The NBA regular season has just over a week left and we have finally started to hit some consistent form with 5 winning days in a row. We’ll be trying to improve on a 2-1 day on Wednesday as we look forward to the NBA’s 8 game slate this Thursday, the 6th of March which includes the monster Cavs at Celtics.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics (10am AEST)
Boston and Cleveland hold exactly the same record with just five games to go, so this game will most likely decide who wins the Eastern conference. The two teams have played 3 times already this year with Boston taking two of the games although Cleveland were battling injuries through some of the regular season. Both teams should be relatively full strength for this one, with the Cavs just missing sharpshooter Kyle Korver and the Celtics Jae Crowder a game time decision with an elbow injury.
Extremely tough game to pick here, with so much on the line though you can’t look past a team with LeBron James on it. He the capacity to take over massive games in the finals last year and I would hate to be betting against him here. The one thing that favours Boston is that it probably won’t be the be all and end all if the Cavs don’t get the No.1 seed (compared to the Celtics), so there may not be as much tenacity on their behalf. Still like them here though.
TIP: Cleveland to win - $2.06 at Sportsbet
Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons (9.30am AEST)
Massive game for the Raptors here as a loss yesterday meant they have the same record as the Wizards and are in a massive battle for the third seed in the East. Ideally they’d like to see what pans out in the Boston and Cleveland game tomorrow because if Boston wind up topping the East, the 4th place is probably more desirable than the 3rd.
Either way they’ll be hunting for a win here and should find one with relative ease over a Detroit team that has fallen off the face of the earth in the back half of the season. With only Reggie Jackson injured, there’s really no excuse for the Pistons and their dismal 2-9 record from their last 11 games. While Kyle Lowry remains sidelined for the Raptors, we still expect they’ll pick up a win here, very surprising that they are starting as underdogs.
TIP: Toronto to win - $2 at Ladbrokes
Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies (10am AEST)
Another big game for both clubs who are in a battle for the 6th seed in the West. If the Grizzlies can win they will pull to within just one win of the OKC to make a late run at the better playoffs seeding. The higher position could be the difference between playing the Spurs and Rockets in the first round so both teams will be gunning for it. OKC decimated the Bucks on Wednesday to the tune of 31 points as Russel Westbrook went off for his 41st triple double of the season, tying the record set by Oscar Robertson back in the 60s. He’ll now have 5 chances to pass the great and stand alone, while the season average of a triple double is all but wrapped up.
The Grizzlies have been hampered by injuries of late, it seems that when one player for the Grizzlies is injured, they are all injured with Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, JaMychal Green, Tony Allen and Chandler Parsons all either out for this game, are in doubt or have just returned from injury. Hard to like the Grizzlies chances even at home considering the injuries. We’ll make it 3 from 3 away underdogs, this could backfire.
TIP: OKC to win - $2.11 at Sportsbet
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