After taking Election Day off entirely, the NBA returns with a 14-game card on Wednesday night, showcasing every one of the league’s teams except for the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic.
NBA best bets and odds will look to identify top angles and trends to be aware of, but there’s no question two games will demand the most eyeballs.
Atlantic Division rivals Boston and Philadelphia meet for the first time in 2023-24, and come into the game each sporting an Eastern Conference-best 5-1 record. The winner will be the first team in the East to six wins.
In the Western Conference, three teams have notched at least six victories so far, and two of them square off in Denver to provide an exclamation point for a loaded card. The defending champion Nuggets (7-1 SU, 5-3 ATS) welcome in the Warriors (6-2, 4-4) to close out a four-game homestand as they look to improve to 6-0 at Ball Arena this season.
Warriors vs. Nuggets odds: Spread, moneyline, total
Here are the latest odds for Warriors vs. Nuggets at top-rated sportsbooks:
Warriors vs. Nuggets props and betting news: Denver’s Murray sidelined for West clash
Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray missed his first game of the season on Monday with a hamstring injury suffered last Saturday night against the Bulls and is expected to be out at least the remainder of the week.
Denver runs its offense through center Nikola Jokic most of the time, but Murray is the point guard and his primary pick-and-roll partner, so head coach Michael Malone will need others to help fill that void.
The Nuggets scored 75 second-half points to erase a 12-point halftime deficit in Monday’s 134-116 win over the Pelicans, putting together their highest scoring output of the season. Jokic finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, veteran Reggie Jackson took Murray’s place in the lineup, and rookie Julius Strawther took advantage of a season-high 19 minutes by scoring 21 points, shooting 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
Although Strawther can’t be counted on to explode again, it’s a safe bet that Michael Porter, Jr. will remain more assertive after taking 16 shots against New Orleans and finishing with 22 points. Porter is averaging 24.3 points on the homestand, shooting 27-for-50 from the field and 11-for -24 from 3-point range.
Porter’s scoring prop odds are at , and riding the over on that looks like the best bet from this game since he looks to be in a great rhythm despite missing the entire preseason.
Jokic is averaging 28.4 points, 12.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists through eight games and has registered a triple-double on three occasions, falling one assist shy of registering twice. He’s listed at to record a triple-double against Golden State, which isn’t a great value bet but makes sense since he’s notched one three of the last four times he’s taken the floor against the Warriors, missing out on another by a single assist.
Denver has gone 6-1 against Golden State straight up over the past two seasons, which includes three wins by three or fewer points.
Draymond Green is listed as questionable to play due to personal reasons but will do his best to try and slow Jokic down if he’s out there. Green and Jokic were only on the same floor once last season. The reigning Finals MVP missed one of Denver’s wins but recorded triple-doubles both times he suited up, averaging 24 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.
Chris Paul is the biggest variable added to the equation for Golden State, and despite coming off the bench for the past few games, has contributed immensely with a 62-to-6 assists-to-turnover ratio.
Despite that efficiency, the Warriors operate at a more deliberate pace with him in the mix, so the UNDER is a healthy 5-3 in their games this season. Golden State is looking for an upset as it closes a four-game road trip and is 2-1 SU and ATS as an underdog this season.
The Dubs are an excellent 5-1 outside San Francisco, covering the spread four times in opposing arenas.
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Celtics vs. 76ers odds: Spread, moneyline, total
Here are the latest Celtics vs. 76ers odds:
Celtics vs. 76ers props, betting news: Boston back at full strength as Derrick White returns
Since losing 118-117 in its season debut, Philadelphia has pulled off five consecutive wins and takes the NBA’s longest winning streak into this duel with Boston. The 76ers are a perfect 6-0 against the spread and have put the James Harden drama behind them, dealing the disgruntled guard to the Clippers just before October ended, which handed the keys to the offense to guard Tyrese Maxey.
While the offense still revolves around reigning MVP Joel Embiid (32.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg), Maxey is now the 76ers primary ball handler and facilitator and has notched double-digit assists in consecutive games after finishing with a career-high 11 in a 146-128 rout of Washington on Monday.
He’d only finished with double-digit assists once in his short pro career prior to this season, so the books may be a little slow to adjust to how well he’s flourishing in his new role.Harden led the NBA in assists last season, and now Maxey should be able to pad stats in working with one of the league’s elite pick-and-roll partners.
His assists number is at for this matchup with the Celtics. Although Maxey will have to toil against two of the NBA’s top on-ball defenders in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, he’s still a good bet to top 5.5 assists considering he’s done so in four of six games this season.
White returning for the Celtics should provide a major boost since he’s expected to rejoin the lineup after missing a couple of games to be present at the birth of his new son.
Boston chose to ride a bigger starting lineup with Al Horford replacing him over the past few games, but are expected to place him next to Holiday in the backcourt for this one. The Celtics lost for the first time, 114-109, in Minnesota on Monday, despite 32 points from Jayson Tatum. Depth was in issue without White and appears to be Boston’s one Achilles heel.
Joe Mazzulla’s team has been favored in every game this season and is just 2-3-1 ATS as it goes into Philly laying a bucket. Boston has won four of the last five meetings between these Atlantic Division rivals, including three of four last season.
The 76ers ended a losing streak against the Celtics in the most recent meeting on April 4, winning 103-101 thanks to Embiid’s 52 points and 13 rebounds in a game that helped solidify his case for MVP. All-Star Jaylen Brown was absent for Boston. Kristaps Porzingis was acquired in the offseason in part to help deal with Embiid, giving Boston more length in the middle.
More Wednesday night action: Spurs vs. Knicks odds; Victor Wembanyama props
NBA injuries to monitor on Wednesday’s card
When handicapping NBA odds, it’s crucial to be wary of injury situations since game-time decisions are so often part of the equation.
Most prevalent on the 14-game card are question marks revolving around Lakers star Anthony Davis, who is listed as questionable after struggling with hip spasms in Monday’s loss in Miami. Rui Hachimura returns after a short absence due to a concussion and would soften the blow if Davis can’t go against the Rockets.
Bradley Beal may make his Suns debut since he’s been upgraded to questionable for Phoenix’s road game in Chicago. Back spasms have prevented him from suiting up over the last few weeks, and we still won’t see him team with Devin Booker, who will miss another game due to a calf strain.
Here are some other players who carry the questionable tag into tonight:
- Walker Kessler, Jazz
- Luguentz Dort, Thunder
- Herb Jones, Pelicans
- Jalen Duren, Pistons
- Devin Vassell, Spurs (doubtful)
- Terance Mann, Clippers
Key players already ruled out include:
- Devin Booker, Suns
- De'Aaron Fox, Kings
- Khris Middleton, Bucks
- Xavier Tillman, Grizzlies
- Robert Williams, Blazers
- Scott Henderson, Blazers
- Nic Claxton, Nets
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