Does the new streak start today? The Warriors are back at home for the next 5, and looking to “take their game to the next level” as Steph Curry put it.
So I guess here comes the 57-0 streak to finish the season…
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Today’s 12 game previews and spreads.
Detroit WIN @1.72.
Grizzlies +8.5 @$1.46.
Clippers -7.5 @1.55.
Pelicans +11.5 @1.33.
Tonight’s games below…
Dallas at Indiana
Points +/- Rank
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 14 | Dallas | 101.6 | 100.6 | +1 |
| 7 | Indiana | 103.6 | 99.4 | +4.2 |
The Say
We will have to go with the home team here. Indy proved us very wrong by dismantling the Raptors at home and it could be a repeat against the Mavs tonight. Dallas are still sticking around in the West and had a good win against the Suns last time out.
Feeling Lucky: Indiana WIN @1.54.
Charlotte at Orlando
Points +/- Rank
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 6 | Charlotte | 102.7 | 98 | +4.7 |
| 12 | Orlando | 100.1 | 98.5 | +1.6 |
The Say
We labelled Charlotte the form team of the East last game and then they lost…. but we aren’t dropping off just yet. They should be able to get over the line in Orlando but we arent too confident to lock it in. Maybe go handicap or skip all together.
Feeling Lucky: Charlotte WIN @1.99 or the line.
Miami at Brooklyn
Points +/- Rank
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 9 | Miami | 95.8 | 93.6 | +2.2 |
| 28 | Brooklyn | 96 | 102.6 | -6.6 |
The Say
Miami insists there is no substance to the rumours that Hassan Whiteside (12.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 4.0 bpg) is headed for a trade, and from their end, they should stay sound. One of the big names mentioned was Dwight Howard, so yeah, I’d stick with the young gun.
Miami all the way here, may the force be with you.
Best Bet: Miami WIN @1.56
Boston at Detroit
Points +/- Rank
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 5 | Boston | 103.7 | 98.8 | +4.9 |
| 10 | Detroit | 99.3 | 97.7 | +1.6 |
The Say
Both these teams could pull anything out. As we know Boston make it hard to beat them most nights but after a tough game at home to Cleveland, we will have to side with the home team.
Feeling Lucky: Detroit WIN @1.72.
Minnesota at New York
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 19 | Minnesota | 102.3 | 103.5 | -1.2 |
| 20 | New York | 97.3 | 99.2 | -1.9 |
The Say
Seems like it’s a night for home teams. New York were able to steal a win on the road to Portland while Minnesota couldn’t close the game against the Nuggets last night. This will be the first time the two Rookie of the Year candidates in Towns and Porzingis s face/off.
Best Bet: New York WIN @1.48
Philadelphia at Atlanta
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 30 | Philadelphia | 90.6 | 103.3 | -12.7 |
| 16 | Atlanta | 99.7 | 99.7 | 0 |
The Say
Former NBL coach of the year Brett Brown probably wishes he was back with the North Melbourne Giants at times…if it wasn’t for his 2 million dollar contract. The 76ers played their best quarter of the season so far against the Bulls – scoring 37 in the second – but still lost by 20. Nerlens Noel is expected to miss again with a scratched cornea. They just can’t take a trick.
Meanwhile the Hawks have lost three on the trot and can’t hit the broad side of the barn. After finishing 2nd to Golden State in three point % last season, they’ve slumped to 18th this season. Expect Kyle Korver and the gang to find some form tonight.
The Best Bet: Toss up between Hawks -7.5 or 76ers +19.5, both paying $1.40. We’ll go with Hawks -7.5.
Feeling Lucky: 76ers win @$9.00. Better be wearing your lucky underpants for this one.
Memphis at Chicago
Points +/- Rank
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 24 | Memphis | 96.6 | 101 | -4.4 |
| 13 | Chicago | 98.9 | 97.5 | +1.4 |
The Say
The Bulls are starting to get some swagger back, and despite D Rose’s inner dialogue, this is now Jimmy Butler’s (20.7 ppg, 3.2 apg, 5.2 rpg) team.
The inconsistent Bulls, trying for 4 straight wins, come up against an equally inconsistent Grizzlies. D Rose has a new streamlined haircut and ditched the face mask (hopefully for good), while Memphis has ditched Z Bo to the bench. Both changes seem to be working so far.
The Best Bet: Grizzlies +8.5 @$1.46. Bulls have only won by 10+ in three games this season. Twice against Philly and once against the Nets. Expect a close one.
Feeling Lucky: Bulls 1-10 @$2.44. United Center crowd to be the difference.
Portland at Oklahoma
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 15 | Portland | 102 | 102 | 0 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 107.6 | 100.7 | +6.9 |
The Say
Can you hear that? That’s the Thunder, and its building! That was lame, but seriously, is there a team that features on more highlight reels these days than OKC (well maybe the Warriors, but we aren’t talking deep 3’s here).
When Durant (27.5 ppg, 4.2 apg, 7.9 apg) and Westbrook (22.4 ppg, 8.7 apg, 7.3 rpg) are both healthy, there’s excitement in the air.
Damian Lillard (24.7 ppg, 6.7 apg, 4.7 rpg) is doing his best to put on his own show, and although he is producing his own highlights on a nightly basis, the loss of Wesley Matthews and LeMarcus Aldridge has left the Blazers without the depth required for consistency.
The Thunder will…roll on… here, and here is a little ditty to celebrate this fact, and just because…
Best Bet: OKC -6.5 @1.55
Washington at San Antonio
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 23 | Washington | 101.5 | 105.6 | -4.1 |
| 1 | San Antonio | 101.1 | 87.9 | +13.2 |
The Say
Anybody notice that the Spurs (+13.2) snuck ahead in the +/- points per game leaderboard, ahead of the Warriors (13.1)? No? Me neither, until I was uploading the stats. Not anything significant, but isn’t that just like the Spurs. When people are so good at something, for so long, sometimes you don’t pay attention to the fact that they are actually, still really damn good.
How the Cavs (3.75) are still ahead of the Spurs (5.50) in the Championship betting is surprising, but also not surprising, if that makes sense…
The Spurs have won 22 straight at home, and are 1 victory away from making it the longest home winning streak in NBA history.
If there’s something that the Spurs do better than any other team, its player management. Resting their starting 5 for the last 1 minutes in a rout of the Jazz was another example.“It’s always great because it adds up,” said Tony Parker (12.8 ppg, 4.9 apg) who had 18 points in 21 minutes against the Jazz. “All the rest that we’re getting right now will help come playoff time.”
Spurs will win here, with enough time for the starters to again cool their heels early-mid last quarter.
Best Bet: Spurs -9.5 @1.54.
New Orleans at Utah
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 27 | New Orleans | 101.7 | 108.3 | -6.6 |
| 18 | Utah | 97.1 | 97.4 | -0.3 |
The Say
Two teams that have been camped in Struggle Town for a while face off, in what could be a roll of the dice. The Pelicans (1-12 away) are one off the worst travelling teams in the NBA, and this could be the deciding factor. But seriously, who the hell knows.
The Jazz have dropped 6 0f the last 8, and were ‘pantsed’ 118-81 by the Spurs last time out.
“The sky kind of fell, but it happens,” Jazz coach Snyder said. “We had no juice, but that’s the wrong team to play when you’re out of gas. Their defense is terrific and they are a championship-level program.”
There is no reason to have any faith in either the Jazz or the Pelicans, and for this reason we will pick a safe-ish line for the Pelicans that we think they can stay within with some of their better players back on the court.
Best Bet: Pelicans +11.5 @1.33.
Phoenix at Golden State
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 17 | Phoenix | 104.8 | 105 | -0.2 |
| 2 | Golden State | 115.3 | 102.2 | +13.1 |
The Say
Now the real season begins for the Warriors, following the finish of the fairytale. It had to end sooner or later, and generally these things happen for the better. The pressure is off, and that’s makes it even scarier as a Warriors opponent.
“The perspective of being 24-1 is a little different than undefeated,” said Stephen Curry (32.3 ppg, 6.0 apg, 5.3 rpg). “You don’t have to answer questions about it, hopefully no more creative shirts in the stands and stuff like that. We can just play basketball. It is just about how we’re playing. Obviously we want to continue to win games. We have to take our game to the next level.”
Next level? Christ almighty.
With 5 straight back at home, over 2 weeks, the Warriors will be fresh, and work out the kinks in the game. Then it’s onwards and upwards for 57-0.
Oh, and they’ll win this one, in what should be a very high scoring affair.
Best Bet: Phoenix +18.5 @1.29.
Milwaukee at LA Clippers
| RK | TEAM | OWN | OPP | DIFF |
| 26 | Milwaukee | 95.5 | 101.2 | -5.7 |
| 10 | LA Clippers | 102.6 | 100.9 | +1.7 |
The Say
The Bucks went from chocolates to boiled lollies pretty quickly. Breaking the Warriors streak had them breaking out the 24-1 t-shirts in the crowd. Good times. Those good times were quickly followed by a 113-95 loss to the Lakers. Thud.
The Clippers (15-10) keep winning, but it’s always a grind, even against the struggling sides. So either they just know how to win, or they’ve been lucky. We will go with the previous.
“I think a win like this can go a long ways,” Jamal Crawford (12.6 ppg) said. “We handled adversity again. I think we were down three with a minute to go in Minnesota. This game, we’re down 86-81, a minute and a half, two minutes (left), and we found a way to win.”
With a day off day off and at home, we’ll give the W to the Clips. But tipping this one won’t we as narrow.
Best Bet: Clippers -7.5 @1.55.
