Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers will look to continue their mini-winning runs in the NBA this Monday, but they will both be tested as they face opponents that can undoubtedly put up a fight.
On the other hand, the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets are also set to face each other in a battle of the only teams to beat the Golden State Warriors in the young season.
Read on for the full SBOBET basketball preview of the upcoming six-game NBA day:
Charlotte Hornets @ Detroit Pistons (November 12, 04:30 GMT+8)
After a four-game losing skid, the Pistons have now returned to regular programming and have won back-to-back matches against the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks.
Andre Drummond played a massive role in both wins, and Detroit will lean on the All-Star big man once again as they host the Hornets at Little Caesars Arena.
However, the Pistons might need Blake Griffin to step up as well after he scored just nine points the last time out. The Hornets are rising and could have been on a three-game run had they managed to survive in overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kemba Walker is averaging 28.3 points per game for the Hornets, and he even had 30 points, seven rebounds and nine assists versus the Sixers.
Betting Odds: The Hornets at Asian Handicap +2.00 @ 2.01 could provide some value in this game that is expected to be a close encounter.
Indiana Pacers @ Houston Rockets (November 12, 08:00 GMT+8)
The quote “Houston, we have a problem” may sound cliché, but there’s no other way to say it for the slumping Rockets.
While they did win three straight to get out of the bottom after a 1-5 start, they still haven’t figured things out on both ends of the floor.
Reigning MVP James Harden is putting up 26.6 points on a nightly basis, but that hasn’t translated for the team well as they rank as the fourth-worst scoring team in the league—less than a year after displaying one of the best offences the NBA has ever seen.
Injuries to key rotation players made things worse, but their defence is the biggest suspect.
Houston did beat Indiana in their first meeting, but the Pacers still went 4-2 in their last six matches. Victor Oladipo averaged 26.5 points and 7.7 assists during that stretch.
Not to mention that Domantas Sabonis has been on a tear recently, grabbing the NBA 2018 highlights with back-to-back double-doubles in their last two games.
Orlando Magic @ New York Knicks (November 12, 08:30 GMT+8)
Orlando seem to be finding their stride after losing four straight in late October. They had one of the best offensive performances in their win over the San Antonio Spurs and bagged two more Ws since then.
Aaron Gordon is playing well, tallying 20 or more points in three of their last four games—he averaged only 11 markers in the three matches prior to that run.
With the Magic on the rise, they have a legitimate chance against the Knicks who haven’t been getting wins at the rate they expect despite playing hard.
New York’s offence managed to get by with Tim Hardaway Jr. leading the charge. Their next best scorer, however, is Enes Kanter who hasn’t started in their last seven outings, and that speaks volume about their offensive arsenal.
Betting Odds: The Knickerbockers aren’t a good team at home, but the Magic aren’t great on the road either. With that said, a low-scoring affair of Under 208.50 pays at 2.03.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Denver Nuggets (November 12, 09:00 GMT+8)
Milwaukee and Denver, by far, have been the surprise teams this early in the season.
They are the only teams to beat the reigning champions so far, and they are both in the top three of their respective conferences.
The Bucks, though, are coming off a defeat against the LA Clippers. It also won’t help them that this game comes just 24 hours after that, giving Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. little time to rest.
ICYMI! Final #NBA Scores
Raptors 128-112 Knicks
Clippers 128-126 Bucks
Pelicans 119-99 Suns
Bulls 99-98 Cavaliers
Heat 110-116 Wizards#ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/0cKwNgn71Y— SBOBET (@SBOBET) November 11, 2018
On the other hand, the Nuggets have lost two straight matches. Nevertheless, it’s largely because of Nikola Jokic seemingly stepping back on the offensive end and not taking his usual volume of shots.
Betting Odds: The Bucks and Nuggets are two of the best defensive teams in the league, so it’s not wrong to expect a tight affair. Under 220.50 is at odds of 2.14.
Boston Celtics @ Portland Trail Blazers (November 12, 10:00 GMT+8)
The Blazers are undefeated in three, and they have a chance to make it four in a row against the Celtics who are still trying to find their identity on both ends of the floor.
Boston’s defence looks rock-solid on paper, but half of their 12 games this year ended by six points or less. In fact, they blew a four-point fourth-quarter lead (with 38 seconds left to play) against the Pacers and even allowed Nuggets guard Jamal Murray to drop 48 points on them.
Portland will see that as an opportunity, especially after surprising NBA 2018 betting with their dominant victory over the Bucks.
Damian Lillard is averaging 26.6 points for the Blazers, while CJ McCollum is making 21 points a night.
Betting odds: Portland are 6-2 at home, so another convincing Blazers win at Moda Center on Asian Handicap -3.00 @ 2.00 could be profitable.
Atlanta Hawks @ Los Angeles Lakers (November 12, 10:30 GMT+8)
The Lakers are yet to win three consecutive games this season, but they could change that and, perhaps, turn their fortunes around when they play the young Hawks.
Luke Walton‘s charges are allowing the third-most points in the NBA today, but they held the Minnesota Timberwolves to only 110 points and followed it up by limiting the Sacramento Kings to under 90 markers.
Tyson Chandler—who bought out his contract with the Phoenix Suns to join the Purple and Gold—appears to be the catalyst for that change. The Lakers’ offence has been better with him on the floor too, with Rajon Rondo even saying he is already the team’s best screen-setter.
Atlanta have lost three in a row now, and they certainly have a lot to learn and improve as rookie Trae Young continues to build confidence. Oh, and they are also allowing the second-most points this 2018-19 campaign!
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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