The NBA returns post All-Star break with a six game slate. There aren’t any real blockbuster matchups on the cards, but there’s still plenty of value that we’re keen to take advantage of in some particular games. As usual, we have a full preview and betting tips for the key games of the day below.
NBA Betting Tips Friday February 21st
Milwaukee Bucks @ Detroit Pistons
11:10am AEDT
The league leading Bucks will be hoping that the week off hasn’t stalled their momentum as they look to record the best regular season record in franchise history. They’re on track to notch 65+ wins and will resume that quest with a pretty favourable draw post All-Star break. The Bucks have been lucky with the lack of injuries to key players this season, which will have them in good stead for the next couple of months.
The Detroit Pistons have decided to completely blow it up this season, moving on from furniture pieces in Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond. They’re now one of the youngest teams in the association and with that will certainly come some struggles for consistency. It definitely isn’t a great time to be a Pistons fan, but they do have a couple of young players that make their games at least a little bit enjoyable.
This is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Bucks, getting a nice easy kill to kick-start the back end of the season. We expect that the week off with have rejuvenated their veterans and will have them fit and firing for this game. A 20+ point win looks very likely here.
Milwaukee Bucks -12.5
$1.91
Brooklyn Nets @ Philadelphia 76ers
12:10pm AEDT
The Nets have had their fair share of struggles this season and will be hoping that the week off will help get everyone back on the court. Kyrie Irving has had a typical Kyrie Irving season, missing a whole lot of basketball and causing plenty of locker room drama. Despite all of this, the Nets still have a chance to finish the season strong and grab one of the final playoff seeds in the East.
The 76ers haven’t been quite as good as many thought they would be so far this season, but they’ve still got plenty of time to fine tune before the playoffs. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons continue to struggle to coexist and are probably playing their last season together if they bow out early in the playoffs.
The 76ers have had some issues this season, but rarely have they occurred on their home deck in Philadelphia. The Sixers are an emphatic 25-2 on their home deck and come up against a Nets outfit that is just 9-16 on the road. We’re tipping an easy win for the home side here.
Philadelphia 76ers -8.5
$1.96
Houston Rockets @ Golden State Warriors
2:40pm AEDT
The Rockets were always going to find it tough to integrate such a ball-dominant player like Russell Westbrook to play alongside James Harden and that’s exactly how it’s played out. They’re both having excellent individual seasons from a statistical standpoint, but rarely do they both play at their best in the same game. That said, the Rockets are still in a good position, sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
The Warriors have had a huge drop off this season thanks to a few unforeseen circumstances. Injuries have completely derailed any chance they had of being competitive, which means now they’ll just tank and get a top five draft pick. They’ve managed to win just 12 games to date, which is the worst record in the NBA.
These are two clubs with completely different ambitions and expectations this season. The week off will have treated the Rockets well considering they have a new-ish game plan they’re trying to implement. We expect them to come out firing and put this game to bed early.
Houston Rockets -9.5
$1.91
