Welcome to the first edition of our NBA Best Bets here on Sports Tree. We've been successful so far on the NHL season with a 24-10 record, so we figured to try our luck on the hardwood.

This line stood out to me as the Kings have rattled off five straight wins, and they may get De’Aaron Fox (questionable) back in the lineup tonight against the defending champion Boston Celtics. To be clear, Boston is the better team and I expect them to pull this game out but I anticipate the Kings to keep it close. Boston is just 7-12 against the spread when favoured at home. On the other hand, the Kings are one of the best teams in the NBA as a road underdog, going 4-2 against the spread with an average scoring margin of +7.0 points in those matchups. On top of this, the Kings have really turned things around over their last five games, ranking No. 2 in the NBA in net rating in that stretch ironically behind only Boston. Lastly, the Kings have played the third-most clutch games in the NBA this season, which are defined as games that are within five points in the final five minutes. All this gives me confidence that the Kings can cover the +11.5 spread. Pick: Kings +11.5 (-110) - 1 unit

This matchup features two less than exciting teams and I don't trust either of them enough to play the spread here. This game does have a few props that caught my eye - Zach LaVine’s point line. LaVine is blazing hot right now, as he seems to be trying to get himself traded to a better team. Whatever the reasoning might be, LaVine has topped his 26.5 prop in four straight games, all at least 30-point performances (31.1 PPG over that stretch). One of those efforts came against the Wizards on New Year’s Day, where he dropped 32 points. On top of this, the Wizards are turnstiles on defence ranking last in the league allowing 121.9 PPG. I also think Carlton Carrington's assist line is worth a hard look as he is a great spot here. The Chicago Bulls are 29th in the league in opponent assists per game and play at one of the fastest paces in the NBA. Carrington, who has been getting more run lately, has picked up five or more dimes in six of his last seven games, including a six-assist showing in his last matchup with the Bulls but his line for this game is just 4.5 at plus money. Pick(s): LaVine over 26.5 points(-115)- 1.5 units/ Carrington Over 4.5 assists (+100) - 1 unit


Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New York Knicks

This should be a good game featuring two of the NBA’s heavyweights; they met just a week ago to the tune of a comeback 117-107 Thunder win. The Thunder have won six of their last seven, and eight of their last 10 overall meetings between the two teams. The Thunder are also 11-1 against the Eastern Conference this year with their first loss coming the other night against the red-hot Cavaliers. On the season, the Thunder have excelled on the road, going 13-4, and have lost back-to-back games only once this year back in early November. OKC leads the NBA with a 24-9-3 ATS record and ranks second in NBA scoring defence, allowing just 103 points per game, slightly behind Orlando for the top spot. The Knicks are allowing 110 points per game and were on a season-high three-game skid before beating the Raptors on Wednesday. While the Knicks are a worthy opponent having the third-best offence in basketball (119.2 points per 100 possessions), a superb defence is the best medicine for such an attack, so that's why Oklahoma City (103.4 points allowed per 100 possessions, first) has my backing here. Pick: Thunder-3.5 (-110) - 1 unit

***All odds are subject to change and are courtesy of PointsBet Canada. Sign up HERE using promo code "Sportstree"

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