NBA In-Season Tournament Best Bets for Black Friday, November 24

NBA In-Season Tournament Best Bets – Black Friday features a number of great NBA matchups including the Pelicans and Clippers and the Kings and Timberwolves

Thanksgiving has come to an end and Black Friday shopping is running wild.  The NBA has given us a full slate of In-Season Tournament matchups to keep us entertained as others shop, and with plenty on the line as the tournament group stage is getting closer to the end.  Friday’s slate includes pivotal matchups in the Western Conference Group Stages between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Clippers, as well as the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves.  Let’s breakdown where the value is and where you should be shopping on your sportsbook to build up that Black Friday shopping budget.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Clippers – Betting Analysis

Pelicans +5 

Total:  226.5

The Western Conference has had some surprises so far this season, with the Timberwolves, Thunder, and Mavericks making up three of the top four teams in the standings.  New Orleans and Los Angeles look to right the ship and begin their climb into the playoff picture a month into the season, as the Pelicans sit in ninth place at 8-7, and the Clippers sit right below them at 6-7.  This In-Season Tournament matchup provides an opportunity for both rosters to dig deep and see if their roster depth or star power outweighs the other.  The Pelicans sit at the top of the table in the Western Conference Group B, with a win taking them to 3-1 and locking up the top spot in their group after defeating the Nuggets earlier in the tournament.

Both of these teams have had some slow starts to their games this season, with the Clippers most notably being a low-scoring first-quarter team.  Los Angeles ranks 26th in the league in first-quarter points per game putting up 26.2 a contest, compared to the 29.1 of the Pelicans which ranks in the top third of the league.  However, the have Pelicans often fallen flat in the opening quarter on the road this year, only averaging 24.2 points per game ranking them 25th in the NBA.  On top of this, the Clippers rank first in the NBA in opponent points per game allowed in the first quarter, only allowing 23.0 points per game.

The Clippers are ranked second in the league in defensive efficiency at home this season, only behind the Timberwolves and ahead of the Rockets and Magic who have been very solid defensive units this season.  New Orleans also ranks in the Top 10 for defensive efficiency on the road this season, and pair it with very underwhelming offensive support away from home as they rank in the bottom 5 of the NBA in road offensive efficiency.  With the Clippers holding a bottom-10 offensive efficiency at home, I absolutely love some of the angles we can get on the totals in this In-Season Tournament matchup.

New Orleans will need to be locked in to get the win in Los Angeles where the Clippers have been very solid this season.  With how good the Clippers have been at home, paired with slow scoring on both sides in their current scenario of who is home and who is away, I will be locking in under 55 in the first quarter for this one for a full unit.  The Pelicans will be one of the best opponents that Los Angeles has played at home this season, as the Clippers have hosted the Blazers, Spurs, Magic, Grizzlies, and Rockets to build their 4-1 home record.  With that being said, I also like the under for the full game for half a unit, as well as the Pelicans, pulling off the upset over the Clippers at +170 for half a unit as well.

The Plays:

• Pelicans / Clippers 1Q Under 55 (-110) – 1 Unit
• Pelicans / Clippers Under 226.5 (-110) – 0.5 Unit
• Pelicans Moneyline (+170) – 0.5 Unit

Sacramento Kings vs Minnesota Timberwolves Best Bets for Black Friday

Timberwolves -4

Total:  229.5

The top team in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves, take on a Sacramento Kings side that is not off to as hot of a start as last season but is still only three games back of the Wolves at 8-6.  The Timberwolves have prided themselves on their stellar defense to start this season, ranking first in the NBA in defensive efficiency, opponent eFG%, and opponent shooting percentage.  Sacramento has fallen back a tad on their scoring, and I think that this slip-up compared to last season’s electric offense will ultimately mean that the spread in this game is a bit too short in favor of the Timberwolves.

The Wolves match up nicely against Sacramento, as Minnesota is a Top 5 defense defending beyond the arc whereas the Kings continue to make or break their game.  The Kings are Top 5 in the league with nearly 15 threes made a game, while the Wolves are only allowing close to 11 by their opponents.  This will likely bring down Sacramento’s 3PT% even further, as their 34.4% behind the arc ranks a lowly 25th in the NBA and will likely not cut it against the Wolves.

Minnesota is a perfect 7-0 at home and has covered the spread defending their home court in all seven contests.  The Wolves should have no trouble crashing the boards against the Kings in a matchup that favors Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns heavily over Domantas Sabonis, and I believe that their efficient scoring will sink the Kings in a critical NBA In-Season Tournament matchup.  Both teams are 2-0 in the Western Conference Group C, with a win clinching the top spot in the group.  I’ll take the home side here in a matchup that favors the Wolves and on a home court that they should remain unbeaten on.

The Play:  Timberwolves -4 (-110) – 1 Unit

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THIS IS AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ANDY CHASE