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Saturday’s Best NBA, NHL & NASCAR Bets (3/2)

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No matter your sport of choice, there's always sports betting action to be had. We'll have you covered each and every day with our daily best bets. Here are our best bets across each major sport in action today.

Today's Best Bets

NBA Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers

The Nuggets (41-19) hook up with the Lakers (34-28) in front of a national television audience in the primetime game on ABC. Denver has won five in a row while covering in four of those outings. Denver failed to pick up a cover in an NBA Finals rematch with the Miami Heat on Thursday, though the team did get the job done 103-97 as a 6.5-point favorite.

The Lakers edged the lowly Washington Wizards 134-131 in OT as a 10.5-point favorite on Thursday, and while they have won three of the past four, they are just 1-4 ATS in the past five outings. They also failed to cover as 3-point underdogs in the most recent battle against the Nuggs at Crypto.com Arena, with Denver coming away with a 114-106 win. Look for Nikola Jokic and company to get the job done against the play-in-ish Lakers again in this one.

Bet: Nuggets Moneyline (-112)

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NHL Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Winnipeg Jets @ Carolina Hurricanes

The Jets have been incredible lately, as they're 7-2-0 in their last nine. The big reason is because of Connor Hellebuyck's phenomenal season. He's currently a large favorite to win his second Vezina Trophy and is leading all goalies with 31.3 goals saved above expected. They are solid offensively, 1oth in expected goals at even strength, with seven players having double-digit goals, but they look to their defense to win.

What makes the Hurricanes so good is they can do it either way. Their 55.82% expected goals in all situations are third and show how well-balanced the top team is. The defense has been shining, as 25.5 shots allowed per game leads the league. Lately, the goaltending has also been on lock, with Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin allowing 1.91 goals per game over their last 12.

This should be a great defensive matchup, but both offenses are good enough that the total could go either way. Carolina has a deeper roster of forwards and a better blue line, so look for them to take this one at home.

Bet: Hurricanes Moneyline (-140)

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NASCAR Best Bets

(Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook)

2024 Pennzoil 400

With a usually juiced T10 market at mile-and-halfs, Caesars Sporstbook is now offering a variety of combo placements. I'm about it, especially those involving Christopher Bell. The 29-year-old has become an elite driver at the high-speed mile-and-a-halfs, pacing fifth in combined total speed rankings at them last season.

He finished fourth in this race a year ago and second in the latest running in the fall. While Kyle Larson ultimately won last time here in Las Vegas, it was Bell who led the field in the total speed rankings and speed late in a run.

Track position matters more than almost anything at Las Vegas, and Christopher Bell knows how to get it, winning the pole twice in the four Next-Gen era races here. Despite the new Toyota body raising questions around the industry, I'm confidently backing Bell and his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate Denny Hamlin.

The 23XI owner hasn't been as dominant as Bell in the Next Gen Era (fifth in the total speed rankings), but has still finished P10, P11 and P5 in the three races where he hasn't had mechanical issues. Barring that, Hamlin is always a threat to win and a usual T10 finisher at the high-speed mile-and-halfs, placing second in last season's combined total speed rankings.

I'd be willing to pay close to even money for this duo to finish near the front on Sunday; +130 is a gift.

Bet: Christopher Bell & Denny Hamlin Both Top 10 (+130)

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