Bales' Best NBA Bet (2/1)

Welcome to my latest edition of Bales' Best NBA Bets. In this article, I will outline my favorite bet for February 1, 2021. You can also find all of Bet Karma's staff bets through our NBA Premium Package. 

 

Sacramento Kings (+123) vs New Orleans Pelicans (-143)

The New Orleans Pelicans get a home matchup against the Sacramento Kings tonight. New Orleans is currently a 3.5 point favorite in a game set at 233.5 points, and they boast an implied team total of 118.5 points. 

 

Eric Bledsoe’s been an inconsistent option for the Pelicans through 17 games this season. He’s averaging 13.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 29.7 minutes per game. Bledsoe also ranks fourth on the team in shot attempts (11.8) and free throw attempts (2.1) while ranking third in three-point attempts (5.6) per game. He’s posted 15+ points in 8 of those 17 games. 

 

More importantly, Bledsoe’s been heating up in recent games. Over the last 10 days, he’s averaging 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. Bledsoe’s scored 15+ points in each of his last 4 games. In those contests, he’s averaging 21.5 points on 17.8 shot attempts, 9.0 three-point attempts, and 3.3 free throw attempts per game. 

 

Bledsoe gets an ideal matchup against Sacramento tonight. The Kings rank 12th in the NBA in pace and last in defensive efficiency this season. Their defense has been holding up better in solid matchups, although they recently gave up 124 points to the Toronto Raptors, suggesting average offenses can continue to find success against them. Sacramento’s struggled against guards throughout the season, ranking in the bottom-five in points allowed to point and shooting guards this season. Bledsoe’s also found success against them, posting 21 points in 29.5 minutes in their only matchup this season. 

 

With Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick on the trade block, Bledsoe’s taken on a larger offensive role. He’s found plenty of success in recent games, and there’s very little reason to believe he won’t find success once again against Sacramento. Similar to Evan Fournier last week, this total is set a bit low for Bledsoe’s new role, making the over an outstanding bet tonight. 

 

Bet 1.2 units on Eric Bledsoe over 14.5 points (-120) to win 1 unit