The 2024-25 NBA season is underway. Make sure you check out the fantastic work of Jonathan Von Tobel, who will be writing NBA deep-dive 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 24th. 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 24th
NBA Best Bets Today – November 24th
Minnesota Timberwolves at Boston Celtics – 3:30 pm ET
The Timberwolves will be without Mike Conley in this game, but they should still be able to stay within the big number. Minnesota has had a rough start to the year, but this is still a top-10 team in adjusted defensive rating (110.9). And there really should be some positive regression coming soon. In fact, Dunks & Threes’ predictive team ratings have the Timberwolves as the sixth-best defensive team and the 11th-best offensive team. Guys just need to start performing like they normally do. That will come with more time together. But as things stand, this is a good defensive team with the length on the wing required to make things tough on Boston. This Minnesota team also has two tough shotmakers in Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and that’s huge against a team that forces opponents into difficult looks.
It also could be a plus that Conley will be out here. It will mean more minutes for Donte DiVincenzo, whose 3-point shooting and perimeter defense will be needed in this specific matchup.
I also have a hard time ignoring that the Timberwolves were 2-0 against the spread against the Celtics last year. Minnesota beat Boston in a home game on November 6th, and the team then lost by seven against the champions on January 10th. And while the Timberwolves might have been stronger last year, this is also a weaker Celtics group.
On top of all of that, Minnesota hasn’t played since Thursday. That’s two full days of rest and preparation. Under Chris Finch, the Timberwolves are 29-19 ATS when playing with two days of rest. They’re also 16-8 ATS when facing teams with winning percentages of 70.0% or higher.
Bet: Timberwolves +8.5 (-114 – 1.5 units)
Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat – 6:00 pm ET
The Mavericks were able to pick up a big road win over the Nuggets the other night, but this is a whole different challenge. Dallas had to fly from Denver to Miami and only had a day in between the games. However, Miami hasn’t played since facing Philadelphia on November 18th. This Heat team has had a lot of time to get healthy and focus on this one opponent. And with a coach like Erik Spoelstra, that’s extremely valuable. Miami is 58-26 straight-up when playing with three or more days of rest under Spoelstra.
The Heat are also getting the Mavericks without Luka Doncic. So, they really just need to be able to defend Kyrie Irving, while also keeping a close eye on some of Dallas’ spot-up shooters. What happened in the Mavericks win over the Nuggets probably isn’t going to happen again. In that game, Naji Marshall scored a career-high 26 points off the bench. Also, P.J Washington had 22 points and 13 rebounds. Irving finished with just 19 points on 7 for 19 shooting from the floor and 1 for 6 shooting from deep. With Doncic out, Dallas will need Irving to be the go-to guy more often than not. So, if the Heat can keep him in check, they should win this one in somewhat straightforward fashion. Bam Adebayo will play a big role in that. The Mavericks usually get a lot of production from their center position, as Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford simply out-hustle opposing bigs. That won’t happen with Adebayo. He’s one of the league’s hardest workers.
Bet: Heat ML (-146 – 1.5 units)
NBA Player Props Today – November 24th
Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers – 5:00 pm ET
Trusting Tyrese Haliburton can be challenging. Last year, the 6-foot-5 guard was among the league’s top players before suffering a significant hamstring injury. Although he returned, he struggled to regain his form, and those struggles have carried over into this season. This has left many questioning whether the injury truly derailed him or if his early success last year was simply unsustainable. He was blistering hot to start the season, knocking down 3s at a clip we haven’t seen out of him throughout his playing career. The answer remains unclear. However, Haliburton still has some massive games, and they tend to come at home.
On the year, Haliburton is averaging 20.8 points, 8.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game when playing in Indiana. He’s also shooting 46.2% from the field and 39.2% from 3. On the road, Haliburton is averaging 12.3 points, 8.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds on 31.8% shooting from the floor and 22.7% shooting from 3. Well, good thing tonight’s game is at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Haliburton is also taking on a Wizards team that is 30th in the league in adjusted defensive rating (116.9) and fourth in pace of play (103.0).
This should be an up-and-down contest that looks like a pick-up game. That should really benefit Haliburton, who will likely get a ton of good looks from 3 and also have plenty of opportunities to pick up easy assists.
Let’s just hope that Haliburton doesn’t see a lot of Bilal Coulibaly here. The Washington wing is the only shutdown player in the starting five, and he is fully capable of shutting his man’s water off. But even if Coulibaly does guard Haliburton, the Pacers guard should still be able to get his by getting out and running. I’m taking a shot on it.
Bet: Haliburton Over 33.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-105)
Teasers/Parlays/Late Added Plays
Nothing yet.
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2024-25 NBA Record: 73-63 (+8.35 units)
