This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
This article is part of our NBA Picks series.
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Best NBA Bets Today
Knicks vs. Magic: Knicks to cover -4 spread -110 @ bet365
The Knicks haven't been the best team against the spread this season, going 11-13-1 so far. However, they have a favorable matchup Sunday against the Magic, a team that will be missing their best two players, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, due to oblique injuries. The Knicks are in dire need of a bounce-back performance following their 108-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals on Wednesday, but they should have enough in them to surpass the challenge of the Magic. Orlando doesn't have a reliable offensive weapon without Banchero and Wagner around, and the Knicks should have enough in them to limit the Magic defensively.
The fact that the Magic will be shorthanded certainly favors the Knicks in this one, and New York should take advantage of their star duo as well. New York can ride the hot hand of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson to secure victory in this Eastern Conference battle. Towns is averaging 21.4 points, 16.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game in five appearances since the beginning of December, while Brunson is posting 21.0 points, 7.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game over six December contests. That kind of star power will be too much to overcome for a depleted Magic team.
Timberwolves vs. Spurs: Anthony Edwards to score over 24.5 total points -115 @ bet365
Few players in the NBA have been as consistent in the scoring column as Anthony Edwards this season. The star guard is having an even better season than the one he posted in 2023-24 when he reached career-high marks in several categories, and he's firmly entrenched as one of the league's superstars in 2024-25. Edwards experienced a two-game subpar stretch at the beginning of December against the Lakers and Clippers. Still, the star guard has bounced back with three straight 20-plus points performances while carrying the Timberwolves to a 2-1 record in that span.
Edwards has reached the 20-point mark in 22 of his 24 appearances this season, and he's surpassed the 24.5-point line on 14 different occasions, so Edwards should have a decent shot at reaching the 25-point mark again. The Spurs might be without Stephon Castle (shoulder) and won't have Keldon Johnson (calf), so it's unclear who Edwards' primary defender will be. Either way, the Spurs aren't known for their defense, and Edwards should take advantage of that. Edwards is averaging a career-high 26.3 points per game this season, and he also averages 21.3 points per game in 15 career appearances against San Antonio. Given how good he's been this season, Edwards should be a good bet to reach the 25-point plateau again.
Trail Blazers vs. Suns: Kevin Durant to recover over 29.5 total points + rebounds -115 @ bet365
Durant scored 30 points and grabbed three rebounds in Friday's 134-126 win over the Utah Jazz, an outing that marked his return from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury. The star forward is slightly past his prime, but there's no question he remains one of the best scorers in The Association, and he still has that knack to exploit defensive matchups that give him an advantage. Sunday's contest against the Trail Blazers represents one of those games. This is not only because the Trail Blazers are one of the worst teams in the league but also because he'll probably match up with Jerami Grant, who's not known for his defensive prowess.
Durant's line of recording at least 30 points and rebounds looks plausible on paper. The 17-year veteran has reached the 30-point mark in seven of his 14 appearances so far, and he's reached 30 points and boards in all but two of those contests. It seems the only way Durant might not achieve this mark is if the game becomes a blowout before the end of the first half. But when mixing Durant's scoring ability, the Blazers' defensive struggles (they give up 116.1 points per game, the eighth-worst mark in the NBA) and Durant's overall numbers in 2024-25, the star forward should be in line to deliver an impressive stat line Sunday.
