The 2016-17 NBA season has started with a bang with a lot of huge individual performances and a number of sides remain undefeated. Yet again the Wednesday night games look interesting for Australian fans as we offer our Thursday, November 3rd preview including betting tips for the Australian televised Thunder at Clippers.
Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards (Thursday 10am AEST)
The Wizards have had a slow start to the season and haven’t earned a win in their first two games. However, they will return to their home court for the first time this year and this should give the side a much-needed lift. John Wall has been averaging a double-double to start the year and is the floor general but he needs help from the rest of his teammates.
Meanwhile the Raptors have taken off from where they finished last year and are looking very much like the side that reached the Eastern Conference finals. Demar Derozan has taken his game to another level and has averaged 36-points, 5.5-rebounds and 2-assists across the opening three games. Their only loss came against the Cavaliers and they almost came away with the win. This will be their first game on the road but we are predicting the side to come away with a narrow win.
TIP: Raptors by 1-10 points - $2.64 at Sportsbet
New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies (Thursday 11am AEST)
The Pelicans are winless after their opening three games and it is quite remarkable considering the huge numbers Anthony Davis has been putting up. After being shutdown early last season due to injury, the “monobrow” stormed into the new year with a 50-point game on opening night and he has backed it up in his next two games to be averaging 38-points and 12-rebounds. Davis has a solid supporting cast but he clearly needs more from them to earn victories.
The Grizzlies have two wins from their three games and earned a huge come from behind victory over the Wizards. Marc Gasol has been huge for the side and their defence has returned to its best after a disappointing effort last season. We are predicting it to be a huge match up between the men in the middle with the younger Davis to get the advantage, however the rest of his teammates will let him down again.
These two sides will be backing up after games yesterday that saw the Pelicans lose to the Bucks whilst the Grizzlies were blown away by the Timberwolves as they had Marc Gasol and Mike Conley inactive.
TIP: Grizzlies - Market to come
Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (Thursday 11am AEST)
This could be the beginning of a continued rivalry this season and a possible match up in the playoffs. The Bulls have proved all of the doubters wrong and have started the season 3-0. They were expected to be unable to spread the floor but Jimmy Butler and Dwayne Wade have improved their 3-point shooting and are still able to be dangerous and get to the basket.
Meanwhile the Celtics added Al Horford and he is a huge presence in the middle of the court – however, he hasn’t been able to find his way as of yet but it still is only early days and the chemistry will improve as the games go by. They will have the advantage of playing in front of their home crowd but the Bulls have such a great offence at the moment that we are predicting them to be too strong as the Celtics need to improve their defence.
TIP: Bulls to win - $2.42 at Sportsbet
Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers (Thursday 1.30pm AEST - LIVE on ESPN)
Thursday’s games will conclude with the battle of the 3-0 sides. The Clippers and Thunder both remain undefeated and whilst the Clippers have improved their teamwork and are looking strong on defence the Thunder have relied heavily on one player to do their work.
Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double which includes a massive 39-points per game. He has the killer instinct and he will do whatever he can to see Oklahoma succeed and he certainly has a fire in his belly after the departure of Kevin Durant and he has excelled with the reigns in his hands.
Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin are the heavy lifters for the side and J.J Reddick spreads the floor for the big men to have space in the middle. It will be the first real challenge for the Thunder as they have faced three relatively easy opponents in the 76ers, Suns and Lakers and this challenge will be too much for them.
TIP: Clippers & Over 207.5 points - $2.56 at CrownBet
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!
