In this article, we’ll provide you with our top NBA betting picks for Thursday night. These matchups include the Milwaukee Bucks at the Houston Rockets, whilst the LA Clippers visit the Golden State Warriors. It’s sure to be a great night of NBA action!
So let’s dive right in to study the odds, betting lines, teams, and players to give you our recommended betting picks to beat the New Jersey sportsbooks.
Milwaukee Bucks at Houston Rockets (-2) – O/U: 229.5
Thursday, October 24, 2019 – 8:10 p.m. EST
Betting Pick: Over 229.5
Two teams with very-high expectations get their season underway. The Houston Rockets added a major piece while the Milwaukee Bucks look to take the next step with a mostly-similar roster. This is a matchup of two of the top three scoring teams in the preseason. Because of that, our top betting pick is for the total to go over 229.5 points. Let’s dive into the numbers to see why that’s our line of thinking.
Betting Lines Analysis: Bucks at Rockets
Two teams with very-high expectations get their season underway. The Houston Rockets added a major piece while the Milwaukee Bucks look to take the next step with a mostly-similar roster. This is a matchup of two of the top three scoring teams in the preseason. Because of that, our top betting pick is for the total to go over 229.5 points. Let’s dive into the numbers to see why that’s our line of thinking.
This is one of the most well-rounded rosters in the NBA, so that’s good news for the total. Having talented players on the court at all times will keep the scoring coming.
Bucks Betting Form
The Bucks had the third-most points per game (121.2) during the preseason. Not to mention, this team didn’t lose a game either during the preseason. Giannis Antetokounmpo will once again make a run for the MVP award. Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez all return The Greek Freak move a step closer to that and the NBA Finals. In addition, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez, Kyle Korver and Dragan Bender were added to the roster in the offseason.
This is one of the most well-rounded rosters in the NBA, so that’s good news for the total. Having talented players on the court at all times will keep the scoring coming.
Rockets Betting Form
No other team averaged more points per game (125.7) in the preseason than the Rockets. And it makes sense, considering James Harden and new addition Russell Westbrook were leading the charge. Head coach Mike D’Antoni typically doesn’t hold back minutes from his regulars in the preseason, so we shouldn’t expect any type of lull from the Rockets.
The defense is something that could definitely be an issue as well. While the Rockets averaged a ton of points, they also gave up an average of 126.5 points per game over the last four preseason contests.
Betting Pick: Over 229.5
Just as we saw in Tuesday’s doubleheader of games, the pace was flying up and down the court. Look for that to be the case with this game as well. There is plenty of talent on the court in this matchup, and they’ll definitely want to show out on Opening Night.
Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors (-1.5) – O/U: 224
Thursday, October 24, 2019 – 10:40 p.m. EST
Betting Pick: Clippers (+1.5)
The Los Angeles Clippers got their season off to a great start with a 10-point win on Tuesday night. Now, they’ll face the Golden State Warriors in the inaugural regular-season game at Chase Center. In previous years, this may have been a better matchup. However, our top betting pick is for the Clippers to get the win and cover the spread on the road. Let’s dive into the facts and figures to make more sense of this.
Betting Lines: Clippers at Warriors
OK, when are the oddsmakers going to start showing the Clippers some love? It’s an absolute joke that they’re the underdog for the second straight game. It really feels like the oddsmakers have been lazy early on this season, and we’ll see them miss the mark on the Clippers for the second time in as many games.
Clippers Betting Form
The Clippers looked out of sorts at the beginning of their season opener. And then the rest of the game happened. After being held to two points for the first six minutes of the game, the Clippers stormed back and convincingly defeated the Lakers. Kawhi Leonard was fantastic, and the duo of Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell dominated on the second unit. Not only were those guys great, but they were key contributions from players like JaMychal Green, Landry Shamet and Maurice Harkless.
This is certainly one of, if not, the best rosters in the NBA. Just as we stated in Tuesday’s article, the Clippers have a lot more depth than their opponents, and that’ll be why they win this game handily.
Warriors Betting Form
When we think of the dominant Warriors, a lot of those memories aren’t there anymore. Klay Thompson is out for the season; Kevin Durant has moved on to Brooklyn and the bench has nowhere near as much depth as in the past. Now, the Warriors will be facing an incredibly deep Clippers team that we just saw give the Lakers trouble.
Stephen Curry will probably draw the wrath of Patrick Beverley all night. That should set up difficult offensive sets that put Draymond Green and new-addition D’Angelo Russell at the forefront. Honestly, that’s not a recipe for success. The Clippers have a lot more options on offense, and that’ll ultimately be the difference.
Betting Pick: Clippers (+1.5)
The Clippers just showed the world on Tuesday why they’ll be a formidable threat for the whole season. Not only do they boast the best all-around roster, but the Clippers also have the best player in the game — Kawhi. The Warriors need to figure out how their roster works, and it won’t be a quick fix; they’ll need a month or so to figure it out.
