With less than 25 games remaining in the NBA regular season, teams vying for a playoff spot will be determined to get as much win as they can in this make-or-break March madness.
Online betting favourites Golden State Warriors are already assured of a postseason berth, while the likes of Detroit, Oklahoma, Memphis, Denver and Chicago will all look to sway the betting odds to increase their chances of making it to the playoffs and delight their live betting followers.
Golden State Warriors @ Washington Wizards (March 1, 08:00 GMT+8)
After clinching the first playoff spot in record-breaking fashion, the Warriors will now have their eyes on the top seed. Kevin Durant missed the game against the Nets, but his injury isn’t something to worry about given that he played well in his return today. It should also be a good thing for them that they’ll be facing the Wizards who appear to have some post All-Star break rust following two consecutive defeats – one against the Sixers. With that in mind, Golden State -7.00 for 2.03 sounds like a great deal.
Portland Trail Blazers @ Detroit Pistons (March 1, 08:30 GMT+8)
Detroit barely won their first meeting against Portland, so they can’t expect an easy match even though they recently gave Boston a scare. They also need to work on their free throws if they want to continue clinging to the East eighth seed as it is likely that the Blazers will take advantage of it, just like how the Celts did it to escape with a win at The Palace.
I expect Portland to exploit Detroit’s glaring offensive weakness, so the Blazers +5.00 for 1.90 is the best choice.
Utah Jazz @ Oklahoma City Thunder (March 1, 09:00 GMT+8)
Both teams have split their previous meetings, but this one is anticipated to be a different affair with Oklahoma bolstering their bench and Utah fully healthy.
The Jazz depth could be the deciding factor in this game, not to mention that they are a brilliant team on the road. Though, they still need to be wary of the ever-dangerous Russell Westbrook who claimed his 29th triple-double of the season yesterday with a staggering 41 points.
Utah seem to have a little advantage in this battle; thus, they should be a reasonable bet on +1.00 for 1.92.
Phoenix Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies (March 1, 09:00 GMT+8)
Although Phoenix gave a decent showing against the Bucks, it’s still hard to see them bringing a playoff team like Memphis to their limits. The difference in the quality of the players is just huge, and it doesn’t help the Suns that they lack a reliable go-to scorer. Add it to the fact that they are 8-23 on away games while the Grizzlies are 18-11 at home. With that said, go for Memphis -10.00 for 2.00.
Denver Nuggets @ Chicago Bulls (March 1, 09:00 GMT+8)
Chicago have won two in a row now since trading Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott, though it remains to be seen how it affects their depth after losing the 11.6 points that Gibson provided them. The real test for them, however, is expected to finally come from Michael Malone’s Nuggets that boast a balanced offence behind Nikola Jokic and Danilo Gallinari.
Another close encounter may be in the books, but Denver +3.00 for 2.05 is a punt worth considering.
Charlotte Hornets @ Los Angeles Lakers (March 1, 11:30 GMT+8)
Two gritty fixtures which resulted in a win and a narrow overtime loss should be enough to bring the Hornets’ confidence back. Of course, it won’t be easy to forget their slump during which they lost 12 of their 13 matches, but it shouldn’t be a big concern as they are facing a Lakers squad playing for experience after trading their best scorer. Choose Charlotte -4.00 for 1.97.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
