Another disappointing day on Saturday saw our NBA betting tips go 1-2 and our season tally slip to 40-33 on the season so far, hovering dangerously close to the dreaded .500 mark. The good news is that we went 3-0 on our player performance tips and sit at 5-1 since its instalment last Thursday. With the Super Bowl done and dusted, the attention turns back to the NBA on Tuesday. The schedule offers up some quality matchups including a massive EPSN double-header. We preview the two televised games as well another key matchup with our NBA betting tips for Tuesday, the 7th of February.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards (11am AEDT)
The surging Wizards host the Cavaliers on Tuesday as they look to climb one game closer to the Eastern Conference leaders with a win. Washington has been playing some ridiculous basketball of late. They are currently on a 7-win streak and have won 13 of their last 16 games. They come up against the Cavs on Tuesday who have been struggling for form of late. After having a commanding lead in the early part of the season, the Cavs now sit just 2.5 games up on the Celtics in the East, with the Wizards not far behind in third position.
The Cavs got back Kevin Love from injury in their last game on Sunday, they just didn’t look the same without him, and his return was marked with a dominant win over the Knicks. It should be a hotly contested battle, with the Wizards John Wall playing out of his skin. He’s averaging 14 assists per game over their last four fixtures while backcourt teammate Bradley Beal has scored over 20 points in 4 of their last 6 clashes.
It’s a tough one to pick, surprisingly, Cleveland are getting points and I’m confident in taking them as underdogs any time they come up against an Eastern Conference team.
TIP: Cleveland Cavaliers to win - $1.95 at William Hill
San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies (1.30pm AEDT)
The Spurs have been quietly going about their business, as they do, winning games and taking some calculated losses along the way. Coach Greg Popovich has become the king of keeping his team under the radar while utterly dominating the majority of the competition in the process. They come up against the Grizzlies on Tuesday, who might be the 2nd best team at staying under the radar. They secured a great win over the Timberwolves on Sunday without started Marc Gasol, Chandler Parsons or Tony Allen.
The Spurs are 39-11 on the season, just 3.5 games back from the Warriors, while the Grizzlies impressively sit in 6th place at 31-22 after battling injuries for the majority of the season. While the Grizzlies play some of the best defence in the league, regularly holding teams to under 100 points, they’ll have a tough time keeping 4th ranked Spurs offence to a manageable score. Luckily, Memphis will get Allen back for the clash after missing the Timberwolves game. He will line up on all-star Kawhi Leonard. Arguably the two best perimeter defenders in the league, the winner of this matchup will go a long way to determining the match.
Note: Kawhi Leonard was a late withdrawl from this match, the bet stands but you may be able to get a better line/price.
TIP: San Antonio Spurs -2.5 - $1.95 at Sportsbet
Phoenix Suns at New Orleans Pelicans (10am AEDT)
Two teams that we have rarely featured in this year’s tips are the Suns and the Pelicans. They meet in New Orleans on Tuesday with the home team’s season in the balance. At 19-32, the Pelicans desperately need to go on a run to stay within playoff contention. Their problem is they simply can’t keep star power forward Anthony Davis on the court. While he has only missed a total of four games throughout the year, the nagging injuries means he has played under 30 minutes 8 times which has resulted in the Pelicans being very inconsistent.
Tuesday will mark a good chance for them to get a win, however, as they face off against the Western Conference Worst Phoenix Suns. At 16-35, they sit only 3 games behind the Pelicans, but have looked a lot less competitive in games than their counterparts. The one thing Phoenix do possess that could swing this matchup in their favour is a few quality, mobile defensive bigs to throw at Davis. In Tyson Chandler and Alex Len, the Suns are one of the better rebounding teams in the league, and their length and mobility should make it tough for Davis.
Regardless, with virtually a clean bill of health for the first time in a while, and the home court advantage, I like the Pelicans to get the win here and stay within striking distance of playoff basketball.
TIP: New Orleans Pelicans -5 - $1.95 at William Hill
NBA Player Performance Tips for Tuesday, the 7th of February
Andre Drummond UNDER 14.5 Rebounds
Kawhi Leonard UNDER 25.5 Points
Harrison Barnes OVER 19.5 Points
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
