Handicapping National Basketball Association games is difficult. Many times, a team might be fantastic straight up but terrible against the spread. Sometimes, the opposite is true where teams can’t win a game but win with regularity against the spread. Check out the top six underdog teams to target. Consider taking the points when any of these six teams step onto the court. 

Underdogs That Are Still Profitable for Basketball Bettors | NBA Betting Analysis

2021-2022 NBA Regular Season

• When: Oct. 19, 2021 – April 10, 2022

Top 6 NBA Underdogs That Are Still Profitable 

** ATS records as of March 20

Oklahoma City Thunder 42-25-4

The Thunder are a horrendous 20-51. So how can a team that’s 20-51 straight up have a crazy 42-25-4 record against the spread?

Coaches know they can beat the Thunder with their second string. So, often, winning teams will rest their star players when they take the floor versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s difficult for oddsmakers to know when a coach will rest a star player or not, which is why OKC almost always goes off an overlay against the spread. 

Toronto Raptors 41-30-0

Toronto’s straight up record almost mirrors their ATS mark. The Raptors are 40-30 SU. They’re 41-30 ATS.

There’s nothing going on with the Raptors. Some teams are just good at covering spreads when they win on the moneyline. That’s Toronto. 

If they don’t have a chance to win, they won’t cover. But if you think they can win SU, then they’re a great bet to cover ATS.  

Charlotte Hornets 39-30-2

Charlotte has a 36-35 moneyline record. So the Hornets are better against the spread than they are winning games straight up.

There’s a bit of the OKC thing going on with Charlotte. Most teams believe they can beat the Hornets. So coaches rest starters when they face Charlotte.

Also, Charlotte ranks second in points per game at 115.1. If you can score in the NBA, you can cover spreads. 

Detroit Pistons 39-32-0

Detroit has a worse record than Oklahoma City. The Pistons are 19-52 straight up. 

On the surface, nobody should ever struggle to beat the Detroit Pistons, which is why coaches rest their stars even more when they play Detroit than when they play against the Thunder.

The Pistons best player is rookie Cade Cunningham. But he’s a point guard. It’s tough for a point guard to single-handedly win a game, and as good as Cade is, he’s yet to crack to the top five at his position.

But although the Pistons should remain a good bet ATS, you shouldn’t back them without first considering if they’re an overlay. If Detroit offers fair odds, they may not be worth the bet. A 39-32 ATS record is nice, but it’s not close to OKC’s record.  

New Orleans Pelicans 35-35-1

New Orleans is even against the spread. Well, there’s the tie ATS. But for the most part, New Orleans is even against the spread.

You want to bet on games that involve .500 ATS teams. A .500 ATS record implies a fair line. When it comes to Pelicans games, you can decide to go for New Orleans ATS or go against the Pels to cover the spread. 

San Antonio Spurs 35-36-1

San Antonio has a losing record ATS, but they make the list because they’re almost a .500 against the spread team.

Handicap Spurs’ games the way you do Pelicans’ games. Back San Antonio to cover or back their opponent to cover depending on the game because in most Spurs’ contests the line should be fair. 

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