NBA Best Bets - Who Should I Bet on Today?
The ultimate resource to help you find the best bets each and every day in the NBA.
This page is divided into 3 simple sections.
The first section lists all of our premium member best bets for the day. This section lists all the games for all sports, including NBA. If you don't have a membership at Doc's Sports you can test out our premium best bets risk free with a complimentary free $60 account here.
The second section lists one or two of our complimentary NBA matchup reports. We write these daily for every single NBA game. These articles are more for the do-it-yourself types that want to really dig in and also have the time do the extensive research required each day.
The third section ties into the second section where our experts give advice on what to do with the information and how to spot a best bet in NBA.
NBA Best Bets Tonight [Updated daily]
TODAY'S TOP COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYS
NICK MENKEN is now on a 44-24 (64%), +9,610 college basketball run over the last two months, including an 8-Unit GOTY winner Saturday with Kansas. Menken has banked +6,320 with his plays rated 5.0+ and has a 7-Unit College Basketball Play (9:30 p.m.) Tuesday as part of a two-pack of picks. Sign up below and look for the cash!
TODAY'S TOP NHL PLAYS
RAPHAEL ESPARZA has hit back-to-back hockey picks and has gone 5-3 on his last eight hockey plays rated 5.0+. Esparza has a 7-Unit NHL Play (10 p.m.) Tuesday and is looking for another top play score. Sign up below.
DOC’S SPORTS NHL is profitable on the season (+5,635), and they are on a 12-4 run and 6-1 in their last seven, including an 8-Unit Game of the Year win Friday. They are back Tuesday with another top play prediction. This is a 7-Unit Totals prediction (10:30 p.m. EST). Sign up below for Doc’s Tuesday top hockey prediction.
TODAY'S TOP DAILY PROP PLAYS
(Find Daily Props On Left Side of GRID)
Existing members log in to buy now or if you are new set up a free account.
Complimentary NBA games today [Updated daily]
Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors Prediction, 3/12/2025 Preview and Pick
by Parlay's Pundit - 3/11/2025
The Philadelphia 76ers are scheduled to go head to head with the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Philadelphia enters this one with a record of 22-42 for the season. Toronto has a mark of 22-43 so far this season. We have included an expert pick and parlay for todays game against the spread. Read More >>
Chicago Bulls vs Orlando Magic Prediction, 3/12/2025 Preview and Pick
by Tony Sink - 3/11/2025
The Chicago Bulls are scheduled to take on the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Chicago heads into this game with a win-loss mark of 27-38 on the campaign. Orlando has a win-loss mark of 30-36 on the year. This matchup report includes odds, betting trends and a free pick against the spread. Read More >>
What Makes a Best Bet in NBA?
Here you will find a list of tips from our NBA experts that will help you understand what makes up a NBA best bet and what you should be looking for in order to spot one on your own.
DOC'S SPORTS – At Doc's Sports we consider the NBA Playoffs our specialty, and in the NBA Finals we have had some incredible results. For any playoff series, we envision how we think the entire series will play out from game to game and then when the oddsmakers' lines differ from our vision then we attack with a large play. The bookies set their lines with the general betting public in mind, and we find there are often weak lines in the NBA Finals since more dumb money is in the mix compared to a regular-season game. Sometimes a playoff series deviates from what we expect, and at that point it is time to look again at the series as a whole and recalibrate your prediction for the series. It's a lot of work, but the results speak for themselves.
ROBERT FERRINGO – I always say: gambling isn't magic, it's mathematics. And if you look close enough and follow the numbers close enough, the best bet situations will always present themselves. There are always motivational and situational factors to consider, particularly involving scheduling. But what takes a play from good to great is when you catch a team just begging for a statistical regression because of either exceptionally poor or exceptional outstanding shooting. Align that regression with other factors, and, voila, you have a big bet.
ARUN SHIVA – One of the main things I look for are teams that recently faced each other and the line the second time they face each other. See, most people think just because a game ended a certain way, it is going to be exactly that way or similar the next time around, and that is not the case. Though we are big on revenge, sometimes there is an indirect revenge. Hence, when you are watching the NBA this year, look for teams that play each other again within a short span of time. A lot of times it will have the opposite pace that it had in the first contest.
RAPHAEL ESPARZA – Betting the NBA in recent years has been weird because of the big swing in conference dominance. The public will always bet the top 3-5 teams, but getting value on the not so entertaining teams is where you can get some value. With rules changing this year, some of my stats and trends are out the window. But, again, handicapping NBA non-elite teams this year could be what makes another profitable year and even bigger for my best bets. Also look for tons of NBA teams playing at a higher pace because of how their rosters are set up, and we could see tons of points scored this year in the NBA. I am a guy that loves betting totals, so this could be a huge NBA season.
STRIKE POINT SPORTS – In the NBA, bettors are constantly looking for an edge. It isn't the easiest sport due to players resting and the dreaded back-to-backs, or even worse, back-to-back-to-backs. Players are asked to play a lot of minutes each night, so teams decide to rest players and don't make it public until after gamblers have already done their research on the lines. Fear not, my friends, as there are some opportunities to take advantage of during the dog days of the NBA schedule. One such opportunity is when a team's best player doesn't play. This DNP could be due to an injury or because of rest. Many times, oddsmakers will adjust a line in order to sway the public in this situation. It is important to not always just fade the team that isn't with their best player. In this spot, the "short-handed" team has value as players that aren't often given a shot to make a statement do so. A team's best player controls the basketball, and a lot of times they take possessions away from other capable players. An NBA player gets time because he is good enough to make a difference. We used to love taking the Lakers when Kobe didn't play. Now, don't get us wrong, Kobe is an all-time great. But when he didn't play, his teammates did their best to shine. They didn't always win, but they were always scrappy and would have plenty of value.
GRIFFIN MURPHY – In the NBA because there are so many games, there is a simple rule to follow when it comes to best bets. Always follow a trending team. It can get very easy to get lost emotionally following a team that is consistently losing, and meanwhile you're chasing that team's win. The best way to reset a losing trend is by waiting for an off day. When a team is on a losing streak, lay off them until they catch a rest day. Meanwhile, ride the win streaks until a loss, then immediately hop onto the next uptrending team.
JASON SHARPE – For me, an NBA best bet usually involves finding a team that's going through some recent lineup changes due to injuries, trades or any other reason. For instance, if a player that is a starter gets hurt for a team, and he's more of an offensive type of player ,and he is replaced by more of a 'defensive-first' type player, then I will tend to look towards betting an 'under' on this team, especially if a few other things come into play. And if more than one new player enters into the rotation, that usually means I'm looking to strongly back something. The bottom line is the NBA betting market, like most professional sports leagues, is controlled by what I call 'the computer algorithm handicappers'. These guys will usually key in all the information on EACH team into their computers so each team has a game pace rating, a final score and offensive/defensive rating per possession, to name a few stats that they all look at. My thinking is that these past stats for each team were accomplished when certain player(s) were on the floor, and now if that team has a few different changes to who's representing them, then we should expect some much different type results. The best time of the season to take advantage of these 'best bets' is usually at the beginning of the season involving a team that is using a few new players from the previous season, and then again around the NBA trade deadline. Teams will quickly change the way they look and play when they have a different cast of characters on the floor. It's during this time of the season that you will see a lot of change, and change is what we are looking for to get us one step ahead of the computer guys.
VERNON CROY – When it comes to making a big play in the NBA, I look for motivation by a certain team, and I also look for situational trends. How tired is the team I'm going against; did they just play three games in four nights, or are they coming off a close loss against a division rival? Is the team I'm taking playing with extra rest and what is their motivation level for this game? As we have all seen, teams take nights off in the NBA. I also look at the injury reports and study stats from when these teams have played in the past. Normally, when there is a key player injured, the books over adjust the lines, leaving lots of value for taking the team with the injury, as they will pick up their game to make up for the loss of their star player. Is there a revenge factor, or does a certain team play another team harder than others, or is this a letdown spot? These are just some of the several factors that go into making a big play in the NBA for me, and I'm still adjusting my systems and analytics to be the best I can possibly be to give my clients a significant edge over the books.
TONY GEORGE – An NBA handicapping tip I use involves scheduling, and, more specifically, East and West Coast road swings. I like to fade teams, especially good teams towards the end of a long road trip, when they are laying points. As an example, say the Cavs are playing their fifth road game in six or seven days on the West Coast. And after playing the Suns, Lakers, Clippers and Jazz, now they have lowly Sacramento. When this scenario occurs, a good team will generally be laying six or more points to their weak opponent. I like to fade them and take the points. Road weary teams play little defense down the stretch and do what they have to do to just win a game, many times.
AUGUST YOUNG - When it comes to the NBA, we are talking about a very efficient market. Usually most of the value will be found on totals and not sides. However, one thing that is extremely important is to pay attention to is what players and coaches are saying. For example, there will be situations where a good offensive team may be struggling and out of their usual groove while the majority of their games have been going under the posted total. If a respectable head coach then discusses legitimate ways that will be fixed and what he intends to do as they move forward, that can present opportunities in the market to take the over. Obviously, a variety of other factors come into play, and this is not a fix-all winning scheme, but it does play a big part. You need to look beneath the surface for value.
NICK MENKEN - One should take numerous elements into account before wagers on an NBA team. First, especially for important players, look for injuries and player availability since their absence would greatly impact the performance of a team. Examine the team's most recent performance including individual player dynamics and a winning/loss run. Analyze the teams' match, paying particular attention to if there are any mismatches and how their playing styles fit one another. Weighing these elements will help you make better betting judgments.
Get NBA Picks for free for every single game or get our very best premium member only guaranteed NBA picks with your free $60 account set up.
Daily Free Picks Menu
Free NFL Picks
Free College Football Picks
Free NBA Picks
Free College Basketball Picks
Free MLB Picks
Free NHL Picks
Free KBO Picks
Free UFC Picks
Free Golf Picks
Free NASCAR Picks
Free WNBA Picks
Free Soccer Picks
Free CFL Picks
Free Tennis Picks
Free Email Picks
All Free Sports Picks
Daily Best Bets Menu
Best Bets Today
NFL Best Bets
College Football Best Bets
NBA Best Bets
College Basketball Best Bets
MLB Best Bets
NHL Best Bets