NBA Best Bets: Tuesday, February 8

Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers

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NBA fans and bettors will be treated to an action-packed Tuesday night with 10 games on the schedule.

A blockbuster trade that has sent C.J. McCollum to New Orleans makes tonight's fixture between Portland and Orlando very interesting. Let's take a look at which games provide the most value to bettors.

Please note that all odds and lines are current as of 1:30 PM EST from FanDuel Sportsbook on Tuesday, February 8.

Best Bets of the Night

Bet #1

Game: Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies (-7.5)

The Grizzlies have a young roster that continues to demonstrate growth. Besides Ja Morant, players like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are contributing to the team’s success in big ways. The 27-28 Clippers will take on the streaking 37-18 Grizzlies tonight on the road. The Grizzlies are 7-3 over their last 10 outings and have won by double-digits in each of their previous four victories. Expect more of the same when the Clippers come to Memphis tonight. Memphis has the highest cover percentage in the NBA against the spread (65.5%).

The Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -7.5 points (-110)

Bet #2

Game: Detroit Pistons at Dallas Mavericks (-11.5)

Detroit will get blown out of the building and I think the fourth quarter will be garbage time for the most part. The Pistons have lost their last four games and will certainly not break this losing streak on the road in Dallas. The Pistons have lost eight of their last 10 games and are simply an atrocious NBA team this season. The Pistons did just get Jerami Grant but he has scored a mere 10 points in each of his last two games. Detroit's young players like Sadiq Bey and Kylian Hayes have for the most part been disappointing. While Cade Cunningham and some bench players like Frank Jackson are the few players on the roster who have played efficient basketball this season, Detroit’s season has been bleak. Not to mention, Cunningham is questionable to play tonight after missing the previous three contests with a hip injury.

The Pistons will be overwhelmed by Luka Doncic on the road. Kristaps Porzingis will not be available for tonight’s contest, but Reggie Bullock has stepped in a big way for Dallas since Tim Hardaway Jr. went down. Bullock scored in double figures in each of his last six games and surpassed 20 points in four contests over that span. The Mavs have won four of their last six games. One of those losses was a thriller against OKC that went into overtime. In other words, Dallas had one real loss in this stretch of games in which Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney Smith have seen increased minutes to make up for Tim Hardaway Jr. in the rotation. That’s pretty good all things considered. The Pistons aren't playing inspired basketball these days and are just 12-15 as road underdogs against the spread.

The Pick: Dallas Mavericks -11.5 points (-110)

Bet #3

Game: Minnesota Timberwolves at Sacramento Kings (+6.5)

Of the games Sacramento will win this season to ameliorate their losing record, tonight’s matchup against the T-Wolves could help the Kings tally another win. De’Aaron Fox is a game-time decision although he was listed as a full-time participant in Monday’s practice. Especially if Fox is activated for tonight’s contest, I think the Kings have a good chance of defending their home floor. While they did lose Terence Davis for the season last week, Davion Mitchell is playing fantastic offensive basketball re-capturing the spark with which he played at Baylor. Especially since Davis was ruled out for the remainder of the season, Mitchell has been on a tear. He’s scored at least 15 points in each of the last six games. Minnesota currently holds the seventh seed in the Western Conference with a solid 28-25 record. And even though they are the favorites, the Kings will shoot the ball well and defend the homecourt against a beatable but strong Minnesota squad.

The Pick: Sacramento Kings ML (+146)

Bet #4

Game: New York Knicks at Denver Nuggets (Over / Under: 219)

This will be a high-scoring contest, in which the Knicks will probably lose but still try hard, and put together a tease of a comeback in the fourth quarter that is then wasted. The Knicks are one of the highest-scoring teams in the league, while Denver isn’t. One of the main reasons why the Knicks have struggled as of late has been Julius Randle’s lackluster production. However, Denver will be at home and have an opportunity to score big against a Knicks defense that has largely regressed since last season. The Knicks will almost certainly lose, but I think we see a lot of shooting from both teams tonight to combine for over 219 points.

The Pick: Over 219 Points (-110)

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Same Game Parlay of the Night

Game: Orlando Magic at Portland Trail Blazers (-1.5)

The Portland Trail Blazers have just traded C.J. McCollum to New Orleans in exchange for several young members of the New Orleans Pelicans and draft picks. The production of individual players on Portland’s roster tonight will certainly be affected by this blockbuster trade. As a result, here are a few selections for a Same Game Parlay that are even more likely to happen now that McCollum has been acquired by New Orleans.

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Leg #1: Cole Anthony, Over 17.5 Points (-106)

With McCollum out tonight and Cole Anthony active, Anthony should have a much easier time scoring at least 18 points. He is coming off of a nine-point game (3-10 FG) Sunday night but is averaging 17.7 PPG this season. I think Orlando has a chance to win this game tonight, but even if that isn’t the case, Anthony should have a big bounce-back game made easier with McCollum no longer an option to guard the electric young point guard. This, and the distractions off the floor for the Blazers over the last 24 hours should work in Anthony’s favor to have a bounce-back performance.

Leg #2: Anfernee Simons, Over 23.5 Points (-106)

Without McCollum, Anfernee Simons will play closer to 40 minutes tonight than 35 and will need to have a big scoring game. He’s already been very impressive this season, especially when McCollum and Damian Lillard have been out. He’s scored 19 points in each of his last three games, and those were contests in which McCollum was playing. His scoring should see a dramatic increase in production after the departure of the team's premier sharpshooter, particularly since Lillard is still sidelined. Simons is now the top offensive weapon in Portland by default. The entire Portland roster should see more opportunities, but Simons is the star of the show for the Trail Blazers until Lillard returns.

Leg #3: Anfernee Simons, Over 2.5 Rebounds (+124)

Purely based on his athleticism and the fact that he will likely play more than 35 minutes, Simons should easily grab at least three rebounds tonight. He’s averaging 2.7 rebounds per game but has produced at least three in the majority of his previous 10 outings. I like Anfernee Simons tonight across the board and think he will certainly haul in at least three rebounds tonight against the Magic.

Leg #4: Wendell Carter Jr., Over 2.5 Assists (-106)

Although he is a true power forward, Carter Jr. actually produces a fair amount of assists. He’s averaging 2.6 assists per game and has produced two in each of the last two games. I took this prop (Carter Jr. Over 2.5 Assists) on Feb. 1 against the Bulls, and he hit it by producing six assists in the contests. The Magic are a team where anyone can have a big night scoring. The only way Orlando can win games is through playing strong team basketball and not isolation ball. This focus on ball movement is why Carter Jr. can and should get at least three assists in more than 30 minutes on the floor tonight.

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