ESPN is back with another NBA double header as we have NBA betting tips for Tuesday, the 28th of February. The Cavaliers will host the Bucks in the early game starting at 11am followed by the Indiana Pacers travelling to Houston to play the Rockets at 1.30pm. We went 2-1 Sunday to take our season tally to 52-44-1 and we’ll be aiming for another winning day as we preview the two televised games plus the Eastern Conference clash between the Celtics and the Hawks.
Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers (11am AEDT)
LeBron James was a late withdrawal in Sunday’s game against the Bulls which handed us our only loss of the day as the Cavs went on to lose by 18 points. They looked somewhat helpless without their leader, as Kyrie Irving’s effort of 34 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists wasn’t enough in the end without James or Kevin Love. LeBron could return for this game, as he only missed Sunday’s tilt due to illness and would have had a full 3 days off by the time Tuesday’s game rolls around. If he does return, he’ll have a massive job in shutting down Milwaukee superstar Giannia Antetokounmpo.
The ‘Greek Freak’ exploded for 28 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in the Bucks win over Phoenix on Monday, and will look to have a similar impact against the Cavs. The return of Khris Middleton just has Jabari Parker was ruled out for the season was a welcome sight for Milwaukee, and the small forward has been starting to find his feet back on the court of late. I think after a tough home game against the Suns on Monday, the Cav’s should take advantage of the extra day’s rest here, and as long as LeBron is back in the line-up, I expect them to get the home victory here. Although the adjusted line with the inclusion of LeBron seems a little high for me.
TIP: Milwaukee Bucks +9.5 - $1.91 at Ladbrokes
Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics (11.30am AEDT)
The Celtics secured a hard fought away win over the Pistons Monday and will back it up at home against the Hawks Tuesday. Al Horford will line up against his old team for just the 2nd time as the Celtics try to stay in reach of the Eastern Conference leading Cavs. After a disappointing trade deadline for Celtics fans, many will wonder if they have the firepower to match the Cavs or the Raptors in the playoffs. However, Isaiah Thomas has proven he can win massive games for his team and will to do so here. The All-Star is 2nd in scoring behind only Russel Westbrook and is a serious MVP candidate.
It’s much more of a production by committee at Atlanta, with a multitude of players all chipping in to contribute to their current 32-36 record. Paul Millsap leads 6 players averaging in double figure points with 17.9, while Dennis Schroder has seen a breakout year in his first campaign as starting point guard after Jeff Teague’s departure. Dwight Howard is still an elite rim protector and with the addition of Ersan Ilyasova at the deadline, it gives them a lethal combination of shooting bigs to compliment him.
Both of these teams play a fairly defensive style of basketball, and we’ve seen some consistently low scores as players dust off the cobwebs after all-star break. I expect this game to play to form here so we’ll take the under.
TIP: Total Points UNDER 211.5 - $1.95 at bet365
Indiana Pacers at Houston Rockets (1.30pm AEDT)
The Rockets have been on another level offensively since the All-Star break, going 2-0 and scoring a massive 271 points in their two games. New recruit Lou Williams has impressed, fitting into the 3pt happy system with ease. The Rockets now find themselves comfortably maintaining 3rd position in the West, sitting 6 games above the Utah Jazz.
They come up against the Pacers Tuesday, who on the contrary, have looked fairly average post All-Star break. They were lucky to get a win over the Grizzlies after only scoring 102 points in the game and then succumb to a 18 point loss at Miami. The game agasint the Heat marked their 1st of a 5 game roadtrip in which they play the Rockets, Spurs, Hakws and Hornets. They’ll be happy to come out of the trip with 2 wins, but I can’t see them sneaking anymore than one game, especially not against the powerhouse that is the Rockets.
The Pacers have not scored over 110 points in their last 7 games, while the Rockets have scored over 120 in 5 of their last 7. I think the home team will have too much firepower here and win comfortably.
TIP: Houston Rockets -10 - $1.95 at William Hill
_ _ _
