NBA Sharp Report: How Pros Are Betting Heat vs. Cavs, Mavs vs. Knicks

This time of the year, Thursdays offer bettors all sorts of options, with every major fall/winter league in action. And while Thursday Night Football will dominate the bet count, followed by college football's two-game slate, sharp bettors aren't forgetting about the value they can find in the NBA.

Tonight, they've found such value on two games in particular: an early tip between the Heat and Cavs, and a return to Madison Square Garden for Kristaps Porzingis with the Mavericks.

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Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

6 p.m. ET | SUN

Currently tied for seventh in the East, Cleveland's 4-6 start is probably a much better one than most folks would've expected. It hasn't helped the Cavs gain any love from bettors, however.

Opening at +4.5 at most shops (and as high as +6 at the earliest books) to market, the Cavs have drawn just 21% of bettors in thus far, putting them on pace to be tonight's least popular spread bet. Despite that, they've fallen from +4.5 down to a flat +4.

Oddsmakers aren't in the business of losing money, so that move isn't because they felt like being nice to the majority of their customers. Instead, they were convinced by sharp bettors on the other side that they'd set this line too high.

Two Sports Insights Bet Signals — one steam and one reverse line move — hit the Cavs at +4.5, revealing professional action was the cause of the line fall.

Sharp angle: Cavaliers (moved from +4.5 to +4)

Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks

8 p.m. ET | TNT

Just as no one wants any part of Cleveland, the Knicks are only a smidge more popular with a 22% backing. The line in this game, though, has moved toward the popular side (Dallas has gone from -6.5 to -7.5), which doesn't suggest the same type of sharp action on the underdogs.

As for the total, professional action has definitely had an impact, as once again oddsmakers are moving the number away from the popular side.

Sixty-nine percent of bettors have taken the over, and in this case, those bettors have generated just 36% of actual money being wagered, which serves as another indication of sharp action (since sharps are more likely to be the ones making bigger bets).

Another two SI Bet Signals have hit the under, confirming that pros are behind the downward movement.

Sharp angle: Under (moved from 216.5 to 215)