and a couple of early to mid-afternoon contests. Luka Doncic will play in the Garden, but can the Dallas Mavericks get a needed win? Can the Oklahoma City Thunder cover yet again? Will the Milwaukee Bucks get back in the win column after a tough loss?
Here are our best bets for Saturday’s NBA slate (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Saturday’s NBA Schedule and Odds
(odds via DraftKings)
- Dallas Mavericks (-115) vs. New York Knicks (-105)
- Sacramento Kings (+100) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-120)
- Milwaukee Bucks (-230) vs. Charlotte Hornets (+195)
- Orlando Magic (+440) vs. Toronto Raptors (-580)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+205) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (-245)
- Houston Rockets (+360) vs. Golden State Warriors (-4450)
- Portland Trail Blazers (+150) vs. Utah Jazz (-175)
Saturday’s NBA Best Bets
- Moneyline: Bucks (-230 via DraftKings) vs. Hornets
- Spread: Thunder +6.5 (-110 via DraftKings) vs. Timberwolves
- Upset: Knicks (-102 via FanDuel) vs. Mavericks
- Prop bet: Anfernee Simons Over 29.5 points (+220 via FanDuel)
Saturday’s NBA Top Picks
Moneyline: Bucks (-230) ★★★★★
The Bucks lost a tough one at home to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Milwaukee has responded following a loss this season, going 4-1 straight up in those (rare) contests. The Bucks have also played well on the second night of a back-to-back, going 2-0 on no rest.
The Charlotte Hornets also play the second of a back-to-back set after narrowly defeating the Washington Wizards on Friday, but Charlotte is just 1-5 following a win and 1-2 on no rest. Milwaukee is the far superior team in terms of talent, and we’ll take the Bucks on the moneyline to bounce back in a game they should comfortably win.
Spread: Thunder +6.5 (-110) ★★★★★
Just like last season, the Thunder have been a great ATS bet in 2022-23. The Thunder are 13-9 against the spread on the season and 7-4 ATS on the road. That includes a 7-2 record as the away underdog.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' play has been wildly inconsistent this season, and while they’re on upset alert at home, we’ll target the spread with this bet. The Wolves are 3-6 ATS as home favorites and have gone just 2-5 ATS across their last seven games. The Thunder covered in three of their last four games overall.
This is far too high of a spread for a Thunder team that’s played competitive basketball in most of its games.
Upset: Knicks (-102) ★★★★
Despite some monster games from Doncic, the Mavericks are under .500 (10-11) for the season and have lost six of their last eight games. The Mavs are one of the worst teams in the Association on the road, sporting a 1-8 SU record outside of Dallas.
The New York Knicks are 4-6 at home and 0-3 as home underdogs, so this is far from a lock; however, the Mavericks are so reliant on Luka that it’s a better bet to take the home team with a more balanced attack.
Prop bet: Simons Over 29.5 points (+220) ★★★★
Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons’ points prop is set at 24.5 or 25.5 at most major sportsbooks, but we don’t want those standard -110 odds. We’re looking to make some cash, so we’re taking some extra points and getting this prop at plus money.
Simons scored at least 37 points in two of his last four games, and Saturday's matchup with the Utah Jazz offers a great chance to do it again. Simons has averaged 21 points on 18 shot attempts in 11 games with Damian Lillard in the lineup this season, but he’s posted 27.2 points on 20.6 shot attempts in nine games without him. Lillard is out again for Saturday, so we should see Simons lead the charge on offense.
Utah allows the ninth most points per game to opponents, so this isn’t a scary defensive matchup for the young guard. He scored 22 points on 22 shots against the Lakers on Wednesday, and we’ll jump on a likely bounce-back performance with some better shooting Saturday.
Where to Bet on NBA Best Bets
Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:
NBA best bets made on 12/3/2022 at 11:06 a.m. ET.