Sixers Plus The Points As Part Of NBA Gambling Action For Three Games On Wednesday, February 8

For what it's worth, the NBA has an awesome slate of games Wednesday. There is an ESPN primetime doubleheader between the Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Clippers.

On top of handicaps for both 76ers-Celtics and Mavericks-Clippers, I'll also breakdown and make a pick for the Portland Trail Blazers hosting the Golden State Warriors.

You can listen to the audio versions of these handicaps on my recently launched NBA Hoops At Lunch show on the OutKick Bets Podcast feed Monday-Friday.

(Word to the wise: It’s the “load management” era in the NBA and random injury news. NBA players are sitting out more games. It would behoove you to wait until the final injury reports before betting.)

Philadelphia 76ers (34-18) at Boston Celtics (38-16)

Boston won the 1st meeting of the season with Philly at home 126-117, covering as 3-point favorites. The Sixers were at full strength and the Celtics had everyone except for C Robert Williams III.

This time around Boston is missing 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, whom is crucial to defending James Harden. More importantly, the Celtics are currently -4.5 and I'm not sure how it got so high.

76ers head coach Doc Rivers won NBA Coach of the Month in January and Joel Embiid is the reigning NBA Player of the Month as well.

Embiid closed the gap in the NBA MVP price with Nuggets' Nikola Jokic. He dismantled Jokic last month with a 47-point, 18-rebound performance in a 126-119 Philadelphia victory.

The Celtics have won back-to-back games vs. the Sixers. But, Philly covered seven straight vs. Boston prior to their last two meetings.

Lastly, we are getting a well-rested 76ers team following an embarrassing 108-97 loss two days ago at the Knicks where Philadelphia blew a 21-point lead.

NBA Best Bet #1: 76ers +4.5 (-110) and 'sprinkle' on the +160 moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook


Golden State Warriors (28-26) at Portland Trail Blazers (26-28), 10 p.m. ET

This is one of the few games that the Warriors don't have an edge in the backcourt, with all due respect to Splash Bro Klay Thompson, whose game I love.

However, Damian Lillard is on a tear lately, Warriors combo guard Jordan Poole is one of the worst contracts in the NBA and I'd take Trail Blazers SG Anfernee Simons over Poole.

Dame Time is the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week. Portland was 3-1 straight up (SU) last week and Lillard averaged 38.3 points, 6.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

Per CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG), Poole has a -6.2 non-garbage time on/off net rating (nRTG). That grades out in the 21% of combo guards. As in Golden State scores 6.2 more points per 100 possessions when Poole is out of the game.

The Trail Blazers have a strength-on-weakness edge in getting to the foul line. Portland is 4th in non-garbage time offensive free-throw-attempt rate (FTr), per CTG. Golden State is 29th in adjusted offensive FTr and 21st defensively.

Finally, the Trail Blazers have the best shot quality in the NBA, per CTG, and a lower defensive wide-open 3-point-attempt rate than the Warriors. "Wide-open 3s" are defined by the shooter having at least six feet of distance from the defender.

NBA Best Bet #2: Trail Blazers -3 (-110) at DraftKings Sportsbook, up to -3.5


Dallas Mavericks (29-26) at Los Angeles Clippers (31-26), 10 p.m. ET

The last four Mavericks-Clippers meetings have gone Under the total by an average of 11.6 PPG, including all three this season. It would be reasonable to assume this one goes Under as well.

Dallas is missing Luka Doncic and just sent two starters to Brooklyn for Kyrie Irving who makes his Mavs' debut Wednesday. They score 12.0 fewer points per 100 possessions in non-garbage time when Luka is off the floor, per CTG.

There is supposed sharp money at DraftKings Sportsbook headed south of the total, per VSIN. Mavericks-Clippers opened with a 222.5-point total, which has been steamed down to the current number (220.5).

But, Irving is a worse defender than Doncic and Kyrie will put his best foot forward in Dallas. I wouldn't be surprised if Irving goes off for a couple of 40-point games early to show the Mavs front office "things are different".

Furthermore, the Clippers' offense has low-key been on fire recently. They have scored at least 120 points in six of their past 10 games.

One of those non-120-point outings included a 99-point stinker at the Cavaliers when the Clippers rested Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The other was against this Dallas team Jan. 22 in a 112-98 win. Luka played in that game and he likes to slow the pace down. Plus LAC head coach Ty Lue is familiar with how Doncic operates.

No one knows what this Kyrie-led Mavericks team will do while Luka is out. We do know that Irving is one of the best 1-on-1 scorers in the NBA and cannot stop a nosebleed on defense.

NBA Best Bet #3: OVER 220.5 in Mavericks-Clippers (-110) at DraftKings Sportsbook, up to 221.5