NBA Daily Tip Sheet – Best Bets

Michael Crosson is back to provide his best bets, predictions and odds for NBA matchups on Wednesday, November 16th.

NBA Best Bets for Wednesday, November 16

  • Minnesota Timberwolves -5.5 (-110) @ ORL
  • LaMelo Ball (CHA) Over 5.5 Rebounds (-110)
  • Marcus Smart (BOS) Over 12.5 Points (-105)

Minnesota Timberwolves -5.5 at ORL

The Timberwolves cruised to the playoffs with a record of 46-36 last year, so the offseason acquisition of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was expected to propel this young up-and-coming Minnesota squad to new heights.

However, things haven’t gone as planned out of the gate, as the Wolves opened the season with a frustrating 6-8 skid. But to be fair, their schedule hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park, highlighted by Minnesota taking losses in tough matchups against the Bucks, Grizzlies, Suns (2) – and the league’s biggest surprise thus far, the 10-5 Jazz.

The Magic, on the other hand, are one of the worst teams in basketball, currently positioned 13th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 4-10. And their crowded injury report leads me to believe things aren’t getting better anytime soon, as Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, and Mo Wagner all carry health designations ahead of Wednesday’s affair, likely reducing the depth of a squad that was already very shallow.

I’ll back Minnesota to cover here, as this Timberwolves squad is much better than the handful of performances they’ve turned in to open the season, and visiting this banged up Orlando squad should be a breath of fresh air coming off a trio of tough matchups against the Suns, Grizzlies, and Cavs.

LaMelo Ball (CHA) Over 5.5 Rebounds

LaMelo Ball is still trying to settle into a rhythm at the offensive end after missing the Hornets’ first 13 games with an ankle injury, as Ball averaged just 16 PPG across his first two outings of the season, while shooting just 33% from the field and 21% from long range across those contests.

However, despite his shooting struggles, he still managed to stuff the stat sheet in other departments during those affairs, as Ball gathered 10 rebounds and dished out 15 assists across his first 61 minutes of the season, which appears to be trending towards the 6.7 rebounds and 7.6 assists that he averaged last year.

I’ll back LaMelo to have a solid night on the glass here, as his minute restriction appears to be gone after playing 33 minutes in a win over Orlando on Monday night, and I think we’ll see his volume numbers continue to rise in a matchup against a Pacers squad that’s currently playing at the third-fastest pace in the league (102.7 PACE).

Marcus Smart (BOS) Over 12.5 Points

Marcus Smart’s player props can be a bit of a Wild Card sometimes. However, he’s been pretty consistent as of late, considering Smart enters Wednesday’s matchup against the Hawks having scored 12+ PTS in six of his last eight games, with four of those performances ringing in at 15+ PTS.

Historically, he’s also played well against Atlanta, highlighted by Smart scoring 13+ PTS in five of his last seven outings against the Hawks (13.4 PPG, 10.3 FGA).

So, I’ll back Smart to have a solid night here after scoring 18+ PTS on 12+ FGA in back-to-back contests prior to Wednesday’s affair (20 PPG, 14.5 FGA).