The NBA Sunday Showcase returns with a couple of 2021 playoff rematches in the Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks. There are 8 games on this Sunday slate, so let’s take a look at some of the matchups offering value.
Best Bets for the NBA Games Tonight
With a nice Sunday slate ahead of us, let’s break down some of the best NBA bets today.
You can check out all the Basketball Insiders Staff Picks here.
Brooklyn Nets (+5) @ Boston Celtics
The Brooklyn Nets are reeling, having gone 3-7 over their last ten games, sitting just a half game ahead of the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks for the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference. But for just the 4th time this season, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will be on the court together in what feels like a game the Nets need to win.
On the flip side, the Boston Celtics have morphed into one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, if not the NBA. Boston is 8-2 over their last ten games, and own the league’s best defensive rating (102) and sixth best offensive rating (117.3) over the last 15 games.
With Jaylen Brown listed as questionable for this game with an ankle sprain, it’s a good time to grab the Nets at +5 now. Even if Brown does get ruled in, I don’t see this number creeping up any higher. The Celtics are just 13-17 ATS as a home favorite this year. The Nets are 9-6 ATS as a road underdog. We saw what Kyrie Irving was able to do in the Nets’ win on February 26th against the Milwaukee Bucks without Kevin Durant, and I think this team will use today as an opportunity to remind the league that they are still very much a threat.
This is not a spot where you can rely heavily on any metrics. We just do not have enough data on the new-look Nets. This is a pure value play. There’s a chance we look back at this number and are shocked at the Nets catching this many points.
New York Knicks @ Los Angeles Clippers (-4.5)
This might be the squarest bet of the day, but I don’t care. The Knicks are in shambles, going 2-8 over their last ten games. They’ve also been one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. In that same ten game span, the Knicks are 28th in Defensive Rating and 16th in Offensive Rating. They’ve lost seven in a row.
They did put together an inspired effort against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, but lost on a Cam Johnson buzzer beater. The Knicks are in the midst of a long West Coast trip with no chance at making the playoffs. While their effort in Phoenix was commendable, I think the loss has potential to send them into a spiral as the year closes out.
The Clippers, on the other hand, are red-hot. They’ve won five games in a row, but have benefited from all five of those games coming against the Houston Rockets (thrice) and the Los Angeles Lakers (twice). Even still, it’s hard to beat any team in the NBA in back-to-back games, let alone in back-to-back-to-back games.
If the Knicks want any chance at winning this game, it’ll have to come from beyond the arc. However, the Clippers are fourth-best in the NBA in defending the three ball. This is also a mini revenge spot for the Clippers, as the Knicks won the previous meeting between these two in January. These teams have gone in opposite directions since then, so I’ll make what appears as the ‘obvious’ bet and back the Clippers -4.5
