We’re now over a week into the new NBA season and have a decent handle on which teams are going to be contenders and pretenders this season. Here, we take a look at the upcoming nine-game slate on Thursday and bring you all our best bets.
NBA Betting Tips: Thursday, 28th of October
Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics
TD Garden, 10:30am AEDT
Washington got off on the right foot this season with upset wins in each of their first two games, although they finally succumbed to defeat in their third start when they were no match for the Nets on the road. Regardless, this Wizards team being 2-1 entering the second week of the season is a big positive for their organisation.
Boston were sluggish out of the gates with disappointing defeats in their first two games of the season, with their 115-83 home loss to the Raptors being the worst of them. However, they managed to find some form on their travels with a pair of wins against the Rockets and the Hornets and now find themselves even on the ledger.
We were badly burned by the Celtics when we had them to cover the spread against the Raptors last week, but they’ve found their feet and look like great value to cover a small spread at home against one of the weakest teams in the league on Thursday. We’re happy to be on them to make amends for their poor effort last time out.
Boston Celtics -4.5
$1.90
Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers
Moda Center, 1pm AEDT
Memphis have gritted and grinded their way to a solid 2-1 start to the season and are unlucky not be unblemished after losing a tight one to Lakers last time out. Ja Morant continues to get better and looks set for a monster third season in the league after averaging 35 points and eight assists through the first three outings.
Portland had mixed performances and results in their first week of the season, winning against a great Suns outfit by 29 points, but losing to the Clippers by 30 and the lowly Kings by three. Damian Lillard has struggled mightily shooting the ball in all three games, which usually means he’s about to explode for a 50-piece.
This is a tough match to predict considering the inconsistency of the Trail Blazers so far, but what we do expect is for this to be a high-scoring affair. All three of the Grizzlies games this season have seen 234+ points scored and the same mark has been achieved in 2/3 of the Trail Blazers games. On top of that, the average total from the last five meetings between these teams is 251, so it’s fair to say the total points line looks a little too low here.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Clippers
Staples Center, 1:30pm AEDT
Cleveland have quietly built themselves a solid young roster over the last couple of seasons and will be a team to watch for in the next few years. They’ve had a solid start so far this campaign with two wins from their four games, both of which have come against likely playoff teams in the Nuggets and the Hawks.
Los Angeles Clippers were always going to find the start of the season difficult as they play without their main superstar in Kawhi Leonard. Paul George has tried hard to keep the Clippers afloat with some big performances out of the gate, but it’s led to just one win from three games which came last start against the Trail Blazers.
The Clippers when healthy are by far the more talented and experienced team in this matchup; however, having Kawhi Leonard on the sidelines certainly evens things up a touch. We’ve been impressed with how competitive the young Cavaliers have been so far this campaign and believe they’re a sneaky chance of causing the upset of the slate on Thursday.
Cleveland Cavaliers +8
$1.90
Player Props
10am Hornets at Magic – Miles Bridges O29.5 PRA ($1.95 Sportsbet)
10am Hornets at Magic – Cole Anthony O26.5 PRA ($1.90 TAB)
10:30am Hawks at Pelicans – Nickeil Alexander-Walker 25+ PRA ($2 TAB), 30+ PRA ($3.90 TAB)
10:30am Wizards at Celtics – Kyle Kuzma 10+ Rebounds ($2.90 TAB)
1pm Kings at Suns – Harrison Barnes O16.5 Points ($1.90 TAB)
1pm Grizzlies at Trail Blazers – Ja Morant O25.5 Points ($1.80 Sportsbet)
1pm Grizzlies at Trail Blazers – CJ McCollum 25+ Points ($2.10 TAB)
1:30pm Cavaliers at Trail Blazers – Reggie Jackson 20+ Points ($2.15 TAB)
