3 NBA Best Bets and Predictions for Wednesday 11/13/24

The 82-game NBA regular season offers us a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, moneylines, and totals. The Association features 1,230 regular season games, which can make sifting through the odds an overwhelming task.

However, various advanced statistics can help narrow the choices. numberFire's NBA power rankings and daily NBA projections paired with advanced stats from the NBA can help give the inside track to quality bets.

While utilizing some of the mentioned tools, which NBA odds from FanDuel Sportsbook look like the best bets today?

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Today's Best NBA Betting Picks

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets

Celtics -8.5 (-112)

Last night, the Boston Celtics (9-3) dropped a game they had no business losing, so expect them to get the best of the Brooklyn Nets (5-6) tonight.

A season ago, the C's went 14-4 following a loss. They won those 14 games by an average of 17.1 points. It's typical for this team to respond after a bad game, and last night's horrible 20-turnover outing needs to be made up for tonight. Boston's injury report has yet to be released, but I think we're getting a nice deal on this spread should Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and company suit up in this back-to-back.

The Celtics come in with a +9.8 net rating (4th) while the Nets struggle with a -0.5 net rating (15th). Brooklyn has actually exceeded expectations thus far, but an 18th-ranked defense might not hold up against Boston. The Celtics are shooting 10.4 more three-point attempts (3PA) per game than the Nets, so it should be difficult for Brooklyn to make up for the deficit from behind the arc.

When these teams met up last week, the Celtics prevailed with a 108-104 overtime win. That was a close, competitive game, but Jaylen Brown and Luke Kornet were both sidelined for Boston. Brown and Kornet have since returned to action and are expected to play tonight. On top of that, the Celtics went an appalling 14-for-53 (26.4%) from downtown, good for the second-most missed threes in franchise history. The one encouraging takeaway from this game? Brooklyn's defense let the Celtics fire off a whopping 53 threes. So long as the Celtics have an average night from long range, it'll be hard for the Nets to make up for the shot volume deficit.

Detroit Pistons at Milwaukee Bucks

Over 215.5 (-108)

This Detroit Pistons-Milwaukee Bucks showdown has the second-lowest over/under on today's slate, though I'm not so convinced it is deserving of this title.

Milwaukee is playing at the 13th-fastest pace while Detroit ranks 24th in pace. Those aren't bad tempo numbers in comparison to the 215.5 total. Neither team is particularly nails on defense, either. The Bucks (17th) and Pistons (14th) both come in with forgettable defensive ratings, and neither team ranks in the top 10 of fewest points allowed per game. To add, the Bucks are generating the 13th-most three-point makes and surrender a massive 39.5 3PA per game (sixth-most in the NBA).

Detroit's games are averaging 219.0 points. In contests where they played a team that fared in the top 20 of pace (Milwaukee ranks 13th), the games averaged 223.5 points and all but one of those six games exceeded 215.5 points. Milwaukee's games are netting 222.5 points and 9 out of their 11 games have eclipsed 215.5 points.

Damian Lillard missed last night's game due to concussion protocol, but there's a possibility he could be cleared for tonight. Dame's absence would hurt the scoring environment, but I'd still be willing to bet the over at this number even if he is ruled out. Milwaukee's pace of play and soft defense, especially from behind the arc, should sway this game to the over.

Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers

76ers +9.5 (-108)

The Cleveland Cavaliers (12-0) have been perfect this season. They tout the second-best net rating (+11.4) in basketball and lead the league in offensive rating. The Philadelphia 76ers (2-8), meanwhile, have been a mangled group of garbage.

With that said, it's a tall task to ask a team to cover a 9.5-point spread on the road and on the second leg of a back-to-back. Plus, Joel Embiid is finally back in the fold for Philadelphia and wants to play tonight despite stating that he'd spare himself from back-to-backs. If Embiid is cleared for tonight, I'll back the Sixers.

Paul George has had a hard time fighting the washed allegations and went a combined 4-for-25 from downtown in his first four games. We finally saw positive signs from George last night, as he went 10-for-19 from the field, 7-for-11 from downtown, and contributed three steals. George needed to see his shot fall and could carry that momentum into tonight's game.

Simply put, I have no idea what is going on with Embiid. He's been embroiled in drama and missed the first nine games of the season due to a curious case of injury management. Then last night, he disappointed in his season debut, going 2-for-11 from the field. Based on his comments following last night's loss, it seems he is hoping to put the early-season chaos to the wayside in the form of on-court contributions. At his best, he might just be the best player in the NBA. I'm willing to entertain the possibility that we see that player tonight. To add, Jarrett Allen is banged up for Cleveland, and his absence would lessen the impact of the Cavs' scary frontcourt.

Five of Cleveland's last six wins have been won by nine points or fewer. They've won just two of their road games by more than nine points, and those games were against meh competition -- the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards. If Embiid plays, I like the Sixers to cover a 9.5-point spread, especially since the 219.0 over/under implies we should be in for a slow game. I see some value in Philadelphia's +340 moneyline odds, too, so I might look for the Cavs to drop their first game of the year .

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.