Locks

NBA (0.25 Unit) Philadelphia 76ers ML (+115) @ Boston Celtics: 6:30 PM CT on TNT

When the first NBA lines came out, this game had the Celtics favored by 6 points. Nothing but bad news for Boston since then has driven the number down to where all the value has been squeezed out, so I’m looking for Philadelphia to pull the small upset here.

The biggest absence for the Celtics is their scandal-plagued head coach, but on the court the biggest absence tonight is Robert Williams III who is still rehabbing his knee injury. Against a 76ers team that will feature a fully healthy Joel Embiid tonight, Boston finds themselves at a significant disadvantage.

Embiid and a supposedly slimmed-down James Harden should finally look like the duo they’re supposed to be after a full offseason together. This Philly team has looked focused in the preseason as the only East team to go undefeated, and I see them starting tonight to atone for their disappointing finish last season.

Bonus Bet (0.25 Unit): Joel Embiid Over 1.5 Made Three’s (+160)

Juicy returns in the made-three’s prop market is one of my favorite things about the NBA finally being back. The opportunity should be there to hit this one, as Embiid attempted more three-pointers against Boston than any opponent last season. He also averaged 1.4 made three’s per game on the season, which is more than one, which is what we need here. With Williams not available to check Embiid, and Harden accepting more of a facilitator role, I see the Philly big man splashing a couple from deep tonight.

Degenerates

No degenerates today.

Tiny Nick is 898-748 ATS (+79.9 Units) on his Locks since joining Zone Coverage. 

Every day he will offer his Locks and Degenerate picks. Locks are the games he’s confident in. Degenerates are entertaining but riskier picks.