Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – November 5th Edition

If you are planning on betting the Raptors-Jazz NBA game on Monday night, consider the fact that Jazz star Donovan Mitchell is being listed as out with an ankle injury so that will certainly affect the line. Utah plays again on Wednesday and Friday. Here’s a look at two other interesting matchups in the NBA this week. Check back for NBA odds on gameday.  

Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – November 5th Edition

“That’s my guy. That’s my countryman…it was a two.”

Giannis on THIS 👇 pic.twitter.com/Aw1pS5YNn5 — Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) 5 de noviembre de 2018

 

Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trail Blazers

• When: Tuesday, 10 PM ET (NBA League Pass)

Team Records

• All: Bucks 8-1 / Trail Blazers 7-3
• Home: Bucks 6-0 / Trail Blazers 4-2
• Away: Bucks 2-1 / Trail Blazers 3-1
• As Favorite: Bucks 7-0 / Trail Blazers 5-2
• As Underdog: Bucks 1-1 / Trail Blazers 2-1
• ATS: Bucks 6-2-1 / Trail Blazers 7-3
• Over/Under: Bucks 7-2 / Trail Blazers 6-4

  This starts a four-game trip through the Western Conference for the Bucks. They come off a 144-109 destruction of Sacramento on Sunday. MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo came through with a 26-point, 15-board, 11-dime triple-double. He finished the game 8-of-11 from the field and 9-of-12 from the charity stripe for a stellar 79.9 true shooting percentage. The Freak is certainly in the early MVP conversation. The Bucks hit a franchise record 22 3-pointers while also hoisting up a franchise-high 56 attempts. The Bucks improved to 8-1 — the best nine-game start in franchise history.

Under new head coach Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks have been letting it fly from beyond the arc. The Bucks are currently leading the league in 3-pointers made per game and are second in threes attempted per game. Milwaukee has also been one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA so far this season. Milwaukee is one of only two teams this season to score 110+ points in each of its games. It took the Bucks 47 games last season to tally their sixth win of the season by 10+ points, but did this in only seven games this season.

The Blazers are without one starter in swingman Moe Harkless. He’s been battling left knee soreness all season. Damian Lillard ranks as the fourth-leading scorer in Trail Blazers history and will get to third in a few weeks. Lillard became the fourth player in franchise history to reach 11,000 points on Oct. 27 He achieved the feat in 474 games, making him the fastest player in team history to reach the milestone. The Trail Blazers are 3-0 when both Lillard and CJ McCollum score at least 20 points in the same game.

The Trail Blazers lead the league in free-throw percentage (87.3%), rank fourth in free throws per game (22.4) and are 12th in free throws attempted per game (25.6).  

Minnesota Timberwolves at LA Lakers

• When: Wednesday, 10:30 PM ET (ESPN)

Team Records

• All: Timberwolves 4-6 / Lakers 4-6
• Home: Timberwolves 4-1 / Lakers 2-3
• Away: Timberwolves 0-5 / Lakers 2-3
• As Favorite: Timberwolves 2-0 / Lakers 2-4
• As Underdog: Timberwolves 2-6 / Lakers 2-2
• ATS: Timberwolves 2-6 / Lakers 3-7
• Over/Under: Timberwolves 5-5 / Lakers 5-4-1

  Will Jimmy Butler play in this one? You would think so because it’s nationally televised and against LeBron James, but you never know with Butler who so wants out of Minnesota that he has sat a few times when he could have played. He has flat out said he will be the one deciding when he’ll play both ends of a back-to-back. What a spoiled punk.

Butler’s name has swirled around trade talks for weeks, but Timberwolves coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau has been unable to find a deal to his liking. Some believe that Butler would like to play in Los Angeles – not with LeBron but instead the Clippers. Monitor the status of Wolves point guard Jeff Teague as he missed a third straight game Sunday with a knee. Minnesota ranks 6th in fast break scoring (17.8 ppg) after finishing 25th a year ago (9.7 ppg).

Los Angeles and Minnesota have faced off on 111 occasions in series history, with the Lakers holding a 77-34 edge all-time. At STAPLES Center, the Lakers are 27-9 all-time against the Timberwolves and have won 10 of their last 15 meetings in Los Angeles. The Lakers owned a 22-game win streak against the Timberwolves from 3/18/07 to 3/27/13, which was the second-longest streak for wins against an opponent in Lakers franchise history, ranking ahead of the 19 straight victories over the Dallas Mavericks from 1995-99, but behind a franchise record 24 consecutive victories over the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings from 1983-88.

On Oct. 29, the Lakers lost 124-120 at Minnesota. Butler hit five of Minnesota’s eight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to finish with 32 points on 12-for-20 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns pitched in 25 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and four blocks for the Timberwolves. LeBron James had 29 points and Brandon Ingram 24. The Lakers let the Wolves grab a season-high 20 offensive rebounds and committed 18 turnovers. James currently possesses an NBA record double-digit scoring streak that stands at 882 regular season games. He’s averaging 27.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.1 steals in 36.4 minutes.  

Expert NBA Betting Predictions

Take Portland and the Lakers.