Filip Tomic
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On Sunday we wrap up the first week of the 2023-24 NBA season with a 6-game slate. There are some interesting matchups today and — after landing +612 and +444 odds parlays on Tuesday and Wednesday — I’m hoping we can end the week with another one.
Don’t forget to visit our NBA predictions for picks on Sunday’s 6-game slate, but without wasting any more time let’s get into it.
Atlanta Hawks ML (+245)
Golden State Warriors -4.5 (-110)
Sacramento Kings -3 (-110)
Parlay odds: +1157
Atlanta Hawks ML over Milwaukee Bucks (+245)
Pressure is building on the Hawks as they try to dig themselves out of a 0-2 hole to start the new season. Milwaukee isn’t the ideal place to look for your first win of the season, but the Hawks have actually performed well against the Bucks in recent regular-season meetings, winning 5 of the last 8. Trae Young in particular has excelled in those games, averaging 32.4 points per game in the last 5 meetings and that’s with Jrue Holiday guarding him on most of those nights.
Holiday is now gone, replaced by Damian Lillard. The Bucks get a nuclear weapon on offense, but as we saw in their first game against Philadelphia there will be nights where they’ll struggled to contain teams. It might take some time for Milwaukee to build chemistry between their new dynamic duo, plus they’ll also be without Khris Middleton as he sits while managing a knee injury. The Dame and Giannis pick-and-roll will be hard to stop, but with a backcourt of Young and Dejounte Murray I think the Hawks have every right to hope for an upset win.
Golden State Warriors -4.5 over Houston Rockets (-110)
We are so fortunate to be living in the era of the greatest shooter of all time. Even at the age of 35, Stephen Curry continues to amaze. He comes into tonight’s game after another staggering performance in which he dropped a cool 41 points in the Warriors’ first win of the season at Sacramento. The Rockets are one of his favorite opponents, — he’s averaging 31 points per game over the last 5 meetings and has scored at least 30 in 4 straight against them.
Sure, the Warriors will be a bit shorthanded on the glass due to the absence of Draymond Green, but through the first week of the season the Rockets rank 28th in rebounds per game with an average of just 48.5 a night, so it won’t be a big deal for Golden State. The last 10 meetings have gone the Warriors’ way and they’ve outscored Houston by 13.9 points per game during that stretch, which also includes a 5-game win streak at the Toyota Center. I feel very confident in taking the Warriors to cover the spread.
Check our my Warriors vs Rockets predictions
Sacramento Kings -3 over LA Lakers (-110)
Finally we have two Pacific Division rivals going at it tonight at the Golden 1 Center. Sacramento has enjoyed a lot of success in recent meetings, going 4-1 SU/ATS in the last 5 games. De’Aaron Fox in particular has been unstoppable, averaging 29.6 points, 7.4 assists on better than 56% shooting from the field. The Lakers just aren’t equipped to slow him down, especially with Jarred Vanderbilt not playing tonight.
LA’s road form has been questionable dating back to last season and the Lakers have now lost 5 games in a row away from home. Another thing that could cause problems for the team in yellow is the pace of play – they rank only 18th after 2 games, averaging exactly 100 possessions per game. The Kings are 4th, averaging 104.7 per game, while also having the 5th-best offensive rating compared to the Lakers’ 23rd. Their high-octane offense could be too much to handle for the 7th-oldest roster in the NBA this season. I’m taking my chances with Sacramento.
Be sure to read our Lakers vs Kings predictions
