The Golden State Warriors suffered their first loss of the 2015-16 NBA season and it came against the 10-15 Bucks. They highlight our Thursday December 17 NBA Preview and Betting Tips as they return home against the Phoenix Suns.
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Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors (Thursday 2.30pm AEDT)
As mentioned, the Warriors suffered their first loss of the season and unfortunately for the Suns this could be the worst time to face them as they will be out for vengeance and to move on from their disappointing loss. Klay Thompson will have had a few extra days rest whilst Harrison Barnes could also return to the line-up. This will contribute massively to the Warriors on both ends of the floor as they look to continue their ridiculous offensive of 115.3 points per game.
The Suns will attempt to match it with the Warriors with offensive power, as they are 4th in the league but a massive 10 points less on average. However, they could struggle on the defensive end as they are 25th in the league and to make matters worse they will be without their biggest defensive presence around the paint in Tyson Chandler. With the Warriors 3-point shooting, the Suns will be trapped into protecting the perimeter and without a shot blocker it will contribute to the Warriors getting easy buckets and blowing this game open.
TIP: Warriors -11 @ $1.91 with Sportsbet
Portland Trail Blazers at Oklahoma City Thunder (Thursday 12pm AEDT)
The OKC will be fresh and ready to fire after having three days rest before their match with the Trail Blazers. In their last contest they were able to pick up a strong comeback victory against the Jazz at home where they trailed by more than 10 points in two separate parts of the match. They rely heavily on the scoring of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook but with both players playing at such a high level – they will be able to expect a lot from them and Durant was rewarded for his hard work with the Western Conference Player of the Week award.
Meanwhile the Blazers picked up a hard fought victory at home against the struggling Pelicans to improve their record as 11-15. They are on the cusp of a playoff position but the side is more of a lottery team this year and the Thunder will run away with this one at home.
TIP: Thunder 1-10 @ $2.95 with WilliamHill
Washington Wizards at San Antonio Spurs (Thursday 12.30pm AEDT)
The Spurs are continuing to cruise under the radar and despite their loss in Toronto they had another solid week. They are 21-5 and have had one of the tougher schedules thus far. They are undefeated at home this season at 13-0 which says it will be incredibly hard for the Wizards to pick up an upset in this one, especially considering the team will be without Bradley Beal for the next two weeks. This will put added pressure on the shoulders of John Wall and those players around him.
The Spurs defence will be too strong for the Wizards, especially without Beal as they won’t be able to spread the floor as efficiently. Meanwhile Khawi Leonard will probably spend some time shutting down Wall, which will contribute greatly to a solid victory on their home court but they won’t be able to clear the massive line.
TIP: Wizards +12.5 @ $1.94 with Crownbet
Memphis Grizzlies at Chicago Bulls (Thursday 12pm AEDT)
These two teams came into the season known for their defensive grit. That seems to have escaped from them this year and it hasn’t contributed to their offence improving by much as the offensive efficiency for both sides has actually dropped.
Both sides are in the bottom 10 with the Grizzlies ranked worse whilst their defence is a lot worse, however they have been blown out by strong sides that makes it look worse than what it is. The Bulls have the best rebounding in the game will contribute massively to their win against the Grizzlies that struggle in that area and most of the others.
TIP: Bulls -3.5 @ $1.91 with Palmerbet
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!