After a few days off, we're back with our daily edition of best bets from around the NBA. There are 20 teams playing Friday night, which means there are a plethora of things on which to wager. Here are our best bets for the slate.
Nets @ Wizards (+6, O/U 242.5)
The Nets and Wizards are two of the NBA's worst defensive teams. Washington ranks dead last in defensive rating and plays with the league's second-fastest pace.
The game total has gone over in 58% of Washington's games and 56% of Brooklyn's contests. Both teams are well-rested and rarely show any interest in playing defense, meaning there won't be a shortage of scoring from either side.
Although it's a relatively high total, this game should go over.
Pick: Over 242.45
Kings team total: Over 125.5 points
The Kings struggled offensively the last two games, resulting in two losses. Sacramento's Friday night bout against the Hawks is the perfect opportunity to get back on track.
Atlanta has the NBA's third-worst scoring defense, surrendering 122.8 points per game to opponents. The Kings, meanwhile, have a top-10 scoring offense.
It's worth noting the Hawks are an abysmal 7-23 against the spread this season, the league's worst mark. While Atlanta is a slight 1-point favorite, it could be worth fading the team. However, the Kings' team total is the safer bet against a porous defense.
Odds: -120 (playable to -130)
Keegan Murray: Over 2.5 threes
Keegan Murray is drilling 36% of his 3-point attempts, which is actually worse than his 41% mark from last season. He's a sharp-shooter and fluid scorer, but he's had some inconsistent performances this campaign.
Murray has, however, made at least three threes in five of the last six games. The Kings should push the pace against a weak Atlanta defense.
The Hawks have the NBA's worst opponent effective field goal percentage, meaning they allow opponents to make shots at a higher rate than anyone else. In what's expected to be a high-scoring affair, Murray should be in for a huge night.
Odds: -115 (playable to -130)
Paolo Banchero: Over 4.5 assists
Paolo Banchero's averaging 4.6 assists per game. His passing development from last season to this one has been impressive. He's averaging almost a full assist more than last year.
The Magic host the Knicks on Friday night. The Knicks' defense has typically ranked toward the top of the league under Tom Thibodeau, but that's not the case this season. New York has a below-average defense and has been even worse over the last few weeks without center and rim protector Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks have the league's seventh-worst defense over the last eight games.
This is a good matchup for Banchero, who should take advantage of the holes in the Knicks' defense while getting his teammates involved.
Odds: -120 (playable to -130)
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage.
