3 NBA Best Bets For Wednesday: Pistons-Bucks, Clippers-Rockets, Grizzlies-Lakers

With two wins under my belt Tuesday, I got greedy and added another unit (u) to the Dallas Mavericks +135 moneyline vs. the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, the Mavericks lost outright as +2.5 underdogs 120-117, and my Dallas spread bet got hooked. So, I turned a winning night into a losing one despite going 2-1 in my bets, dropping -0.35u. 

Philadelphia 76ers SF Kelly Oubre scored 5 points and I bet him Under 13.5 points. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 99-85, and I bet Under 226.5. Hence, I'm chalking up my one loss to bad luck and my two wins to good reads. With that in mind, let's go 3-0 in the Association Wednesday. 

NBA Betting Card: November 13 

• Detroit Pistons +6.5 (-112) vs. Milwaukee Bucks at FanDuel, risking 1.12u.
• Los Angeles Clippers +4.5 (-110) vs. Houston Rockets at Caesars Sportsbook, risking 1.1u.
• Los Angeles Lakers -6 (-114) vs. Memphis Grizzlies at FanDuel, risking 1.14u.

Pistons (+6.5) at Bucks, 8 p.m. ET

The Bucks have been -11.9 favorites on average in their last eight meetings with the Pistons since 2022. Milwaukee opening as a -6.5 favorite vs. Detroit Tuesday is a sign of how far the Bucks have fallen under coach Doc Rivers. While the Pistons are winless in those games, they are 5-3 against the spread (ATS). 

Also, Detroit has covered the second of its two back-to-backs (B2B) this season, both at home: A 124-118 loss to the Boston Celtics as +12.5 underdogs and a 115-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Milwaukee has lost the second leg of its two B2Bs, both on the road: 119-108 to the Celtics and 116-94 to the New York Knicks. 

I'm a sucker for a good revenge game and this is the Pistons SG Malik Beasley Revenge Game. That's mostly a joke because Beasley is a backup in Detroit. Yet, he started 77 games for the Bucks in 2023-24, shooting a career- and team-high 41.3% from deep. Beasley is down to 34.5% from 3-point land this season, but he shoots a team-high 7.6 threes per game. 

Detroit Pistons PG Cade Cunningham drives past Milwaukee Bucks wing Taurean Prince at the Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

While Beasley isn't a needle-mover, he is a glue guy, who can space the floor. The Bucks didn't replace guys like Beasley, SF Jae Crowder, and PG Cameron Payne from last year's team. Bucks PG All-Star Damian Lillard is questionable with a concussion and All-Star SF Khris Middleton hasn't played this season, and he doesn't have a timetable for returning. 

Detroit PG Cade Cunningham looks like an All-Star and can light up Milwaukee's weak defensive backcourt. Ultimately, the Pistons are playing better, probably want this game more, and are healthier. Over the last two weeks, Detroit is +3.4 in ATS margin and Milwaukee is -3.6, according to CleaningTheGlass.com. 

Prediction: Detroit 111, Milwaukee 109

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Clippers (+4.5) at Rockets, 8 p.m. ET

We are getting a good price on the Clippers. They closed as +6 road underdogs in their 134-128 loss at the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday. Granted, OKC was missing starting C Chet Holmgren, who is averaging 16.4 PPG with team highs in rebounds (8.7) and blocks (2.6). But, even without Chet, the Thunder are more than 2.0 points better than the Rockets. 

Furthermore, comparing these two rosters, I like the LAC more for this season alone. Moving forward, I'll take the Rockets. We know James Harden's heliocentric style doesn't work in the playoffs, who knows if All-Star Kawhi Leonard ever plays again, and Houston has more talented young players. 

That said, Harden and Clippers SG Norman Powell are the two best players on the floor, and Clippers big Ivica Zubac can play Rockets big Alperen Sengun to a draw. Harden is averaging 20.8 PPG, 8.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists. Powell is scoring a team-high 26.0 PPG on 52.7% shooting (50.5% from three). Zubac is putting up 16.9 PPG and 12.8 rebounds. 

Prediction: Clippers 109, Houston 106 

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Grizzlies at Lakers (-6), 10 p.m. ET 

Memphis crushed Los Angeles 131-114 in their first meeting this season last week. However, Grizzlies All-Star PG Ja Morant played in that game and is sidelined for at least the next week with a hip injury. More importantly, teams usually get revenge when facing an opponent that recently beat them. 

The Lakers are 6-1 straight up (SU) and ATS with a +8.9 spread differential vs. the Grizzlies at home in the regular season and playoffs since 2022. Los Angeles is 5-0 SU and ATS at home with a +9.6 scoring margin this season. The Lakers hit 37.4% of their 3-pointers at home, and 33.3% on the road, and Memphis allows the most wide-open threes per game. 

Los Angeles Lakers big Anthony Davis screens Memphis Grizzlies SG Marcus Smart for LeBron James at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

As -6.5 home favorites, LA smacked Memphis 134-107 around this time last year. Ja didn't play in that game, but the Grizzlies had guards Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart. Well, Morant and Bane have already been ruled out for Wednesday, and Smart is "questionable" with an ankle injury that has kept him out the past six games. 

Lastly, the Lakers have the two best players on the floor, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which matters in basketball. LeBron is averaging 23.2 points per game (PPG) on 51.5% shooting (44.4% from three), 7.7 rebounds, and 8.9 assists. AD adds 31.2 PPG, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game, and he is the best defender in the NBA right now. 

Prediction: Lakers 122, Memphis 110

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