The Wizards shouldn’t be such big underdogs vs. Bucks, plus other best bets for Tuesday
Greetings gamblers, it’s Chris Bengel back with you.
Before we get into today’s best bets, here is the latest on the situation regarding Bills safety Damar Hamlin and the NFL‘s Week 18 schedule. After postponing the Bengals and Bills game Monday night following Hamlin collapsing on the field and suffering cardiac arrest, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has informed both teams that the game will not be played this week. As of now, the league has not made a decision regarding when or if the Bills vs. Bengals game will resume.
Let’s get to Tuesday’s picks, which have a basketball flavor.
All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook
🔥 The Hot Ticket
Wizards at Bucks, 8 p.m. | TV: NBA TV
- Key Trend: Wizards are 5-0 ATS in their last five games.
- The Pick: Wizards +8.0 (-110)
The Wizards are hot, having rattled off wins against the likes of the Sixers, Suns and Kings in recent days. That’s why I’m more than happy to take the fairly large underdog spread in this spot.
Washington found themselves leading by double-digits in games against Milwaukee, Philadelpha, and Phoenix over the past week. The Wizards may not be one of the league’s more lethal scoring teams, but they’ve been shooting the ball extremely well of late. They have averaged 121.0 points-per-game during their current five-game winning streak and hasn’t scored fewer than 116 points in any of those contests. Considering that they’re averaging just 112.1 points-per-game on the season, the offensive explosion has been noticeable.
Additionally, the Bucks are floundering. Milwaukee has dropped five of their last six games, including a 118-95 decision to Washington on Sunday. None of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton played in Sunday’s contest and both Antetokounmpo and Holiday are listed as probable for Monday’s game. Still, Middleton won’t be in the lineup, so I think that the Wizards should have no problem keeping this one close.
💰 More NBA Picks
Kings at Jazz, 9 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV
The Pick: Under 242.5 (-110) — The Kings are an offensive juggernaut, averaging 118.0 points-per-game — which is good for second in all of the NBA. While that’s extremely impressive, Sacramento may not be operating at full strength for Tuesday’s contest against Utah.
Guards Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk are listed as questionable due to injury, so it’s entirely possible that they don’t play. If Huerter can’t go, that’s a huge blow to the Kings’ offense. Hurter shoots 42.2 percent from three, which is the second-highest clip on Sacramento’s roster.
The Jazz will definitely be shorthanded as star guard Collin Sexton will miss Tuesday’s game due to a hamstring injury. That’s also a big deal, considering that Utah averages 117.3 points-per-game (fourth-best in the NBA). Even if Huerter and Monk can go, 242 points is quite a lofty number. With both teams being banged up, I see the under as a smart play here.
Key Trend: The under is 5-1 in the Kings’ last six road games.
Nets at Hawks, 8 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV
The Pick: Jayson Tatum Over 30.5 Points (-129) — It’s no secret that the Thunder continue to be in a rebuilding stage. That’s why it doesn’t exactly come as a surprise that this young team isn’t defensively sound. Oklahoma City is currently yielding 116.8 points-per-game (sixth-most in the NBA) and opponents are shooting 36.2 percent from three (19th in the NBA) against them on the year.
Because of that, Jayson Tatum’s point prop certainly has a high probability of cashing tonight. While netting 31 points is a large number, the Celtics star has scored at least 31 points in five of his last eight games, including a pair of 41-point performances. Expect Tatum to fill up the stat sheet on Tuesday against a team that struggles defensively.
Key Trend: Tatum has scored at least 31 points in five of his last eight games.
Source: CBSSports.com
