After a rare day off due to the US election, the 2024-25 NBA regular season resumes on Thursday with a huge 12-game slate to make up for lost time. The first of those games begins at 11:00am AEDT, while the final game will commence at 2:00pm AEDT. We bring you our best bets for the slate below!
Also, make sure to head over to our NBA Tips regularly, as we’ll be providing free tips for all the major slates for each and every week of the 2024-25 season!
NBA Betting Tips: Thursday, November 7th 2024
Golden State Warriors at Boston Celtics (11:40am AEDT)
The Warriors have had a highly successful start to their campaign with six wins from seven games, and are currently riding a four-game win streak. They’re a perfect 4-0 on the road although the quality of opponents has been low for the most part. In fact, the only +.500 team the Warriors have faced so far are the Rockets (4-3), and they required overtime to come out on top after coughing up a 31-point lead.
Similarly, the Celtics are firing on all cylinders to begin the season and are showing no signs of a championship hangover. They won their first four games of the season before going down to the Pacers in overtime, but have recovered to win their next three games. In lineup news, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis will miss with injury.
Despite having similar early season records, the Celtics are a class above the Warriors. They have the ability to completely blow teams away, and six of their seven wins this season have been by 10+ points. On their home floor where they’re 2-0 this season, I expect the Celtics to win this one comfortably.
Celtics -6.5
$1.85 (1.5 Units)
San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets (12:10pm AEDT)
The Spurs picked up a couple of savvy veterans in the offseason to try and help educate their young talent, and we have seen some signs of improvement in the early goings. The Spurs enter Thursday’s slate with a 3-4 record and have managed to keep within a dozen points in all four of their losses. Victor Wembanyama is warming into his sophomore season and was just one block short of a triple-double last outing.
The Rockets are another Western Conference team expecting to improve this season. They’ve been good without being great in the opening couple of weeks, and enter this slate with a 4-3 record. They too have been a winning chance in all of their games, with their biggest loss being by just six points in overtime against the Warriors. In lineup news, Steven Adams will miss, and Dillon Brooks is listed as questionable.
These clubs have already faced off twice this season and both teams have claimed a win. Both games were in San Antonio, with the Spurs winning their opening encounter by three points, and the Rockets hitting back with a five-point win two days later. Interestingly, the current line is sitting at 6.5 points, and based off recent games between these sides coupled with the Spurs competitiveness in each game so far, I think there’s some value in the underdogs here.
Spurs +6.5
$1.95 (1.5 Units)
Miami Heat at Phoenix Suns (1:10pm AEDT)
The Miami Heat lost and absolute heartbreaker against the Kings last start, where they led most of the way before Sabonis and co. hit back late to steal the victory. The was the Heat’s third loss from six games so far, all of which have come on their home deck. The Heat now hit the road where they’ve 2-0 early doors, claiming away wins against fellow Eastern Conference teams in the Hornets and the Wizards.
The Suns played in a nail-biter themselves last start, but they were able to come away on the right side of it with a two-point win against the 76ers. That made it five straight wins for the Suns and six overall from their seven outings. The Suns also remain undefeated on their home floor this campaign, currently sporting a 4-0 record. In lineup news, Bradley Beal is a game-time decision, but it’s expected he will be suiting up.
The Suns won both encounters with the Heat last season by a combined 29 points, including a 16-point win at the Footprint Center. Their early season form suggests they’ve improved on what was a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, although that hasn’t necessarily been reflected in the markets here. I expected the Suns, who are unbeaten on their home floor, to be a lot shorter odds, an I’m happy to back them in to cover the small spread.
