Top NBA Must Bet Games of the Week: Dallas and Lakers Looking to Win

Remember when the Milwaukee Bucks served notice on the rest of the NBA with that throttling of the Brooklyn Nets in the season opener? Yeah, tap the brakes. The Bucks have now tumbled to 3-4 and may be struggling with that sort of championship hangover that has plagued winners in the past as well. The top team in the Eastern Conference right now is the Miami Heat, who have run out to a 5-1 record behind 25.3 points per game from Jimmy Butler. As the Heat head west this week, we will see if they can keep that hot play up away from home.

Let’s take a look at some promising online NBA betting matchups as this week gets underway.

NBA News: Top Betting Games of the Week

Tuesday, November 1

Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (7:30 pm ET, TNT)

The 5-1 Heat come to Dallas to take on the 4-2 Mavericks. Miami started 1-1 and has won four in a row; the Mavericks lost their opener in Atlanta and then won three games before losing in Denver on the second night of a back-to-back on Friday. They bounced back with a home win over Sacramento on Sunday.

Through six games, the Heat are second in the NBA in points permitted per game (97.0) and also is elite in several other defensive categories, applying that old-school Eastern Conference philosophy to their game. Jimmy Butler has been a terrific contributor, but Bam Adebayo has put up over 20 points per game, and Tyler Herro has contributed on both ends of the floor. The team added Kyle Lowry in the off-season, and having that leadership on the point has helped the Heat excel so far.

Dallas was looking for Kristaps Porzingis to bounce back from a disappointing 2020-21, but lower back stiffness has limited his availability significantly. Luka Doncic remains the team’s offensive engine, with Tim Hardaway Jr currently second on the squad in scoring, with 13.3 points per game. Jalen Brunson and Reggie Bullock have been the strongest contributors off the bench, and Dwight Powell has slid into the starting lineup at center in Porzingis’ absence. It is Doncic that will drive the team’s fortunes; already in 2021, Doncic’s shooting has been streaky. He only is making 23.8 percent of his three-point attempts, as opposing defenses are doing their best to smother him. Even so, he has 22.5 points per game.

Final Score Prediction: Dallas 118, Miami 114: Bet the Game Today

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Houston Rockets at L.A. Lakers (10:30 pm ET)

This is a rematch of Sunday’s matchup, as the Lakers got big games out of Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, who more than made up from LeBron james’ lack of production. Now Houston comes back in on a four-game losing streak. In Sunday’s game, neither team shot well from downtown. James particularly struggled, as he has just made one of his last 16 shots from behind the arc.

The Rockets are playing in the middle of an organizational rebuild, with such future stars as Kevin Porter Jr and Jalen Green. John Wall came into the season facing expectations of leadership and high production, but Jae’Sean Tate has emerged as a leader alongside him. Christian Wood, who had 16 points and 13 boards in Sunday’s loss, looks like the team’s best shot at a scorer who can put up 20 per night. His average is pushing 20, and he also averages 11.5 rebounds per night. His three-point shooting has improved, as he is making more than 40 percent of his shots from behind the arc.

So far, the Lakers are getting a turn-back-the-clock season from Carmelo Anthony, who is already in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year. He has 47 points off the bench in his last two games and averages 16.7 points per game so far. Russell Westbrook has also put up solid numbers, although Anthony Davis has been the team’s best player to this point. This talent means less pressure on King James, as he hopes that adding yet another superstar or two will help him get a title.

Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles 112, Houston 110: Bet the Game Today

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