The start of the 2024-25 NBA season is officially here. 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. Also, try and 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 Saturday, November 9th.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on November 9th
NBA Best Bets Today – November 9th
Utah Jazz at San Antonio Spurs – 5:00 pm ET
The Spurs are welcoming Devin Vassell back tonight. His presence is going to be big for San Antonio moving forward, and the Spurs have won three of their last five games. So, they’re probably feeling like getting their best wing back can help them push over the .500 mark. And it’s entirely possible with home games against the Jazz, Kings and Wizards coming up. However, I don’t see San Antonio making easy work of Utah tonight.
The Jazz just got Lauri Markkanen back from his back injury, so it’s only a matter of time before they start playing some solid basketball. This was a very competitive team a year ago, so I’d be pretty surprised if they continue to struggle against the spread this season. The offense has been all out of sorts this year, and that’s just not going to stay that way. This year, Utah’s offensive rating is just 102.6. Last year, the Jazz had an offensive rating of 114.5. That said, we’re going to see some positive regression soon, and you shouldn’t be surprised if some of it comes tonight. Utah is getting closer to full strength and is going to look better in Markkanen’s second game back.
I’m also not sure the Spurs have the type of offensive firepower required to light up a bad Jazz defense. Only five teams have lower offensive ratings than San Antonio’s 108.3. That will get better with Vassell back, but it could take some time for him to get going.
The Jazz are also 20-13 against the spread as road underdogs of 6.5 to 12 points under Will Hardy. They’re also 17-4 ATS when coming off three consecutive road games.
Bet: Jazz +7 (-110 – 1.5 units)
Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Clippers – 10:30 pm ET
The Raptors are 7-2 against the spread this season. Even with players in and out of the lineup, they’re finding ways to stay in games. I don’t see that changing in a meeting with a Clippers team that just picked up a big road win over the Kings last night. Sure, Los Angeles has won and covered in three consecutive games, and this team’s defense can be stifling. However, it’s the second night of a back-to-back, a third game in four nights and a fifth game in eight nights. These situations have been brutal on teams over the years. The Clippers could be a little low in energy in this one, but the Raptors won’t have that issue. They haven’t played since Wednesday.
Toronto might be without Scottie Barnes right now, but R.J. Barrett is playing well. He should be able to find some success in this game. The Raptors also have Jakob Poeltl to bang with Ivica Zubac in the paint. Poeltl is a very good rim protector and should at least be able to make things tough on Zubac when Toronto is on defense. Also, it seems like Immanuel Quickley might be coming back for Toronto tonight. He has played just one game this year and the Raptors desperately need his creativity on the ball. I also like Davion Mitchell as a perimeter defender on Norman Powell.
Overall, the Clippers could find a way to pull this out. They’re big favorites for a reason. But given the difference in rest, it’s not fair to expect them to blow out a feisty Raptors team.
Bet: Raptors +8 (-110 – 2 units)
NBA Player Props Today – November 9th
Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 pm ET
Zach LaVine is questionable for the Bulls tonight, but I’m going Over on his point total in case he plays. I tried this the other day and he ended up sitting. That just resulted in a refund. No harm, no foul. But if LaVine does play against the Hawks tonight, it’s hard to imagine him not having a decent game. This season, LaVine is averaging 22.7 points per game on some very efficient shooting. Well, there’s no reason he shouldn’t hit his usual mark against an Atlanta team that is just 25th in the league in defensive rating. The Hawks also play at the third-fastest pace in the league. That said, this is going to be an up-and-down game in which shotmakers will have opportunities to make plays. I’m riding with LaVine to be one of them. I’m also going to sprinkle a little something on him to score 25+.
Bet: LaVine Over 20.5 Points (-118 – 1.5 units) & LaVine To Score 25+ (+180 – 0.5 units)
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2024-25 NBA Record: 40-33 (+6.67 units)
