Against The Spread: Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls
The Bulls played last night, topping the Lakers 115-110. Typically, back-to-back nights don't reflect well on the against-the-spread line in game two — but this Houston-Chicago game (and spread) is a special situation. Per the best online sportsbooks, the Bulls should hardly be phased by the schedule. Here are the current betting odds:
Here's why normal back-to-back rules don't apply to Chicago right now. This Bulls team is actually well-rested, thanks to its COVID outbreak. A week ago, the league postponed two of its games after 10 of its players went into COVID protocol. So last night's game was actually the Bulls' first in a week's time. They got a mini-break and now have only four players remaining in COVID protocol.
And there's no lingering fatigue from catching COVID either. At least, we didn't sense any against the Lakers. DeMar DeRozan looked in peak form as he went off for 38 points against Los Angeles. He and his Chicago teammates have an easier matchup against a young Rockets team that's absolutely horrendous on the road (3-13 this year). So bet the Bulls with confidence here as they'll cover the spread.
Over/Under 233 Points: Charlotte Hornets at Utah Jazz
NBA stat lovers are enamored with efficiency stats, which will be on full display in this game, making the Charlotte-Utah over/under line tantalizing. You see, the Jazz ranks tops in the league in offensive efficiency. On the contrary, the Hornets are dead-last in defensive efficiency. That best-versus-worst ingredient already makes a strong case for the over itself.
But here's one more case-strengthening argument: LaMelo is slowly getting back to 100-percent. After his own stint on the COVID list, he's been active but noticeably rusty in the past two games. Even at 90 percent health-wise, Ball's presence helps the over tremendously.
One more thing: while Utah is typically good defensively, they've been sluggish as of late. The Jazz gave up 128 points to the Spurs followed by 109 to the Wizards — both home losses. Given all these trends and variables, this game has overwritten all over it.
Against The Spread: Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors
We're usually not ones to jump at against-the-spread lines in the double-digit range, but this Kings-Warriors spread is an exception. At a whopping 14.5 points, it's almost as high as you'll see the best NBA betting sites go. But honestly, it's completely warranted.
The Kings, per usual, are embarrassingly bad. Any and every team they face is almost a shoo-in to score around 115 points against them — as has been the case 10 out of the previous 14 games. That's especially troublesome against a Warriors side that's playing like the "old Warriors." Steph Curry is once again the MVP front-runner and this is the type of matchup that he's on the watch to go for 50 points by himself.
We see zero reasons to bet Sacramento to cover. It's obvious this team and franchise are in dire need of leadership, which will be exploited by a "Class A" team and organization like Golden State.
Against The Spread: San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers
We just spent the previous pick tearing down the Kings, but we neglected to mention they topped the Spurs last night 121-114. After that result, we jumped at betting the spread between San Antonio and Los Angeles.
Here you have a below-average Spurs team (11-18 record, fourth-worst in the Western conference). And here you have a below-average team playing two games in two nights. Yep, we're riding the Clippers' spread to the bank! While this isn't the Kawhi-versus-his-former-team matchup we all wanted, Los Angeles has enough talent elsewhere to cover with ease.
How To Bet On NBA?
All in all, there are six games in the NBA on Monday. If you want to see all the betting action available, visit one of the sportsbooks we've listed below. For betting on the NBA, you can't do much better than the below bookmakers. Between a large betting menu, different types of bonuses for free play, and a trusted service, these betting sites are the "best of the best." Click around the table below to find out for yourself!
