NBA Predictions and Best Bets – February 9, 2021

The NBA is the focus of bettors now that the 2020 NFL season is over, and it’s only fitting that we’re back to solid daily schedules.

Seriously, the NBA offered a nice slate on Monday, and Tuesday presents another strong schedule with seven games to work with.

Let’s see who is playing today that could be worth betting on.

Houston is going to be interesting. They should have both John Wall and Eric Gordon back after resting them on Monday, and they’re one of four teams that are operating on the second leg of a back-to-back set.

That’s one thing to track for Tuesday, as some teams could opt to rest some guys.

This otherwise looks like a fun night of basketball, with most of these games projecting to be fairly competitive. The last one is especially interesting on paper, while two of the best teams in the NBA are in action.

Let’s see how you may want to bet in today’s NBA predictions and top betting picks.

The Nets are going to be a tough team to fully peg going into Tuesday, as they’ll likely still be without Kevin Durant.

Kyrie Irving seemingly never loves to play without KD, but he’s at least due back.

Steve Nash says Kyrie Irving's finger pain is "manageable" and he should be available to play tomorrow.

— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) February 8, 2021

Brooklyn doesn’t play any defense, but the return of Irving should be enough to get this high-powered offense past a bad Pistons squad.

Hammer the Nets and the Over here.

John Wall and Eric Gordon took a break on Monday, so expect them back for this clash with the Pelicans.

Houston could always sit another veteran like DeMarcus Cousins or Victor Oladipo, and bettors shouldn’t forget that Christian Wood is on the shelf.

I like the Rockets more long-term, but the B2B set isn’t ideal, and the Pels (won three straight) are in a nice groove at the moment.

Miami is also looking good these days, as the Heat have won two in a row and get a winnable home game versus the Knicks.

The Heat are getting healthier by the day, and while they’ve been off to a terribly slow start, I think they could gain some momentum here.

New York slows things down and can defend a bit, but their offense is like pulling teeth. They did just trade for Derrick Rose, though, so there’s that.

The Knicks are trading for Derrick Rose, per @wojespn.

New York has a new point guard ? pic.twitter.com/5OaQkIxxdb

— ESPN (@espn) February 7, 2021

Rose could suit up for this one, but I doubt his presence would change much. Miami should start “heating up” and get their third win in a row on Tuesday.

Golden State and San Antonio faced off last night, and bettors get a rematch of that game again on Tuesday. The Spurs are again at home, but they’ve been pretty erratic here all year.

Both teams are banged up down low, so this one is a total wash from a health perspective.

San Antonio has some veterans they could think about sitting with this being their second game in two days, and I don’t love betting against Stephen Curry.

I like the Dubs and the Over.

Nikola Vucevic will again be asked to do a ton of the heavy lifting on offense for Orlando on Tuesday, but at least he’s got an awesome matchup.

The Magic are ridiculously banged up and are turning into one of the worst teams in basketball, of course.

Portland is also ravaged by injuries, but Damian Lillard remains silly to bet against. This game has shootout written all over it, and it comes down to which star you trust more.

Give me Dame Dolla at the Moda Center, and bet the Over.

Don’t look now, but the Kings appear to be good. Sacramento has some impressive wins smashed into a slick four-game winning streak, and they’ll look for win number five in a row tonight.

Sac-town still aren’t in the Western Conference playoff picture, but a win here could change that.

The Kings are a fun story, and the Sixers traditionally aren’t quite as imposing on the road, but Joel Embiid has been a monster this year.

He wrecked the Nets in his last outing, too.

This is a very good matchup for Embiid, so I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t feast. Philly as a whole are looking good lately, winning 8 of their last 10. Sacramento’s hot streak comes to an end on Tuesday.

The last game of the night has the potential to be the best. Boston is headed in the wrong direction with a 4-6 record over their last 10 games, and they’re on the road against technically the best team in the NBA.

Am I really to believe that the 19-5 Jazz are the best team in the NBA? No, but they are on fire, winning four straight and 9 of their last 10.

They’re also elite at home (9-2) and own the league’s 3rd best defense.

All of this is scary, but Utah could be without top point guard Mike Conley for the second straight game.

You can use my NBA predictions above to place some bets, but the NBA picks listed here are my favorite wagers to target at mobile NBA betting apps.

Boston really stands out as 6-point dogs here. Yes, the Jazz are really tough (specifically at home), but they’re also potentially down their top point guard.

The Celtics have struggled, but they’re a solid 12-10 against the spread and 6-5 ATS as underdogs. They’ve had some tough losses lately, but they also just beat the Clippers.

I love Boston as a nice upset pick, but beating a 6-point spread is the best play.

That Magic vs. Blazers game should be lit. Portland is allowing over 116 points per game, and Nikola Vucevic is going to cook Enes Kanter down low. Expect a ton of points in this one.

Philly is a really solid bet at -215 to win. Normally you don’t want to go north of -190 for straight-up winners, but the 76ers aren’t often this cheap. Sacramento has played well, but their hot streak ends tonight.

Lastly, the Rockets are pretty good bets to keep it close in New Orleans. They’re without Victor Oladipo and Christian Wood, but John Wall and Eric Gordon are back. I like New Orleans to win, but not by six points.