Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are hosting the Wizards tonight. Both teams have been playing solid basketball as of lately. The Thunder in particular have been a surprise to start the year. Shai Gigerous-Alexander has been playing well. Lu Dort and Josh Giddey have also had some big games.
The Thunder are currently dead last in offensive rating, so they can only go up from here at this point. They are currently underdogs at the moneyline at +160. They had a competitive game on Monday against the Boston Celtics. They played well in that game. Today will be a good opportunity for the the Thunder to bounce back. It won’t be an easy task as the Wizards have been playing well.
Prediction: Thunder, +160
The Washington Wizards are currently on a four game winning streak, so it won’t be an easy task to accomplish. The Thunder have some favorable matchups in this game which is why they are the pick here. The Wizards don’t have anyone to stop Shai. He’s a prolific scorer. Lu Dort will make it difficult for Beal.
GoldenState Warriors
The GoldenState Warriors are going up against the Phoenix Suns tonight. The Warriors are currently below .500. Their current record is not indicative of their talent. A lot of their losses are due to a lack of defensive commitment and an over reliance on their younger players.
They tried bridging the gap by integrating their younger players into the rotation. It hurt them and their record to start the year. They have changed that in the last few games. They are now playing the veterans on their team more minutes. They are playing to win games instead of developing talent.
Tonight, the Suns will be a good matchup. In the first matchup, the Suns won. This game will be different as the Warriors are playing better basketball and are a better team than they were from the beginning of the year. They are currently underdogs at the moneyline at +110. It’s good value as the Warriors are a team you can never count out. They are healthy and will want to get their revenge against the Suns.
Prediction: Warriors, +110
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have surprisingly played good basketball to start off the year. They were expected to be at the bottom of the conference this year. They have surpassed a lot of the early season expectations.
The Hornets are at the bottom of the conference currently. A lot of that has to do with the injuries they had in the beginning of the year. Lamelo Ball returned to the lineup and several of their stars have been in and out of the lineup.
The Pacers are currently in the top ten in offensive rating. They are creating offense at a high clip. It likely won’t be like this for the entire year. It’s safe to say that at this point in time they are clicking on all cylinders offensively. Defensively they are near the bottom of the pack. This is the opposite for the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets don't play team basketball at all. They are still figuring things out under coach Steve Clifford. Their defense has improved but offensively they are struggling. The Pacers are currently the underdogs at the moneyline at +125. They are the pick here.
Prediction: Pacers, +125
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are playing in Denver tonight. The Knicks are a middle of the pack team on both sides of the ball. Currently their offense is ahead of their defense. That is surprising considering their coach is defensive minded. The Knicks are currently .500. They are coming off a fairly close win against the Utah Jazz.
Against the Nuggets they are underdogs at the moneyline at +160. It is a good bet considering the way the Knicks have been playing. Also, the Nuggets will be missing their star player Nikola Jokic. He has recently been placed in health in safety protocols. He plays such a significant role with Denver’s offense. They run the offense through him. It will be difficult to run an offense without him. It will put the Knicks at an advantage going into the game as they will not have to deal with the Joker.
Prediction: Nuggets, +160