NBA Tuesday In-Season Tournament best bets
The In-Season Tournament resumes Tuesday night, which means most of the league is in action and that the colored courts are back. Let's get to our best bets for the night.
Hawks @ Pistons (+4.5, O/U 233)
The Hawks' offense has been completely reinvented under Quin Snyder. As a result, Atlanta is off to a 5-4 start and has the NBA's sixth-best offensive rating.
The Pistons' defensive rating ranks in the bottom third of the league, and their season has gone about as expected. Detroit has talent but is too young and still figuring out who to play and how to work together, leading to a 2-9 start.
The Hawks scored at least 117 points in seven of their last eight games. The only outlier was in their last game against a Heat team with a top-10 defense.
Pick: Hawks -4.5 and Hawks team total over 117.5 points
Grizzlies @ Lakers (-4.5, O/U 223)
This game very much depends on LeBron James' status. He sat out the last game with a calf strain, but it isn't a serious injury, and he's questionable for Tuesday night's game.
This line indicates he's playing, so assuming that news becomes official later in the day, don't expect too much line movement. The Lakers are significantly better with James on the floor, but they still defeated the Blazers without him Sunday.
The Lakers have won two straight since coach Darvin Ham tweaked the starting lineup and moved Austin Reaves to the bench. The 2-8 Grizzlies are a mess and just counting down the days until Ja Morant returns. Wait until James' status is official to take this, but even if he's ruled out, laying the points with the Lakers is worth a look.
Pick: Lakers -4.5 (take up to 6 if James is playing)
Obi Toppin: Over 8.5 points
The Pacers have the league's top-rated offense and score at an unbelievable pace. That's partly because they like to run in transition and sprint down the floor, which only works thanks to point guard Tyrese Haliburton's vision.
He pushes the ball and rewards his teammates running in transition. There's no greater beneficiary of that than Toppin, who's often the most athletic guy on the court.
The Sixers allow the fourth-most points in transition, which Indiana exploited Sunday to the tune of 126 total points, including 14 from Toppin. Philadelphia should put a greater emphasis on transition defense in this rematch, but Toppin will still find a way to get his points.
Odds: -115 (playable to -120)
Nic Claxton: Over 9.5 rebounds
Claxton returned to the lineup Sunday after missing the previous eight games and did what he does best: grab rebounds. He tallied 13 in 28 minutes.
The Nets desperately missed their center. Ben Simmons usually helps on the boards, but he's out Tuesday night, so there should be even more rebounds available for Claxton to sweep up.
Expect him to play at least 30 minutes and grab at least 10 rebounds.
Odds: -110 (playable to -130)
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage.