Welcome to Rivals Week, the week of the NBA season that didn’t exist until now. From January 24-28 the national television slate will be packed with old and new rivalries that should make for entertaining basketball.
The week’s marquee matchups will also bring the perfect opportunities for bettors to earn cash. And here at BetFTW, we’ll help you find the best bets to help you pocket some extra change for each of the week’s rivalry games.
Tuesday’s Rivals Week docket features a TNT doubleheader that begins with a 2022 Eastern Conference Finals rematch between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics before ending with a crosstown rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers.
Here are the day’s best bets to make.
All odds via BetMGM
Celtics at Heat (7:30 pm ET on TNT)
Jayson Tatum – First Basket (+500)
Jaylen Brown (right adductor management), Malcolm Brogdon (personal reasons), Al Horford (low back stiffness) and Marcus Smart (right ankle sprain) are all going to miss tonight’s game against the Heat. If Boston is going to score the game’s first basket, I’d bet my money on one of the NBA’s top scorers, Jayson Tatum, to be the one that does it.
Under 214.5 Total Points (-110)
Miami is the lowest-scoring team in the league (108.6) and Boston will be without three of the top its top-four scorers against the Heat. Add it all up and it might make sense to bet the under for this one.
Tyler Herro – Over 28.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds (-160)
Make it 10 straight games now that Herro has registered four or more rebounds and six of the last 10 that he’s dished out at least four assists. It’s conceivable that he can replicate those numbers on Tuesday night while hitting his season average in points (rounded up to 21.0 ppg), which makes his player prop pretty safe to bet on.
Clippers at Lakers (10:00 pm ET on TNT)
Terance Mann – Over 0.5 Threes (-150)
Terance Mann made his way to the Clippers’ starting lineup eight games ago and has played well enough to hold onto the role. He brings energy and athleticism that the Clippers lack on both ends of the court, and although he’s shooting 36.0 percent from deep on the season, the shot is something opposing teams will surrender to him. You can count on him making at least one on Tuesday night,
Thomas Bryant – Over 8.5 Rebounds (-105)
If the Lakers end up playing small ball with the Clippers, Bryant’s player prop might not hit the over. But should the Lakers keep a traditional big on the court to battle with Ivica Zubac and offer some interior presence, Bryant should be able to gobble up more than eight rebounds. He’s done so seven times this month.
Norman Powell – Over 17.5 Points (-110)
Quietly, Norman Powell has put together a Sixth Man of the Year campaign. He’s scoring at a super efficient clip and the Clippers need all of it. He’ll likely play somewhere between 25 and 30 minutes and score around 20 points. He’s found his way to 18 or more points in eight of 11 games in January, which should make you feel good about betting he hits the over.
