ESPN Australia is back with another solid matchup for Thursday the 29th of December as the Wizards take on the Pacers ahead of the game of the day featuring the Warriors and Raptors. Unfortunately, that game will not be televised on EPSN, but if you have NBA League Pass, or an account with one of many different betting agencies that offer live streaming, you can still catch the action! And we’ve got you covered with a preview and tips for both games + more below.
Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards (11am AEDT)
I’m dubbing this game the battle of mediocrity. These two teams are neither bad nor good, they are both extremely inconsistent, and both sit just on the outside of the Eastern conference playoff picture. The Pacers sit 9th in the East with a 15-17 record while the Wizards are one spot behind with a 14-16 record. The Pacers show more potential in my opinion, some of their losses on the season so far have been due to injuries to star small forward Paul George, while starting guard Monta Ellis has missed the last eight games and will miss another two weeks at least.
Although I think at seasons end the Pacers will boast a better record, it’s the Wizards who have been playing out of their skin recently. A good win over Milwaukee on Tuesday made it seven wins from their last 10 outings, which is as good as anyone in the league, bar the Raptors. One of those three losses was to the Pacers in Indiana last Monday, however, with an 11-6 home record this year, I think they even the series at one-all on Thursday due to their hot form and a home court advantage.
TIP: Washington Wizards -3.5 – $1.87 at CrownBet
New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks (11.30am AEDT)
In what is another battle of two teams hovering around the .500 mark, the Knicks travel to Atlanta to take on a Hawks team who since a 9-2 start to the season, have been struggling to string wins together. Dwight Howard returned from a three game absence for the Hawks in Tuesday’s loss to the Wolves, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the process. Howard has had a resurgence of sorts after a few bad years in LA and Houston, he’s back to averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds with almost 2 blocks a game, unfortunately for the Hawks, his solid play hasn’t translated into the success Atlanta has become accustomed to the last few years.
The Knicks go from being the most exciting team in the league to watch one night, to a down right disaster the next. I’m not sure we should have expected anything more from the squad of misfits and outcasts assembled by Phil Jackson. At the centre of all those pieces remains Kristaps Porzingus, it seems on the nights when he decides to take over, and his teammates accommodate his endeavors to be the star, the Knicks formula is a winning one. However, when other guys like Carmelo Anthony or Derrick Rose try to be the players they once were, that’s when the inconsistency creeps in, making them a nightmare to bet on.
The keys to the Knicks bus need to be handed to Porzingus sooner rather than later, or the Knicks face yet another season out of the playoffs. I like the Hawks to take this one at home with a healthy Dwight Howard.
TIP: Atlanta Hawks -4.5 - $1.91 at CrownBet
Toronto Raptors at Golden State Warriors (2.30pm AEDT)
The Raptors are quietly the in form team of the league at the moment at 22-8 on the season so far. However, it’s the recent form that is remarkable, they have lost only 2 of their last 16 matches. One to Cleveland and the other to the Hawks by 4 points in a game where they missed 9 free throws. They come up against a Warriors side who in my opinion, aren’t as invincible as their 27-5 record would suggest.
The Warriors lost the game of the year to the Cavs on Christmas day, which was their first real test in weeks. The Raptors should be another test, with two dynamic guards in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Contrary to most of their defensive statistics, the Warriors actually allow guards to dominate games at times. Their defence vs both guard positions is in the bottom half of the league, which means Lowry and DeRozan could score enough to keep the Raptors in this one.
The Raptors also allow only 102 points per game, which is good for the 9th best in the league, I think this one stays a bit closer than previous Warriors games, as they will struggle to score 120-130 like they do normally.
TIP: Toronto Raptors +9.5 - $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!
