Wednesday’s NBA action kicks off with an MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic taking on the Indiana Pacers, and it closes with the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks battling to maintain their respective winning streaks.
I’m eyeing a prop bet for Jokic tonight, but there are also two teams that I’m targeting for this nine-game slate.
It’s been a positive season in my NBA Best Bets, but it’s been a few days since we had a sweep of the slate. Does that change on Wednesday?
There is one team total, one spread bet and the Jokic prop that I’m eyeing for tonight, and don't forget to stick with SI Betting for my top prop picks that come out later in the day.
Let’s dive into the odds and each breakdown for today’s best bets!
1 Season, 600 Bets: NBA Betting Record2025-26 season record: 76-62 (+1.22 units)2024-25 season record: 281-293-5 (-4.94 units)OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1367-1299-27 (+34.37 units)
NBA Best Bets Today
Charlotte Hornets Team Total UNDER 113.5 Points (-112)Atlanta Hawks -3.5 (-110) vs. Los Angeles ClippersNikola Jokic OVER 12.5 Rebounds (-136)Charlotte Hornets Team Total UNDER 113.5 Points (-112)
The Charlotte Hornets are down two key rotation players on Wednesday night against the New York Knicks, as Brandon Miller and Tre Mann are both out.
That could be an issue for a Hornets team that is just 18th in the NBA in offensive rating and 21st in points per game this season, especially against a Knicks squad that ranks in the top half of the league in defensive rating.
New York held the Hornets to just 101 points last Wednesday in Charlotte, and the Hornets are coming off a 103-point showing in a loss to Brooklyn on Monday night.
Overall, the Hornets have failed to score over 113.5 points in 11 games this season, and they’ve failed to clear this mark in three of their last four road games.
Even with the Knicks playing the second night of a back-to-back, I think this line is a little high after Charlotte struggled to crack 100 points in their first meeting this season.
Atlanta Hawks -3.5 (-110) vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Are the Atlanta Hawks undervalued at home on Wednesday night?
The Hawks are down Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis in this game against the Los Angeles Clippers, but they are still 13-9 this season and rank 15th in the NBA in net rating (+2.0) despite their All-Star guard missing most of the season.
The Clippers, on the other hand, are a disaster. Los Angeles is just 5-16 this season and has lost five in a row, falling to 2-9 on the road with a loss to the Miami Heat on Monday.
L.A. is also just 4-7 against the spread on the road with an average scoring margin of -10.7 in those games.
So, I think the Hawks should be closer to 5.5 or 6.5-point favorites in this game, especially since they’ve played well against inferior opponents, going 7-2 against teams that are under .500 this season.
The Clippers have a net rating of -6.3 this season (24th in the league), and I have a hard time trusting them to hang around with a Hawks team that seems bound for the playoffs in the East.
Nikola Jokic OVER 12.5 Rebounds (-136)
This is a great matchup on Wednesday for Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, and he may have to play a few extra minutes with Jamal Murray questionable and Denver down a few starters.
So, I think the OVER on his rebounds prop is worth a look against an Indiana team that is 27th in opponent rebounds per game and 22nd in rebounding percentage this season. Jokic is averaging 12.8 rebounds on 20.7 rebound chances per game, and he's coming off a 20-board game against Dallas on Monday.
The Nuggets star has 13 or more rebounds in 10 games this season, and he should beat up on a Pacers frontcourt that doesn't have an elite option down low to deal with him. Jokic had 14 boards in 31:43 of playing time against the Pacers earlier this season.
