After a busy Wednesday night, the NBA quiets down a bit on Thursday with a nice six-game slate. It’s a nice spot to be in when it comes to NBA betting, especially given some of the games on hand. Tonight is a good night to watch some of the top players in action, as well as shoot for the Over in regards to game Totals. But let’s take a closer look at each Thursday contest to see where you may want to lean as you try to finalize your NBA bets:
Warriors @ Magic
Orlando barely got past the Sixers the other day, so they are going to be hard pressed just to stay in this game against the defending champs. That being said, Golden State just had a tough road game against the Heat last night and could be spent. Orlando has also been at their best at home (15-14) and really has done a fantastic job of playing superior teams very close. That being said, Golden State is the better team and has lost just five games all year. They have history on the mind, so I doubt they get tripped up tonight.
Pick: Warriors 114, Magic 107
Bucks @ Celtics
Milwaukee carries a nice two-game winning streak into Boston tonight, where Isaiah Thomas and the 33-25 Celtics await. Boston is a solid 17-10 at home, while the Bucks are absolutely atrocious away from the Bradley Center (just 8-24 on the road). This series is tied at 1-1, so all things considered, I fully expect the Celtics to take over the series at TD Garden tonight.
Pick: Celtics 103, Bucks 98
Thunder @ Pelicans
This could be a very high scoring game when you consider OKC is on the road and both of these offenses can produce, but the Pelicans play absolutely no defense and the Thunder have looked fairly unstoppable lately (7-3 in last 10 games). Anthony Davis is going to need to be huge in this one, but with Serge Ibaka roughin him up, I doubt he has a big enough game to get the Pellies the win.
Pick: Thunder 107, Pelicans 102
Nets @ Suns
Two trash teams unite in the desert tonight, but on the surface the Nets look just slightly better than a Suns team that is truly falling apart. The Nets did just cut loose small forward Joe Johnson, but they should have enough scoring via Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez to take it to the Suns tonight.
Pick: Nets 97, Suns 94
Rockets @ Blazers
Fans can expect a very high-scoring game late in the night when James Harden and Dwight Howard lead their Rockets into Portland to take on Damian Lillard and the Blazers. Portland has defied logic en route to six straight wins (9-1 in last 10 games) and play host to a very shaky Houston squad they’ve beaten twice this year already. Houston will surely be up to play tonight so they can even the series, but their lack of defense and troubles on the road (just 12-16 away from home) suggests they’re not ready for a big push against a hot team.
Pick: Blazers 108, Rockets 106
Spurs @ Jazz
While we have a few games that are bound to boast explosive offense, this battle in Utah doesn’t feel like it’ll be one of them. The Spurs have been amazing (just 9 losses), while both teams rely on elite defense (neither give up more than 97 points per game). Utah has a mild edge with this game being at home (where they’re an impressive 19-10), while it should be pointed out that all of San Antonio’s losses this year have come, you guessed it, on the road. The Spurs can’t look past Utah and they certainly could be a little tired after playing last night, but they’re the better team and should win big if they come in ready tonight.
Pick: Spurs 104, Jazz 92