NBA Expert Picks and Best Bets | November 28

Tuesday not only brings a compelling set of matchups in the NBA but it’s also the last day of group play for the in-season tournament. There is a little extra on the line for some of Tuesday’s games, which should lead to some competitive games. Plus, the basketball betting lines for most of the games are tight. After taking a closer look, we came up with three expert picks that we like on Tuesday’s NBA schedule.

Cavaliers -5 | -106 at FanDuel

The Cavs will be a little extra motivated in this game because a win will at least give them a chance to advance in the in-season tournament. Cleveland also enters Tuesday’s game winners of five of its last seven games. While the Cavs have either lost or failed to cover the spread in three straight games as the favorite, they have found some semblance of consistency with the backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Getting production inside from Evan Mobley has also made them a tough team to beat lately.

That could spell trouble for the Hawks, who have lost four of their last six games and are just 1-5 against the spread during that stretch. To be fair, the backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray should be a good matchup for Cleveland while Clint Capela can help them compete on the boards. However, the Hawks haven’t defended well lately and have needed Young to score 30-plus points to have a chance. That gives us doubts about Atlanta’s ability to stay competitive on the road.

Raptors ML | +110 at BetMGM

The Nets need a win and some outside help in order to advance in the in-season tournament. However, they haven’t been particularly reliable, which is why we’re leaning toward the Raptors in a game with this tight of a spread. They needed 25 three-pointers, the most in the NBA this season, just to beat the Bulls in their last game. Plus, Brooklyn is missing some pieces in the backcourt while Cameron Johnson and Nic Clayton are also battling minor injuries.

On the other side, the Raptors are 5-1 against the spread over their last six games. That includes going 3-1 against the spread as underdogs during that span. Toronto may not be as talented as the Nets, but the Raptors are fully healthy and they’ve been playing competitive games with everyone lately. They also have a versatile and underrated set of scorers, and against an undermanned Brooklyn team, the Raptors can steal a game on the road.

Warriors ML | +110 at BetRivers

Both of these teams have a chance to advance to the knockout stage of the in-season tournament depending on Tuesday’s results, so there is great importance to this game. They also met in the playoffs season and twice this year already. Golden State won both of the early-season matchups against the Kings, which is why we expect the Warriors to still have Sacramento’s number on Tuesday.

Overall, the Kings have been the better team this season, but the Warriors look like they’re about to turn the corner with two wins in their last three games. Keep in mind that Draymond Green is coming back from his suspension, so Golden State will be back at full strength. The Warriors will have a point to prove and will be confident that they can get a win over the Kings, making them a good underdog pick on Tuesday.