NBA Betting Picks for Friday 10/27/23: Knicks Bounce Back in A-Town

The 82-game NBA regular season offers us a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, moneylines, and totals. The Association features 1,230 regular season games, which can make sifting through the odds an overwhelming task.

However, various advanced statistics can help narrow the choices. numberFire's NBA power rankings and daily projections paired with advanced stats from the NBA can help give the inside track to winning big.

While utilizing some of the mentioned tools, which NBA odds from FanDuel Sportsbook look like the best bets today?

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

NBA Best Bets

Miami Heat at Boston Celtics

Under 217 (-110)

ESPN's Friday night hoops is back with the Miami Heat against the Boston Celtics in the first slot followed by the Golden State Warriors visiting the Sacramento Kings -- two playoff rematches. My eyes are on the total for the Heat-Celtics.

According to FanDuel's NBA lines, this game is tied with the Toronto Raptors against the Chicago Bulls for the lowest total of the night at 217. Don't let this small number scare you away from the under, though.

The Heat and Celtics have gone under in four of the last five head-to-head matchups. Both teams also rank among the six slowest paces in the Association thus far.

We are only one game into the season, but still, both teams were among the 11 slowest-paced teams last season. Plus, Miami had the second-slowest pace in the 2022-23 season. Defense is at the forefront for both teams, as they ranked in the top nine of defensive rating last season.

It's unlikely that either squad's identity changes this year. The Heat feature nearly the same roster, and Boston's defense is still elite with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White manning the backcourt. I'm expecting another low-scoring affair in this Eastern Conference Finals rematch.

New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks

Knicks Moneyline (-112)

The Atlanta Hawks will play host to the New York Knicks as both teams come off season-opening losses. This matchup features the smallest spread of the night with the Knicks favored by one point.

As of Friday morning, the Hawks were 1.5-point favorites. New York was +100 on the moneyline, but that has shifted to -112. Regardless, I'm still rolling with the Knicks moneyline.

New York lost a closely contested game against the Celtics (108-104). One could argue the Knicks should have even won the game following a questionable flopping call on Jalen Brunson, which led to a four-point swing in Boston's favor.

Atlanta, on the other hand, lost 116-110 against the Charlotte Hornets as four-point favorites. The Hawks' offense struggled, shooting 41.9% from the field and 17.2% on three-pointers. Trae Young carried over his inefficiencies from last season, converting only 4 of 19 shot attempts and 1 of 9 three-point shots. Dejounte Murray wasn't much better with a 21.4% field goal percentage (FG%) and 11 points.

The Knicks' perimeter defense held up well against the Celtics, who shot 30.8% from deep. New York was eighth in opponent three-point percentage in the 2022-23 season. Atlanta's backcourt could be in store for another tough outing against the Knicks' exceptional perimeter defense.

Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs

Spurs -3 (-112)

Victor Wembanyama did not disappoint in his NBA debut, recording 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. However, it did not lead to a win for the San Antonio Spurs, as they lost 126-119 against the Dallas Mavericks.

It was still an encouraging performance against a potential playoff team, though; Dallas is -192 to make the postseason, per FanDuel's NBA playoff odds. San Antonio has a favorable matchup on Friday against the Houston Rockets, presenting an excellent opportunity for snagging their first win of the season.

The Rockets honestly looked no better in their season opener. They were manhandled in a 116-86 loss against the Orlando Magic. Shooting inefficiencies were still a big problem (40.5 FG%). Fred VanVleet got off to a slow start with 14 points and a 38.5 FG%. Jalen Green and Jabari Smith stumbled with a combined 26.3 FG%.

Fortunately, Houston will be facing a vulnerable defense. San Antonio ranked last in defensive rating last season and currently sit at 25th. These were the two worst defenses in the league last year. This could be a back-and-forth contest with loads of points.

I find the Spurs' offense to be more trustworthy, though. The Rockets have a roster full of inefficient players, while San Antonio shot 51.7% in their season opener. Houston could also lack the size and length to deal with the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama. The 6-foot-11 Alperen Sengun and 6-foot-11 Smith could have a heck of a time with the French phenom, as both players had defense ratings of over 120.0 in the 2022-23 season.

Following the season opener, the Spurs have the 15th-most efficient offense, and the Rockets are last in offensive rating. Give me San Antonio to cover, led by a big night from Wembanyama.

Pairing a Spurs cover with Wembanyama props is very intriguing with FanDuel Sportsbook's 100% profit boost for one NBA wager on tonight's games.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.