There are 10 games on Monday's NBA slate, so bettors still have plenty of opportunities for action. Some of tonight's most intriguing lines are in the Hornets-Celtics, Magic-Nets, and Rockets-Nuggets games, and the betting experts from BetQL have sorted through all the odds to help you find the best wagers.
One trend to note is that the BetQL NBA model has been on fire in the first month of the season, going 539-365 (60%) on all picks rated two-star and higher in the past 30 days for a total return of $3,519 on $100 bets! BetQL subscribers can see more betting trends and all of our best bets, including player props, with star ratings for every game.
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Today's Best NBA Bets: Odds, lines, & picks for Monday
By Kate Constable
Hornets at Celtics Prediction
The Hornets (6-14 SU, 9-10-1 ATS, 9-11 O/U) travel north to face the Celtics (16-4 SU, 11-8-1 ATS, 10-10 O/U) on Monday at TD Garden.
This feels like a smash spot for the Celtics, and the BetQL model seems to agree with me. Yes, the Celtics played last night, beating Washington 130-121 at home, but Jaylen Brown was the only starter to play up to 34 minutes; Marcus Smart only saw 27 minutes, while Al Horford only played 26. Jayson Tatum also didn’t play yesterday, so he should come into this contest fully rested. This should be an easy win for Boston, which is 9-1 straight up and 8-2 against the spread at home this season and owns the league's best offense.
The Hornets haven’t played since Nov. 25, so while they have the advantage of extra rest, they’re likely to be a little rusty not having played in four days. Charlotte’s defense has picked up over their past five games, but they faced three bottom-10 offenses in that span. The Hornets also do a lot of their scoring on second-chance points and points off of turnovers, but unfortunately for them, the Celtics are a top-10 team in defensive rebounding and turnovers. There should be plenty of buzz in this game. It just won’t be coming from the Hornets.
PICK: Celtics -10.5
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Magic at Nets Prediction
The Nets (10-11 SU, 10-11 ATS, 9-12 O/U) welcome the Magic (5-15 SU, 9-9-2 ATS, 9-11 O/U) to town on Monday, with both teams coming into the game without any rest.
Like the Celtics, the Nets are also double-digit favorites tonight against the Magic. However, unlike the Celtics, I don’t like Brooklyn to cover this big number. The Nets beat Portland at home last night and have now won three of their past five games. While their offense has been clicking, their defense isn’t anything to write home about.
The Magic also played last night and got blown out on their home floor by the 76ers. They have a disadvantage entering tonight’s game as they had to travel after the game, while the Nets stayed home. However, the Magic are 2-0 ATS on no rest and have a young roster that can withstand back-to-back games better than most teams. Orlando has lost its past four games and is going to be motivated and hungry for a win. Plus, we’ve seen the Nets rest players on multiple occasions this season in the second game of a back-to-back, so that could be the case again tonight.
PICK: Magic +10.5
Rockets at Nuggets Prediction
The Rockets (5-13 SU, 10-7-1 ATS, 9-9 O/U) and Nuggets (11-7 SU, 9-9 ATS, 8-10 O/U) will meet for the first time this season on Monday in the Mile High City.
The total in this game stands out to me as a bit too low. Neither team is particularly good on the defensive side of the ball, as they both rank in the bottom six in the league in that category. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are a top-six team in offensive rating and are averaging 117 points over their past three games. Denver will likely be without Michael Porter Jr. tonight, but that doesn’t concern me too much because the Nuggets have plenty of players who can step up in the scoring department. If anything, I wish he was playing tonight solely so Houston could take advantage of his poor defense.
Houston plays at an extremely fast pace and has had success scoring against teams with much better defenses than Denver's. The Rockets are also the best offensive-rebounding team in the league, so they should be able to get several second-chance points and extra possessions, which I like to look at when betting overs. I think this game gets pushed into the low 230s.
PICK: Over 228.5