Third place in the tight Eastern Conference will be on the line as the Cleveland Cavaliers host the streaking Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are one of the hottest teams in the NBA with eight wins in a row, and another win would see them surpass the Cavs for third.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans will look to keep pace atop the Western Conference as they take on the red-hot Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.
Read on below as SBOTOP previews all seven games on the NBA’s upcoming schedule.
Brooklyn Nets @ Cleveland Cavaliers
The Brooklyn Nets are finally playing like the top Eastern Conference contenders many expected them to be. With their full team finally back and healthy, the Nets have reeled off eight wins in a row and 12 of their last 13 games.
They are coming off back-to-back blowout wins over the defending champion Warriors (143-113) and the 2021 champion Bucks (118-100).
They now take on the Cavs, who saw their five-game win streak snapped in a 118-107 loss to the Raptors. Donovan Mitchell had an off night with just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Prior to that, Mitchell had been on fire, averaging nearly 32 points on 53 per cent shooting in his previous nine games.
Betting Tip: Cleveland Cavaliers Asian Handicap -2.00 @ 1.94
LA Clippers @ Detroit Pistons
The Clippers are climbing up the West standings. With superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back, they have gone 5-2 in their last seven games and are now in fifth in the West at 19-15. Kawhi Leonard had 28 points in a losing effort last time out against the 76ers, but he will miss their upcoming game against the Detroit Pistons as he continues to manage his knee issue.
But even with Kawhi’s absence, the NBA 2022 odds will still favour the Clippers against the NBA-worst Pistons, who are just 8-27 and are in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
Betting Tip: LA Clippers Asian Handicap -4.50 @ 1.91
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Miami Heat
The Timberwolves and Heat are two of the more disappointing teams thus far this season. Both are just 16-17 and have lost their last two games in a row as they remain stuck in the play-in tournament places.
The Wolves are still without All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, but Anthony Edwards is picking up the slack with his all-round play, averaging 29 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals over his last four games.
As for the Heat, they suffered two bad losses at home to the Pacers and Bulls. Jimmy Butler, when able to play, has remained effective. But he is questionable to play against his former team due to an ankle problem. Bam Adebayo is also questionable with a shoulder sprain, which will put more pressure on Tyler Herro (25.1 PPG in his last 10) to carry the Heat offence.
Houston Rockets @ Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are in the midst of their longest winning streak of the season after beating the Heat, Hawks, and Knicks to end their four-game road trip. The dynamic duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine was excellent as they averaged a combined 51 points in the three wins.
They now return home to Chicago, where they will like their chances of extending their win streak to four as they take on the West-worst Rockets. Houston have lost five straight games, all of which have come at home.
Betting Tip: Houston Rockets Asian Handicap +8.00 @ 1.94
Indiana Pacers @ New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are part of a tight three-way battle atop the West. The Pels are currently behind both the Nuggets and Grizzlies, but they are keeping pace with two wins in a row despite missing superstar Zion Williamson. But Zion – the team’s leading scorer with 25.2 PPG – has finally cleared the health and safety protocols and could make his return on Monday to face the Pacers.
The Pacers have also picked up back-to-back wins against the Celtics and Heat to start their three-game win streak. Tyrese Haliburton was fantastic in both games. After going for 33 points and 8 assists against the C’s, Haliburton erupted for a career-high 43 points, including 10 3-pointers and the game-winner, in the win against the Heat.
Betting Tip: Indiana Pacers Asian Handicap +7.00 @ 1.92
Utah Jazz @ San Antonio Spurs
The Jazz have been the picture of consistency of late. Their last eight NBA 2022 results have seen them alternate two losses in a row and two wins in a row. But they are coming off back-to-back wins over the Pistons and Wizards, so recent history suggests they’re bound for defeat in San Antonio.
Although, the Spurs have lost back-to-back games and four of their last five after a surprising three-game winning streak. Leading scorer Keldon Johnson returned from a two-game absence against the Magic, but he had just 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting, which ended his six-game streak of 20 or more points.
Betting Tip: Utah Jazz Asian Handicap -5.00 @ 1.90
Charlotte Hornets @ Portland Trail Blazers
The Hornets are showing signs of life. After a disastrous eight-game losing skid, they have now won two of their last three, including a 134-130 win over the Lakers in LA. Both LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward are back and playing well to add more sting to the Hornets’ offence.
They now head to Portland to take on the struggling Blazers, who are back down to ninth in the West after losing three games in a row. After back-to-back close losses to the Thunder, they went down by 13 points to the Nuggets. Young star Anfernee Simons is mired in a major shooting slump. He has averaged just 15 points on 35 per cent shooting over his last three games.
Betting Tip: Portland Trail Blazers Asian Handicap -5.50 @ 1.87
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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