The NBA season continues this Saturday with a seven game slate to sink our teeth into. The action kicks off at 11.00am and we have you covered with betting tips for the key games of the day below.
NBA Betting Tips Saturday 8th February
Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks
11.30am (AEDT)
Both the Hawks and Bucks are hovering right around the bubble in the Eastern Conference, and with just a week to go until the All-Star break, games are becoming super important as teams look to solidify their place in the standings. It’s been a tough stretch for the Hawks, who have lost their last five straight games at home, and have won just one of their last 10 overall.
The Bucks were busy in the recent trade period, acquiring Wizards star Kyle Kuzma in a trader that saw Bucks veteran Khris Middleton shipped off to Washington. The move should give the Bucks more athleticism and alongside guard Damian Lillard, a lot of the scoring load should now be relieved from star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Hawks and Bucks have split their previous two meetings so far this season, but I’m leaning towards Milwaukee here given the form Atlanta are currently in. The Hawks are the third worst team in the league against the spread this season at a dismal 13-23, and have failed to cover in their last two home games. Back the Bucks to cover the 6.5 here.
Toronto Raptors at Oklahoma City Thunder
12.00pm (AEDT)
The Thunder have the best record in the league at the moment at an impressive 40-9, and they are also one of the best teams against the spread, going 26-12 in that regard. They have covered their last three games in a row, all home games against solid opposition in the Kings, Bucks and Suns, and they’ll be at home again on Saturday for this clash.
On the contrary, the Raptors have had largely a season to forget, maintaining just a 16-35 record straight up, good for 13th place in the Eastern Conference. Despite that, they have been one of the better teams against the spread this season at 22-16. Scottie Barnes has been the Raptors' shining light this season, averaging 19.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander has been on an absolute scoring tear all season, putting up a league best 32.8 points per game. In his last seven games, he’s upped that to a ridiculous 40.7 poonts per game, including three 50 point games. He seems to still play big minutes when Thunder win big as well, as he did in their last game, scoring 50 points in 34 minutes as the Thunder defeated the Suns by 31 points. Back him to go large again on Saturday.
Gilgeous-Alexander Over 31.5 Pts
$1.83
Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns
2pm (AEDT)
The Suns have lost their last three straight games and were in the headlines throughout the week as star forward Kevin Durant voiced frustrations about potential trades involving him being discussed by the Phoenix front office. They have slipped out of the top eight in the Western Conference and will be desperately hunting some form leading into the All-Star break.
The game against the 12-37 Jazz couldn’t come at a better time for the Suns. The Jazz are firmly entrenched in the tanking race for Duke star Cooper Flagg and shouldn’t have much interest in winning this game. They have lost 8 of their last 10 and are a dismal 7-19 on the road this season.
The Suns will win this game at home, but the nine point line is a little high for me here. Instead I’m going to take the unders. The Suns are one of the most under heavy teams in the league this season, while five of the last seven Jazz games have all gone under. When the two teams last met, a total of just 220 points were scored in an eight point win for the Jazz.
