ESPN Australia is back with another massive double-header for Thursday, the 8th of December featuring the Cavaliers at New York Knicks and the Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers. See our previews and NBA betting tips for the big games and more, below!
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers (2.30pm AEDT)
The Warriors travel to Los Angeles for a top of the West clash against the Clippers Thursday. It was shaping up to be 1st vs 2nd in the West after both teams got off to hot starts, however, the Clippers recent slump has seen them drop back to 3rd behind the Spurs.
The two teams have enjoyed a very fierce rivalry over the past 5 or so years, regularly facing off in the playoffs in and playing in heated regular season matchups. This game should be no different, although, with the offensive tear the Warriors have been on recently, I see it hard for the struggling Clippers to score enough to win in this one.
The Clippers have failed to score over 110 in three of their last six matches, while the Warriors have been blowing out teams, averaging over 120 points per game throughout the season, the most in the league by a whopping 9 points. With performances like a 70-point outing against a Paul George-less Indiana Pacers in the Clips resume, I struggle to find a reason why this should be a close game.
The Warriors were 4-0 against the Clippers last year, and while the first three matchups were single digit margins, the last was a 16-point blowout, and with the addition of Kevin Durant I see this one going the same way. A four-point handicap in this one seems at least five or six too low.
TIP: Warriors -4 - $1.95 at Sportsbet
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (12pm AEDT)
The Knicks face reigning champs Cleveland Cavaliers in Madison Square Garden Thursday as they look to continue their hot run of form, winning their last four games on the trot. The Cavs were on a streak of a different kind until their fortunate win over Toronto on Tuesday.
They had lost three games in a row to the Bucks, Clippers and Bulls to slide to 14-5 on the season. Their record is still good enough to lead the Eastern Conference, but the recent run has seen them lose their air of invincibility within the East. After a strong bounce back against the Raptors, the Cavs will be hoping to capitalise here against a Knicks team that has been playing out of their skin recently.
The Knicks come into the game having won their last four games and eight of their last 10. Latvian Star Kristaps Porzingis and 9-time all-star Carmelo Anthony have been a dynamic 1-2 punch over their recent stretch, and Porzingis creates real matchup problems for a Cavs team that is smaller than it has been in the past. While LeBron James is a ready made stopper for Anthony, the Cavs lack a real versatile 7-foot defender that can match up with the 7’3 Porzingis.
Besides playing New York on opening night, when the Knicks were very much still finding their feet, the Cavs have yet to come up against one of these premier mobile centres that the league boasts. They have not faced Karl-Anthony Townes, DeMarcus Cousins or Anthony Davis yet, and with only the 6’10 Tristan Thompson to play on all of these giants, I think Porzingis could be a potential nightmare for them.
TIP: Kristaps Porzingis Points OVER 19.5 Points - $1.91 at Sportsbet
Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets (12pm AEDT)
The surprising Lakers travel to Houston Thursday for a game that promises plenty of offence, making for a great league pass option if you’re over watching the Warriors every day.
The Lakers sit at 10-13 on the season so far, with some exciting wins but also some unforgivable losses. This sort of season is expected of the Lakers however, who have plenty of youth and inexperience. While they do excite on the offensive end, their defence leaves a lot to be desired, they currently score around 104 points per game, but allow a whopping 109 per game, the 4th most in the league.
The Rockets on the other hand, score the 2nd most points in the league at 111 per game. Three of their last five games have yielded 128 points or more, all against much better defence than the Lakers will serve up.
With so many great offensive players on either side, and with James Harden firing on all cylinders, I see the Rockets scoring upwards of 125 in this one, which means the Lakers would only have to have an average game for us to hit the over.
TIP: Total Points OVER 220.0 - $1.91 at Sportsbet
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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!
