Daniel Costanza takes a look at Thursday mornings NBA matches, selecting two best bets, including in the match involving the New York Knicks.
Basketball betting tips: NBA
2pts Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks) Over 24.5 Points and Assists combined at 5/6 (Paddy Power)
2pts Jakob Poeltl (San Antonio Spurs) Over 3.5 Assists at 7/5 (bet365)
Charlotte Hornets @ New York Knicks
- Tip-off time: 00:30 BST, Thursday
- Moneyline: Charlotte Hornets 11/4 @ New York Knicks 2/7
- Points Spread: Charlotte Hornets (+7.5) 10/11 @ New York Knicks (-7.5) 10/11
As with the theme of our first play, I will continue to go value hunting and believe I've found another play that not only makes sense logically but presents us again with value.
JALEN BRUNSON TO RECORD OVER 24.5 COMBINED POINTS AND ASSISTS vs the Hornets ticks both boxes for me in terms of logic and value.
Brunson commands control of the ball when in the game, which not only sees him lead his team in touches but sees him amongst the top 20 in the entire NBA when it comes to touches per game.
The Hornets are amongst the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to opponent points in the paint, which bodes well for Brunson who is 7th in the NBA in drives per game.
Whether taking the shot himself or creating for someone else, Brunson loves to attack the basket. I expect to see him continue that trend tonight against a Charlotte team that could struggle to contain him.
I expect Charlotte to look to continue their preferred fast pace of play, and if the Knicks oblige, we could see a very entertaining game up and down the court. More possessions lead to more chances on offense which should benefit Brunson directly based on his domination of possession within his own team's offense.
San Antonio Spurs @ Minnesota Timberwolves
- Tip-off time: 01:00 BST, Thursday
- Moneyline: San Antonio Spurs 3/1 @ Minnesota Timberwolves 1/4
- Points Spread: San Antonio Spurs (+8.5) Evens @ Minnesota Timberwolves (-8.5) 5/6
As we continue on through the start of the season, we have seen quite a few surprises, and teams performing at levels perhaps we wouldn't have thought.
One of those teams is the San Antonio Spurs, who after trading one of, if not their best player in DeJounte Murray during the summer, see themselves with an impressive 3-1 record. One familiar face that hasn't changed in San Antonio is head coach Greg Popovich, who continues his winning ways as the NBA's all-time most-winningest head coach.
The first play I'd like to look at for this evening is in the Spurs' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves again, who they just played Monday night. One of the Spurs keys to success so far has to be the fact they are passing the ball well.
San Antonio leads the league with 68.6% of their made baskets being assisted on, and at the other end of that spectrum, the Timberwolves are giving up 30 assists per game, which also tops the league.
These numbers held true to form Monday night as the Spurs had 37 assists with 77.1 assist percentage.
Ordinarily, you might not look at the big men when thinking of assists, but Jakob Poeltl passes the ball well for a big man, and is tied for the team lead in touches per game with 67.5. A very intriguing number when you factor in his team's success in terms of passing the ball thus far in the season.
Another interesting fact is that since 2020, in games where Poeltl has played at least 20+ minutes against the new Timberwolves centre, Rudy Gobert, Poeltl has had 4 or more assists in 5 of those 7 games.
I like the price on JAKOB POELTL tonight to get OVER 3.5 ASSISTS tonight, which is currently 7/5 with bet365.
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