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The All-Star break is over and the NBA is in full swing again tonight. The playoffs start in April and there is still a lot of jockeying for positioning to be done.
Cleveland will look to finish strong with their new roster and hopefully move up in seeding in the Eastern Conference. The additions of Larry Nance Jr, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and George Hill looked to change the complexion of this team and really bring everyone to another level. We’ll see if that continues into the final months.
The East race is more about seeding, but it’ll be interesting to see who grabs the last spot between the Pistons, Heat and 76ers. Philly has one of the easiest schedules going forward while Detroit is about to face a brutal stretch. It seems like they are the team that will be left out, but only time will tell.
There is also a great battle brewing in the Western Conference. Only two games separate the sixth seed Thunder and the 10th seed Jazz. Utah is the hottest team in the league right now as they’ve won 11 straight, the Spurs might not see Kawhi Leonard again this season, the Pelicans lost DeMarcus Cousins and the Clippers traded Blake Griffin. There is going to be some major movement between these five teams and it could come down to the last night to decide which three teams make the playoffs and which two stay home.
NBA Betting Tips:
The play of the night has to be the Cavs -5 at home against the Wizards. Washington will still be without John Wall while the Cavs looked completely refreshed in their last few games after the trade. This is a team that is looking to make some moves and I wouldn’t be surprised for them to blow out the Wizards at home tonight.
Another great pick is the Thunder -7.5 at the Kings. Sacramento is one of the teams fighting for the bottom position of the lottery and it would behoove them not to try going forward. They are likely to lose their 2019 draft pick so it’s especially important for them to do something with this one. Throw in a healthy Russell Westbrook, Paul George taking a bigger role in the offense and the always excellent defense and this one should be a big win for the Thunder.
The Warriors are undoubtedly a great team, but they have struggled with motivation at times this season and we even saw the players coach themselves in a game against Phoenix before the All-Star break. They can do that on any night, as long as they are motivated. With this being the first game after the All-Star break, playing at home, against a team they own in the Clippers and seeing themselves as the second seed in the Western Conference; tonight should be a night that they feel motivated.
I love the Warriors -11 in this one. The Clippers have been a nice story this year, but the Warriors are 10-1 against them over the past three seasons. They are just better in every way.
