NBA Picks, Parlays, Expert Predictions and Best Bets Against the Spread (2024)

Today's NBA expert picks, NBA best bets and parlays. All of our NBA predictions are against the spread. (ATS) Bookmark this page as it will be updated daily.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ... 682 | Next >>

Please note that the NBA picks above for tonight's games are not computer based picks. All of these articles are written by our talented staff. If you have any comments or suggestions please email service@docsports.com

NBA Picks

The NBA is considered by many to be the best league for sports betting. Yes, the NFL is king in terms of popularity and wagering volume per game but nothing beats NBA basketball over the course of a season. Why? There are many opportunities to make NBA picks every night. NBA lines move more often and are not as sharp as football lines which are under the microscope all week. NBA odds have a much shorter lifespan meaning there are greater opportunities to find value. That gives Doc's basketball handicappers exponentially more opportunities to offer daily free NBA picks and be even more selective when offering expert NBA picks.

Free NBA Picks and Expert Predictions

You can find Free NBA picks throughout the Doc's Sports network including this free NBA predictions page; on our Doc's NBA Experts page; and on the Youtube channels of our expert NBA handicappers. We now also have a very popular NBA video section that is updated daily with several videos during the NBA season. Check the video link on the top navigation. Those ready to take advantage of our Free $60 in member selections can click the button at the top of this page and start receiving free expert predictions.

Get your NBA Picks Today, and Everyday!

Doc's offers expert NBA picks today and every day of the NBA season! Sure, there are the days when the NBA card consists of only tanking teams competing for the right to draft the next Zion Williamson. These teams are bad and their competition for an audience is Seinfeld reruns or maybe getting an extra hour of sleep. At Doc's we don't see this as trash basketball, we see this as a huge opportunity to make money...on trash basketball. Each day during the basketball season is an opportunity to make valuable and profitable predictions

What are NBA Picks Against the Spread?

Most NBA bettors are going to make NBA picks against the spread. This is also known as NBA picks ATS. Sportsbooks give each NBA team a handicap of X amount of points. That means if books think the Lakers are 4 points better than the Celtics they will offer a line of Lakers -4. If a Doc's handicapper has reason to believe the Lakers are much more than 4 points better, his pick against the spread would be to take the Lakers -4. This is how all bets on the spread work unless bookmakers consider both teams to be evenly matched, in which case the line is a pick, AKA pick'em. At Doc's the majority of our NBA selections are against the spread. However, there can be outstanding value on betting NBA totals.

What are NBA Over/Under Picks?

The pace of the game, as well as which team dictates the pace, is a key factor when handicapping basketball games. When pace is an especially strong signal, it may dictate a pick on the over/under. An NBA over/under pick is another way of referring to a prediction on an NBA game point total. NBA total lines are usually well above 200 in today's NBA making them harder for the betting public to find value. For example, the 2004 Detroit Pistons team was very consistently within 5 points of the 90 they averaged. In today's NBA, greater scoring means greater variance. However, professional basketball handicappers can use this to their advantage as the sportsbooks also try to keep track of the higher scoring NBA totals. Doc's sports NBA total picks are some of the best in the business and our total prediction write-ups are insightful. Along with offering our NBA expert picks, we provide free selections that are intended to help bettors with their handicapping legwork.

What are NBA Parlay Picks?

Parlay picks are sucker bets they say! Never bet and NBA parlay they say! Bettors that speak in these absolutes clearly haven't learned how to find value betting basketball. Sure, the payout on parlays at most sportsbooks have gone down to the point where putting two of your picks together for the sake of winning more is not a good investment. But what if your parlay picks could be made on the same game? That is called a correlated NBA parlay. Many sportsbooks offer the ability to make NBA bets against the spread and total in the same game. So if you have a great read on a game and expect one team to quit and fall behind, you may decide to make an NBA parlay prediction. At Doc's our experts will offer a free parlay pick in rare cases. It is not common because we need to find value for our customers on both lines before they move. If our parlay prediction is indeed on the same game, we need to confirm there is value regardless of the fact that you can't line shop the odds on a parlay. Both bets in a parlay must be made at the same sportsbook. If there is a free selection on the total over of -14 and under 200 it was offered knowing that those lines can be found at most Las Vegas sportsbooks and online.

What are NBA Playoff Predictions?

Once the regular season is over the NBA tends to resemble the national football league in many ways. Bettors have much more time to make their NBA playoff picks as teams travel to each other's arenas and rest between series. Making successful NBA playoff predictions is as much about when you bet as it is who you bet on. A series might not start for days. That means an NBA spread may move quite a few points especially as the public bets closer to the action. If we see value in a playoff prediction it will rely heavily on getting the line we are quoting in said NBA pick. In the words of the great Tony George, "We are betting numbers, not teams!" That may not be more relevant than when making picks on the NBA playoff games.

What were Yesterdays Expert NBA Picks Results from our Handicappers?

For transparency in this spot we will list all of the previous days picks and analysis. This will be updated daily at around 5AM Eastern Time.

Saturday 18th of May 2024

Doc's Sports

Passing for today.

Robert Ferringo

7-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 208.5 Oklahoma City at Dallas (9:30 p.m., Saturday, May 18)

Yes, I can be stubborn. But this play isn't stubbornness. Game 5 was a fluke. And that came after a ridiculous Game 4. In Game 4: Miss. Oklahoma City shot 35-for-92 from the field (38%) and 7-for-27 from 3-point range (26%) while Dallas went 41%/34% and also shot 12-for-23 from the free throw line (52%). In all, nearly 230 shots went up in that game and only 106 of them went in. That came after a Game 3 where only 21 of 63 3-pointers found their home.

Then came Game 5, where the teams somehow got worse. Dallas shot fine, with 40 of 76 shots going down. But the Thunder, playing at home, went just 10-for-40 from 3-point range. That's ridiculous. Beyond that, after an average of nearly 45 combined free throws per game through the first four the two teams only shot 23 FTs last time out. That's just bizarre.

This is an elimination game. So if Dallas wants to close it out they are going to have to keep scoring because OKC is going to keep coming and keep firing away for the full 48. If the Thunder are going to win then they are going to have to put some points on the board. The last three games had 206, 196 and 196 points. The first two games had 212 and 229. I see things evening out with another higher-scoring game.

Carpe diem. Good luck.

Arun Shiva (Indian Cowboy)

4-Unit Play. #531. Take OklahomaCity Thunder +3.5 over Dallas Mavericks (Saturday @ 8:00pm est)

We roll with the OKC Thunder here as they look to avoid elimination and force a game 7. OKC got blown out by 12 points as a+4.5 dog in the last game and should play muchbetter tonight. OKC shot 42.5% from the field and a disappointing25% from the three-point line,a spot where they have averaged over 35% throughout the season. OKC also allowed Luka Doncic to put up 31 points,who is only averaging 23.8 points this series, so they shouldlockdown on defense and do everything they can to prevent Luka from putting up a big number again tonight.We expect Gilgeous-Alexander to step up big tonight, as he averages 31.4 points with four straight 30-point outings. Roll with OKC +3.5, who may win this game outright to bring the series back to Oklahoma City for a game 7.

Raphael Esparza (VSI)

NBA BASKETBALL

4 Unit Play. Take #531 Oklahoma City +4 over Dallas (8:00p.m., Saturday May 18 ESPN)

Tony George

NBA

5/18/24

4 Units

#532 Dallas (-3.5) over OK City *8 EST

All things considered, Dallas is the better team and I do not see them miss a chance to close out this series at home. They just won by 12 on the road and Irving managed just 12 points, and still a double digit win. The rotation and role players are stepping up for Dallas, especially their big guys, as they outrebounded OK City by 13 the last game.

Too much youth on the Thunder team no matter how talented they are, I will take Luka Doncic at home to win the series today with another huge performance out of him, and for Dallas to continue to play solid defense.

Vernon Croy

4-Unit Play - #532 Dallas -3.5-110 over Oklahoma City (Saturday, May 18, 2024, 8:00 pm ET)

Take Dallas ATS as my top NBA pick for Saturday night. This pick falls into one my top NBA systems and this is a Oklahoma City team that has allowed 113.3 points per game on the road this season. I expect Dallas to dominate the boards against Oklahoma City once again here tonight like they have done in this series especially last game I rebounding them by 13. Dallas also shot 52.6% as a team in their last game at Oklahoma City and this is a Dallas team that has averaged 117.2 points per game at home this season shooting 47.7% as a team. Dallas has also really stepped up in the playoffs holding opponents to just 102 points per game against them. Play Dallas ATS

Scott Spreitzer

7-Unit Play: Take 531-532 Under 209 Thunder-Mavs (8 p.m., Saturday, May 18)
The winning team in all but one game in this series has been able to clamp down on the defensive end and we’ve seen the losing team top 101 points just once. Dallas games are 19-6 to the Under the last 25 times when facing an opponent that averages at least 116 ppg. The Mavs won in OKC 104-92 on Wednesday as a 4.5-point underdog. They got it done with defense and when they get in that zone, so to speak, they normally carry over to the next game. The Mavs are 12-1 to the Under after winning outright as an underdog. OKC games are 7-2 to the Under this postseason and the losing team in nine games has averaged just 94.7 ppg. The Under has cashed in each of the last three games and the books keep lowering the total but not enough. I’m playing the Under between the Thunder & Mavs. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

Doug Upstone

5 Unit Play. Take #512 Dallas -3.5 over Oklahoma City (8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 18)

With their victory in Game 5, Dallas has an opportunity to close out OKC and advance to the West Finals. Since conceding 117 and 110 points in the first two battles, the Mavericks have only permitted 97.6 PPG to Oklahoma City. Dallas has contained the Thunder’s three-point shooting (27.8% vs 38.5 % season average) in the past three matchups and made them work in the halfcourt offense and only SGA is a reliable scoring option of late. With the emergence of P.J. Washington as a scorer if the Mavs just make their free throws as they did in Game 5 (10 of 13) compared to Game 4 (12 of 23), their veteran leadership should lead them to the victory. For good measure, Dallas is 11-2 ATS after allowing 100 points or less this season, winning by 7.0 PPG.

August Young

[NBA] [4-Unit] (531) Oklahoma City Thunder +4 -110 over Dallas Mavericks (8:00PM EST) This series has Game 7 written all over it. The Thunder have been elite off a loss with a record of 18-9 SU, which includes covering at a 56% clip as an underdog in such situations. In fact; OKC has thrived as dogs with a 55% ATS win rate on the season. They've proven they can win on the road so far in the playoffs with a 3-1 record both SU and ATS. We're banking on them taking this down to the wire.

Strike Point Sports

Passing for today.

Jason Sharpe

Passing for today.

Griffin Murphy

Passing for today.

Daily Free Picks Menu
Videos
Free NFL Picks
Free College Football Picks
Free NBA Picks
Free College Basketball Picks
Free MLB Picks
Free NHL Picks
Free KBO Picks
Free UFC Picks
Free Golf Picks
Free NASCAR Picks
Free WNBA Picks
Free Soccer Picks
Free CFL Picks
Free Tennis Picks
Free Email Picks
All Free Sports Picks