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1-1 record last night.
I was all set for the Thunder and Mavericks to be a match-up between Chris Paul and Luka Doncic and then Paul didn’t play. That hurt the game as a viewing experience, but as a bet? It was fantastic. The Mavericks played great basketball and won easily. Luka Doncic had a huge game with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. This was almost a wire-to-wire win as the Mavs took the lead about halfway through the first quarter and never looked back.
Our other pick was the Spurs over the Bulls and this should’ve been a win if not for the awful fourth by San Antonio/awesome fourth by the Bulls. The Spurs were up 10 heading into the final quarter and the Bulls ran off a 35-24 fourth to steal the win. The worst thing about this one is that the game was 108-110 with no time left, but DeMar DeRozan got two free throws as time expired. He made the first one, but then missed the second to force overtime. Ouch.
Tonight’s Lakers vs. Clippers game has been postponed due to the tragedy surrounding Kobe Bryant and the other passengers on the helicopter. He was such a huge figure in that organization and the league decided it best to postpone this one. A very sad story, but probably a good move for the organization.
We still have games tonight though so let’s get into those tips.
New Orleans Pelicans at Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Tips:
I have been on the Pelicans a lot lately, but this game was just too good to pass up. The Cavs are not a good team and they are a terrible home team. On the season, they have a 6-17 record at home (8-14 against the spread and they just broke a seven-game losing streak with a win at Detroit. Well, New Orleans is a lot better than Detroit and there is no time like the present to start another losing streak.
It’s a year ago now, but in both match-ups between these teams last season the Pelicans won by 16 or more. The Pelicans have gotten much better since then while the Pistons may be a worse team.
The Pelicans are going to get better going forward with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson learning to play together. That is going to be a great duo in the league for some time and I think they show a bit of that potential tonight in a major win.
Denver Nuggets at Memphis Grizzlies Betting Tips:
I’m a fan of what we’ve seen from the Grizzlies this season and I’m rooting for them to make the playoffs, but this line makes no sense. The 22-24 Grizzlies are a small favorite at home here against the 32-14 Nuggets. Huh?
The Nuggets have had their fair share of injuries, but they also have some of the very best depth in the league. They lose Paul Millsap, but that opens up more time for Michael Porter Jr. who has been amazing. He’s averaging 13.5 rebounds per 36 minutes over his last six games and has been a perfect compliment to Nikola Jokic.
The Grizz are fun, but the defense is iffy while the Nuggets are a much more well rounded and deep team.
