Free Bets: 4 NBA Favorites For Friday
Free NBA Bets
The first half of the NBA regular season is quickly coming to a close, but not before a few more games across the league. Friday offers a nice nine-game slate, so there are plenty of options for both watching and betting.
For Friday's action, there are four teams in particular to consider betting, all of them favorites in their matchups. Whether you want to bet them individually or as a part of a four-leg parlay, here are the four favorites to bet Friday night in the NBA.
Quick Links
Raptors over Rockets
The Raptors are just 16-17, falling below .500 again after dropping their last two contests. But the Rockets are in an absolute free-fall, so taking the Raptors at home is play number one.
Before their recent back-to-back losses, Toronto seemed to figure some things out. They defeated the Bucks not once but twice in Milwaukee while also beating the one-seed 76ers at home. Considering at one point this season they were 2-8, going 14-9 after that shows that Toronto is still largely a contender like they've been the last couple of seasons.
The Raps are 11th in offensive rating and 13th in defensive rating, while they also drain the third-most threes per game and rank inside the top-10 for fewest turnovers. In fact, based on their points scored versus points allowed, their expected wins and losses is 19-14, meaning they've been much better than their record indicates.
Meanwhile, the Rockets have dealt with disappointments all around. The team actually showed some signs of life a little after trading James Harden, at one point bringing their record to 11-10. But since then, all they've done is lose nine games in a row, release center DeMarcus Cousins, and watch leading scorer Christian Wood sit out with an injury.
With Houston missing their bigs, look for Pascal Siakam to eat for the raptors. Siakam is leading the team with 20.1 points to go with a team-high 7.5 rebounds. Toronto also has a pair of dynamic guards to challenge the Rockets, as Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry are averaging a combined 38 points between the two of them. Expect all three of them to perform and for the Raptors to take this one.
Betting Tip: Currently our NBA Odds Comparison page shows there isn't an edge right now with where to bet, maybe bookmark it and see how the lines move.
Jazz over Heat
There's no team in the NBA hotter than the Utah Jazz. With winners of 22 out of their last 24, Utah now heads to South Beach, where they should get yet another victory against a Heat team who should be good but not good enough.
Utah isn't just a team that's hot; they're also by far one of the best teams in basketball. Fresh off of a 25-point victory against the defending champion Lakers, the Jazz are third in offensive rating and second in defensive rating. They've been hitting a barrage of three-pointers, more than any team in the league, which includes a whopping 50 threes in the last two games alone. They're also allowing the fewest made threes on the defensive end in the entire league, less than 11 per game.
The challenge for Miami will be stopping everybody the Jazz throw out there. It's one thing to contain Donovan Mitchell, who leads the team with over 24 points per game. But there's also Rudy Gobert, the seven-footer who's a walking double-double and a defensive wall. There are veterans like Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic who get 15+ a night as well, not to mention bench scorers like Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles, who are consistent point-producers and, in the case of Ingles especially, excellent shooters.
The good news for the Heat is that they're healthier than they were earlier this season. Jimmy Butler is back, as is Goran Dragic, and Bam Adebayo has been playing well. But despite winning their last four, they are not going to be able to hold off Utah on either end, giving the Jazz yet another victory during their impressive run.
Suns over Bulls
For the first time in a while, Bulls fans are excited about the direction of the team, as they currently sit in the sixth seed out East. However, the Suns are coming to town and leaving with a win.
In the month of February, Chicago has beaten the following teams: Knicks, Magic, Pelicans, Pacers, Pistons, Kings, Rockets, Timberwolves. Out of that group, Indiana is the only one not below .500, as they are sitting right at .500 with a 15-15 record. Meanwhile, the seven other teams the Bulls have beaten have a combined record of 81-140, with the Kings, Rockets, and T-Wolves just 30-64 by themselves. The point being, the Bulls have done well against the bad teams but still struggle against the playoff-worthy competition.
At 20-11, the Suns definitely fall into that mix of playoff-worthy. Phoenix plays at the league's second-slowest pace, but despite that, they sit sixth in field goal percentage and inside the top-10 in both threes made, turnovers, and offensive rating. The biggest surprise has been their turnaround on defense, where they are allowing the fourth-fewest points per game and the second-fewest threes.
For a Phoenix team that has won nine of their last 11 contests, All-Star Devin Booker has been huge. The sharpshooter is averaging 25 points on over 50 percent shooting from the field and enters the game with back-to-back 30-point efforts. In addition, the veteran Chris Paul is thriving in his first year in the Valley, averaging 16.7 to go with over 8.5 assists, while big man Deandre Ayton is a double-threat and a matchup nightmare for many.
The Bulls have been a good story, particularly Zach LaVine. LaVine is up to near-29 points per game and has recently named an All-Star for the first time in his career. However, not even LaVine can lead Chicago to the win in this one, so take the Suns on the road to handle business.
Warriors over Hornets
In one of the final games on the schedule, the Warriors will host the Hornets in a battle between two teams well-outperforming their preseason expectations. However, only one can win on Friday, so take the home team in Golden State to pull off the victory.
These teams played each other last weekend in Charlotte, so there will be plenty of familiarities. In that game, the Hornets shot 50 percent from three and managed to win 102-1000. However, Golden State was missing Steph Curry due to illness, as well as both bigs James Wiseman and Kevon Looney shot just 33.3 percent from beyond-the-arc and forced Charlotte into committing 25 turnovers. Although the Hornets were also without one of their guards Devonte' Graham, there is plenty of reason to think the Warriors can get their revenge.
Holding Charlotte to 102 and forcing those turnovers is a testament to Golden State's defense. The Warriors are giving up 112.5 points per game, just 20th in the NBA, but rank fourth in defensive rating in the entire NBA. There's also nothing fluky about their 18-15 record, as their expected win-loss record is also 18-15. Look for the Warriors to push the pace and create challenges for a young Charlotte team who still ranks in the bottom half of the league in both offensive and defensive rating.
Since dropping that game against the Hornets, the Warriors have won their last two games on the road. In addition, four of their last five losses, all of the road, have come within five points or less, so they're no stranger to playing in close games. Plus, Curry and his 30 points per game are expected to be back in the lineup on Friday. With him back, the team back at home, and the advantage of being a veteran team used to playing in closer contests, take the Warriors to round out your Friday night.
Derek Hudson
Derek is a long time sports bettor who grew up in Providence, RI. Derek is data driven and believes the key to betting the sportsbooks is finding an edge in analytics. Derek is happily married and has two young boys. Derek will bet on anything if you let him.
