Friday NBA public plays, best bets

Where the public is betting on a huge night in the NBA, plus a few best bets

All 30 NBA teams are in action on Friday night, which means there are plenty of betting opportunities even are you watch The Masters all day. There are so many games that even the Washington Wizards (-2 vs. Bulls) are favored for just the 10th time this season; Washington is 2-7 ATS as a favorite in a season they’d like to forget.

The schedule also has a preposterous eight double-digit spreads, with the Lakers (-15.5 at Grizzlies) and Thunder (-15.5 vs. Bucks) having the biggest lines. That is the most double-digit spreads for any single day in the past 30 years.

There is plenty of motivation for a bunch of teams to get into the playoffs, adjust seeding, or lose for a potential better draft pick. Let’s take a look at where the public is betting tonight, along with some best bets from respected handicappers.

Note: I’ll have a column next week on a bunch of handicappers in the industry telling me the best betting advice they were given throughout the careers. Excited about that one.

DraftKings public betting

Most-bet sides (total wagers)

1. Raptors +2

2. Bucks +15.5

3. Suns -5

4. NY Knicks -11

5. 76ers -7.5

Most-bet sides (total dollars)

1. Suns -5

2. 76ers -7.5

3. NY Knicks -11

4. OKC Thunder -15.5

5. Celtics -7.5

Lopsided sides by betting percentage (total wagers):

1. Boston Celtics -7.5: 81% of bets, 86% of $$

2. Chicago Bulls +2: 78% of bets, 65% of $$