Sports bettors in Canada are in for a special treat on Monday as the NBA celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a slate of nine games, including the Toronto Raptors visiting Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks.
What’s even better is that seven of these nine contests will be played in the afternoon, giving sports bettors the opportunity to throw down their first wagers of the week perhaps a little earlier than usual.
Here’s a quick look at the game lines and a few betting nuggets for each matchup.
All odds courtesy of Sports Interaction.
Boston Celtics @ Charlotte Hornets – 1 p.m. ET
Line: Celtics -8 (-110), 231.5 over/under.
The Celtics will take a six-game winning steak (4-2 against the spread during that span) into a Monday afternoon matinee against the Charlotte Hornets, who have lost four straight games (1-3 ATS during that span). This will be the third contest between the two teams this season, with Boston taking the first two matchups by a combined score of 262-211.
Betting trends:
- The under is 4-1 in the past five meetings.
- The Hornets are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games.
Indiana Pacers @ Milwaukee Bucks – 2:30 p.m. ET
Line: Bucks -10.5, 231 o/u.
Bettors will want to monitor the statuses of two superstar players – Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) for the Bucks and Tyrese Haliburton (knee) for the Pacers – leading up to tip off. Milwaukee is just 5-8 over its last 13 contests while Indiana has dropped three straight games.
Betting trends:
- The under is 4-0 in Milwaukee’s last four games.
- The Pacers are 1-7 ATS in their past eight meetings in Milwaukee.
New Orleans Pelicans @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 3 p.m. ET
Line: Cavaliers -6.5, 222 o/u.
Monday will mark the conclusion of a season-long five-game road trip for the Pelicans, who are 2-2 (and 2-2 ATS) on the trip to this point. Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is battling an illness, which limited him to just 14 points on Saturday vs. Minnesota. He missed the pregame shootaround prior to that contest, but is expected to play Monday.
Betting trends:
- The over is 5-1 in Cleveland’s last six home games.
- The Pelicans are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against teams with winning records.
Toronto Raptors @ New York Knicks – 3 p.m. ET
Line: Knicks -2.5, 218 o/u.
Pascal Siakam went off for a career-high 52 points the last time the Raptors visited Madison Square Garden to help Toronto halt a six-game slide. Toronto has now won three of its last four games (3-1 ATS during that span), but is just 2-8 against divisional foes this year.
Betting trends:
- The Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
- The Raptors are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 road games.
Golden State Warriors @ Washington Wizards – 3 p.m. ET
Line: Warriors -2, 234.5 o/u.
The health of Wizards guard Bradley Beal has the potential to drastically move this spread line. Beal, who has missed the last four games with a hamstring issue, has been practicing since last Thursday, but he didn’t play last Friday against the Knicks.
Betting trends:
- The over is 5-1 in Golden State’s last six games overall.
- The Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their past six games in Washington.
Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks – 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: Heat -1.5, 224.5 o/u.
The holiday Monday is especially important in Atlanta, the birthplace of Dr. King and the civil rights movement. The Hawks are 21-7 historically on MLK Day and are looking for a third straight win overall.
Betting trends:
- The under is 6-1 in Miami’s last seven games.
- The under is 4-0 in Atlanta’s last four games.
Utah Jazz @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 4 p.m. ET
Line: Timberwolves -2, 235 o/u.
Minnesota could be thin up front as centre Rudy Gobert is listed as day-to-day with a groin strain and might not play. The Timberwolves are already without All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, who’s been out since late November with a calf injury.
Betting trends:
- The over is 5-1 in Utah’s last six games overall.
- The over is 5-1 in the past six meetings.
Phoenix Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies – 6 p.m. ET
Line: Grizzlies -10.5, 228 o/u.
The Grizzlies are riding a season-high nine-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the NBA, into this matchup while Phoenix has dropped 11 of its last 13.
Betting trends:
- The over is 6-0 in the Grizzlies’ last six games.
- Memphis is 35-16-1 ATS in its past 52 home games.
Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30 p.m. ET
Line: Lakers -5.5, 236 o/u.
Los Angeles will be playing the second night of a back-to-back so it’s very possible LeBron James rests his sore ankle one night after reaching the 38,000-point plateau for his career. Houston will also be playing the back end of a back-to-back and has dropped 10 straight games and 15 of its last 16.
Betting trends:
- The Rockets are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games.
- The Lakers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games.