The 2024-25 NBA season is underway. Make sure you check out the fantastic work of Jonathan Von Tobel, who will be writing NBA features for us twice per week this year. And try to listen to A Numbers Game every morning, as Kelley Bydlon often dishes out his favorite NBA picks. But I’ll be giving out NBA best bets and player props here as often as possible, and I’ll also occasionally write up features on big news that shakes up the league. So, make sure you check out my work throughout the season. With that out of the way, let’s get into some NBA best bets and NBA player props for Sunday, November 17th. Also, make sure you check out the picks page (linked right below) before games tip off. I occasionally add picks throughout the day.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on November 17th
NBA Best Bets Today – November 17th
Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls – 7:00 pm ET
While the Rockets are fifth in the league in net rating (+6.7), they’re a completely different team on the road. Their net rating drops to -0.5 when playing outside of Houston. And overall, the Rockets are just 17-29 straight-up and 19-26-1 against the spread when playing on the road under Ime Udoka. I’m just not sure this Rockets team can be trusted to comfortably win on the road against a solid team. And while it might take some time for people to see it, the Bulls are solid (and fun).
One thing to keep an eye on here is the 3-point battle, as this is where Chicago has a chance to stick it to Houston. The Rockets are making just 12.0 triples per game, and they’re shooting only 32.9% from 3 on their 36.5 attempts per game. But the Bulls let it fly from back there. They’re knocking down 15.6 triples per game, shooting 37.9% from 3 on 41.2 attempts per game. Chicago has a much more modern offense, and that math battle could make all the difference here.
Bet: Bulls +4.5 (-108 – 1.5 units) & Bulls ML (+160 – 0.5 units)
NBA Player Props Today – November 17th
Detroit Pistons at Washington Wizards – 6:00 pm ET
Alex Sarr is coming off his best game as a pro, as he had 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes of action. Sarr has now gone Over tonight’s PRA total in eight of the 11 games he has played this season, and he has another center-friendly matchup here. I just don’t see any reason Sarr can’t go Over this mark. If he shoots well, it’ll be pretty simple. If he doesn’t, he can still do it by having a solid rebounding performance, while pitching in a bit as a passer — and he’s underrated when it comes to dishing.
The only thing I’m really worried about is Sarr getting into foul trouble against Jalen Duren, as Detroit’s big man is massive and also happens to be relentless on the glass. But Sarr has been good about avoiding serious foul trouble this year. And even if he does get into foul trouble, there’s a reasonable chance he hits this in 25 or fewer minutes.
Bet: Sarr Over 16.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-120 – 1.5 units)
Atlanta Hawks at Portland Trail Blazers – 6:00 pm ET
Dyson Daniels has been on a tear recently. Not only has he scored at least 16 points in four consecutive games, but he has also recorded at least six steals in that span. Daniels has now had at least four “stocks” in each of his last five games. He has also done so in seven of the 11 games he has played this season. Daniels has always been an elite perimeter defender, and I mentioned him as one of the reasons I was high on the Hawks in our NBA betting guide. However, he has turned things up a notch in Atlanta, and I’m riding him at juiced odds to keep it going. The Portland team he’s facing is sloppy with the basketball, as evidenced by its 16.6% turnover rate. That’s the fourth-highest mark in basketball. And if players are sloppy around Daniels, he will end up with the basketball.
Bet: Daniels Over 3.5 Steals + Blocks (-160)
Added Plays
PARLAY: Pacers ML vs. Heat & Clippers ML vs. Jazz (-114 – 1.5 units): I’m going back to the Pacers moneyline against the Heat as part of a two-leg parlay. This didn’t end well last time, but that’s going to lead to public money on Miami. And the line hasn’t budged at all. So, it looks like sharp bettors are willing to trust Indiana to cover here. I’m just looking for them to win. The second leg of this calls for the Clippers to win at home against a Jazz team that is playing the second night of a back-to-back and a third game in four nights. I’d be floored if Los Angeles loses outright.
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2024-25 NBA Record: 57-48 (+10.84 units)
