ESPN Australia is back with another double-header for Saturday, the 17th of December featuring the Lakers at Philly and the Mavericks at Utah. See our previews and betting tips for the big games + more below!
Los Angeles Lakers vs Philidelphia 76ers (12pm AEDT)
The Lakers travel to Philly Saturday in a must win game against the equal league worst Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers sit at 10-18 on the season so far, having lost their last 8 games after being a respectable 10-10. They surprised many with their start but have come crashing back to earth in recent weeks, partly due to some injuries to key players like D’Angelo Russel, but mostly due to what we predicted at the start of the season, just a young, inconsistent team.
Philly have their tails up at the moment, winning two of their last three, including a great win over Eastern Conference playoff hopes the Detroit Pistons. With the return of Joel Embiid, the 76ers are back to their competitive best, and while their lack of their experience means they struggle to last the full 48 minutes on most nights, for stretches they are one of the most exciting teams in the league to watch. With Embiid being back and having the home court advantage, I like Philly to win this one and cover the small line.
TIP: Philadelphia -1.5 – $1.91 at Crownbet
Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz (2.30pm AEDT)
ESPN have made some questionable decisions with this Saturday’s double header, not only do we get the bottom dwelling Lakers and 76ers, we also get served up the equal worst Dallas Mavericks, who have a 6-19 record coming up against the most defensive team in the league. If you’re a fan of teams not being able to put the ball in the basket, then this is the game for you.
The Mavericks average a league worst 93 points per game, while the Jazz are also in the bottom 10 with a mere 100. The 93 that the Mav’s do average is including all the games they’ve played against teams with mediocre defences, Utah is not one of them. Utah allows the least points per game in the NBA at 95, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Dallas scored uner 75 in this one. The under is a good play in this one at almost any amount.
TIP: Total UNDER 186.5 - $1.86 at Crownbet
New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets (12pm AEDT)
The Pelicans will travel to Houston for a matchup that promises to be anything but the one mentioned above. While the Pels have had their issues scoring the ball without star point guard Jrue Holliday, when he’s been healthy and playing, the New Orleans offence has fired on all cylinders. Combine that with a Houston defence that would be ranked as one of the most efficient in NBA history if not for what the Warriors are currently doing, and you have a recipe for a lot of points.
I think the Rockets will take this one comfortably at home, so there’s no value in the $1.06 being offered for them to win. However, the total points line of 220.5 looks a bit too low. With the Pels shooting the 3 ball at a season best rate the last two games, and the Rockets averaging 112 per game, I’d like the over in this game all the way up to around 230.
TIP: Total Points OVER 220.5 - $1.91 at Crownbet
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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!
