Between the shocking trade of Luka Doncic and recent coach firings by two playoff contenders, this NBA season has thrown some massive curveballs.
And with nearly any transaction, there is inevitably an impact on the betting market.
The Denver Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth this week.
As reports surface, Russell Westbrook’s poor play may have served as a lightning rod for locker-room dissension. The veteran brings valuable energy and hustle, but his shooting percentages are often a detriment.
And that negative was amplified with four straight losses, which prompted Denver to make the unexpected moves.
The Nuggets won their first game with interim coach David Adelman, and Westbrook only played 17 minutes, while scoring five points on 2-for-11 shooting.
Those 17 minutes were easily the fewest he has played since Dec. 5.
Does this guarantee Westbrook’s minutes are lower under this new regime? Of course not.
But sharp bettors are rewarded when they anticipate before recreational bettors react. So, I do think this is an indication of how Adelman envisions using the former MVP.
Betting on the NBA?
Denver hosts the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and The Nuggets are 6.5-point favorites at BetMGM, with Memphis on the second night of a back-to-back after losing o the Timberwolves on Thursday.
We can anticipate Westbrook’s points prop of 12.5 points will remain the same. The market already lowered a point from 13.5 for Denver’s last game.
I am 37-23-1 ATS in this Post sports section, and will play Westbrook Under 12.5 points for my next wager.
(Editor’s note: Westbrook’s line at BetMGM sat at 10.5 points as of early Friday. Friday’s edition of The Post listed Under 12.5, but Under 10.5 is advised too).
BEST BET: Russell Westbrook Under 10.5 points (-110, BetMGM)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who currently serves as the Chief Content Officer for Only Players, a sports betting media company. Doug has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.
