Knicks Will Smack The Lakers Saturday Plus 2 Other NBA Bets
After "donking" off 4.4 units (u) on the NBA Friday, I'm ready to win some of my money back Saturday. The only "bad beat" on my Friday card was UNDER 224.5 in the Golden State Warriors vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. Otherwise, I just sucked.
Actually, no. I didn't handicap poorly, the players let me down. That's how I'm chalking it up. More importantly, there are a few NBA games I like Saturday, and it's difficult to bet on college hoops pre-March Madness.
NBA Saturday Best Bets
- The odds chosen are the best available at the time of writing.
Golden State Warriors (+1.5) at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. ET
I’m betting the Warriors on principle. Atlanta PG Trae Young is one of my least favorite NBA players. Trae’s numbers are phony, and his production is mostly due to manipulating the officials.
Young not being selected to the All-Star team despite averaging 27.1 points and 11.0 assists confirms my point. Granted, Milwaukee Bucks PG Damian Lillard and New York Knicks PG Jalen Brunson are having better seasons. But, still.
Also, this is a much better "spot" for the Warriors. Golden State is 5-3 straight up (SU) and 4-3-1 against the spread (ATS) when playing on zero rest. While Atlanta is 2-6 SU and 1-7 ATS on the second of a back-to-back (B2B). The Hawks beat the Phoenix Suns (another loser for me) 129-120 Friday, extending their win streak to three games.
The Warriors stomped the Memphis Grizzlies 121-101 last night, which was one of my four losers Friday. I had the Under 224.5 and if Memphis made just one more 3-pointer in its 46 attempts (14-of-46), the Over would’ve hit. "Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve". Am I right?
Anyhow, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson got some rest in the 4th quarter Friday and Warriors SF Jonathan Kuminga is having a breakout season. Since Jan. 12th, Kuminga has been scoring 25.6 points per game (PPG) on 63.3% shooting with 6.6 rebounds.
Steve Kerr put Kuminga in Golden State’s starting 5 three games ago and the Warriors desperately needed more offense around Curry. They were asking Steph to do too much and Kuminga gets buckets in an entirely different way.
Now that Kuminga is getting a bigger role, I’m buying stock in the Warriors in the 2nd half of the season. Especially, against this Hawks team that plays basketball the wrong way.
My prediction: Warriors 132, Hawks 124
- Bet 1.08u on Golden State +1.5 (-108) at DraftKings Sportsbook. Gimme the Warriors up to -2 if Dejounte Murray misses Saturday.
Sacramento Kings at Chicago Bulls (-130), 8 p.m. ET
The Bulls are getting money in the market because this is a "scheduled loss" for the Kings. Chicago opened as slight +1 underdogs and got up to -2 as of 1 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon. Sacramento beat the Pacers 133-122 Friday in Indy and the Kings have won five of their last six games.
However, they are playing their third game in the last four nights and the second of a B2B. Teams are 3-5 SU and 2-6 ATS with a -7.6 scoring margin in games after playing Indiana the day before. The Pacers are a fast-paced team so their opponents may be tired after running with them.
Sacramento Kings PG De'Aaron Fox looks to attack Bulls PG Coby White at the United Center in Chicago. (Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports)
Furthermore, the Bulls are playing on two days' rest and perform well with a rest edge. Chicago is 7-3 ATS when playing with a rest edge and 7-2 ATS with two days' rest. While the Kings are 1-5 ATS on the second of a B2B.
Honestly, I’d wait for Bulls PG Coby White’s official game status to be announced before placing a bet. White scored a career-high 35 points in Chicago’s previous game and is "questionable" for Saturday. He leads the Bulls with a +9.7 on/off net rating, per CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG).
Finally, both teams run a lot of half-court offense, but Sacramento’s defense is garbage. The Kings are 24th in half-court defensive efficiency, according to CTG.
My prediction: Bulls 118, Kings 112
- Bet 1.3u on Chicago's moneyline (-130) at DraftKings. The Bulls are bet-able up to -3 if Coby White suits up.
Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks (-4), 8:30 p.m. ET
This will be the hottest ticket in New York this weekend. LeBron James will make his annual visit to the Mecca of Basketball and he’s well-rested for this game after sitting the past two.
That said, the Knicks have been the best team in the NBA since the start of 2024. NYK is 15-2 SU and 14-3 ATS over that span, with a +14.7 scoring margin. Part of that is due to them acquiring SF OG Anunoby. Yet, Knicks first-time NBA All-Star PG Jalen Brunson is playing the best basketball of his life currently.
New York’s role players have been stepping up as well. Knicks SG Donte DiVincenzo is averaging career bests in PPG (12.4) and 3-point shooting (41.8%) and has been on fire lately. New York C Isaiah Hartenstein has been grabbing 12.5 boards per game since Jan. 1st.
Knicks SG Donte DiVincenzo celebrates a 3-pointer vs. the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
Knicks wing Josh Hart replacing an injured Julius Randle in the starting 5 has improved their rebounding. Hart has 12, 10, and 12 rebounds in his last three games as a starter. The Lakers are 28th in second-chance PPG allowed, and New York is second in second-chance PPG.
Like the previous two bets on my card, I’d wait until closer to tip-off before placing it. LeBron and Anthony Davis are both "questionable" Saturday, but I’m expecting them to play. Once LeBron and AD are officially ruled in, the Knicks’ spread might drop to -3 or lower. For content purposes, I’m going to lock in a bet now.
My prediction: Knicks 117, Lakers 110
- Bet 1.05u on New York -4 (-105) at Caesars Sportsbook. The Knicks are playable up to -5 (if OG Anunoby plays).