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We’re a week removed from the Green Bay Packers surprising home loss to the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. It’s hard to know what to make of this team as they have really struggled this year. Just when it looks like they could be done, they beat the first place Vikings to get into a tie. The loss against the Lions at home was the start of all the worry about them and tonight is a near must-win for Green Bay as they’ve now lost four of their past five. It won’t be easy for the Lions who have won three straight. This is a great Thursday game and it should be a fun one to watch.
The NBA is also in full swing tonight, highlighted by a match-up between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder. A few years ago this would have been the marquee match-up to see between two perennial title contenders. This year it doesn’t quite have that levity, but it still should be a great match-up. They are both, at worst, the third or fourth best team in their respective conference and tonight’s game should be a fun one.
NBA Betting Tips:
The Indiana Pacers are an awesome 12-2 against the spread over their last 14 games. Paul George is back and he is an absolute beast. The CJ Miles and Paul George duo is just on fire right now and I don’t see this Portland Trailblazer team being able to slow them down tonight. Portland is just 4-8 straight up as an underdog this season and their wins have all come against the lower tier teams in the league (see: Lakers, Los Angeles). The Pacers are an elite team in the East and you should be grabbing them as much as you can before the rest of the world realize it. Pacers -2.5 is the play.
When Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are playing together, good things tend to happen for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their new coach Billy Donovan has not been very impressive thus far and I am not quite sure he is an upgrade over Scott Brooks, but as long as they have those two guys on the floor they are a force to be reckoned with. That said, Miami is a tough match-up for them. They have the third best defensive rating in the NBA and play at a much slower pace than the Thunder. If they are able to dictate the pace in this game, I like their chances. Plus, there is always the chance that the Thunder had a night out in Miami last night and that doesn’t always bode well for teams playing the next day. The Heat +3.5 at home is a good play tonight.
NFL Betting Tips:
The Lions haven’t swept the Packers in a season since 1991, but they have a chance to do so tonight. The problem for the Packers has been the passing game. Aaron Rodgers just hasn’t been himself. That might be an injury situation, the loss of Jordy Nelson or it might be something else, but he has just not looked like the guy we’ve come to know over the past few seasons. I think tonight is a great opportunity for him to work out whatever is bothering him. The Lions have allowed over 26 points per game and opposing quarterbacks are throwing over 68% completions against them. This is the defense he can exploit and I have to believe the Packers -3 right the ship tonight.
