After a loaded Wednesday night in the association, we only have three games on Thursday night slate, which features a double-header on TNT. At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Toronto Raptors will play the Milwaukee Bucks and then the Brooklyn Nets will head to the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles at 10 p.m. ET.
DraftKings Sportsbook provided us with some betting splits and where the money is coming in for each game on the mini three-game slate. We’re going to break down the numbers and point out some interesting trends.
Spread analysis
The two West Coast teams in California are seeing the most action on Thursday night. The Lakers are 2.5-point favorites over the Nets. They are receiving 72% of the handle and 63% of the bets. The Lakers are coming off of a 112-104 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, where they also covered the 6.5 points.
Los Angeles is still without Anthony Davis, which could be a problem against a loaded Nets squad that will have both James Harden and Kyrie Irving. That being said, I could easily see Brooklyn covering the 2.5-point spread after they came back and defeated the Phoenix Suns without Irving.
As for the Kings, they are one-point underdog to the Miami Heat, who just played last night against the Golden State Warriors. Sacramento has not played since Monday night, where they lost 136-125 to the Nets. They are currently receiving 68% of the handle but only 29% of the bets.
This tells me that the public wants to back the Kings in the spot as the Heat just played an overtime contest on Wednesday. But the smart money right now is still hanging with Miami, who are receiving 71% of the bets.
Over/Under analysis
The over/under that intrigues me on three-game schedule is Nets vs. Lakers, which is set at 234.5 points. As of right now, 61% of the handle and 77% of the bets are leaning towards the over.
This should not come as a surprise because the Nets are scoring 121.7 points per game this season. They are giving up 117.9 points per game to opponents. Despite not having Anthony Davis, the Lakers should be able to score against this Nets’ defense as they put up 112 points on the T’Wolves.
Here’s something to keep in mind — the point total has gone over in five out of Los Angeles’ last six games. For Brooklyn, the point total in four out of Brooklyn’s last five games.
Moneyline analysis
Lastly, in regards to the moneyline for Thursday night, there’s a lot of action on the Heat and Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are receiving 70% of the handle and 73% of the bets, while the Heat is receiving 70% of the handle and 58% of the bets.
Milwaukee just lost to this same Raptors team 124-113 on Wednesday night. In that game, the Bucks received a tremendous performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who almost had a triple-double. But their lone 20-point scorer was Pat Connaughton off the bench, despite having seven players score 10 points or more. Meanwhile, the Raptors had all five starters score in double-figures, which included 33 points from Fred VanVleet and 23 points from Pascal Siakam.
NBA Betting Splits, Thursday, Feb. 18
| Teams | Point Spread | % Handle | % Bets | Total Points | % Handle | % Bets | Moneyline | % Handle | % Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | Point Spread | % Handle | % Bets | Total Points | % Handle | % Bets | Moneyline | % Handle | % Bets |
| TOR Raptors | 6 | 39% | 44% | Over 235.5 | 89% | 78% | +195 | 30% | 27% |
| MIL Bucks | -6 | 61% | 56% | Under 235.5 | 11% | 22% | -240 | 70% | 73% |
| BKN Nets | 2.5 | 28% | 37% | Over 234.5 | 61% | 77% | +114 | 45% | 51% |
| LA Lakers | -2.5 | 72% | 63% | Under 234.5 | 39% | 23% | -136 | 55% | 49% |
| MIA Heat | -1 | 32% | 71% | Over 225.5 | 83% | 73% | -114 | 70% | 58% |
| SAC Kings | 1 | 68% | 29% | Under 225.5 | 17% | 27% | -106 | 30% | 42% |
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