ESPN are featuring another NBA double header this Saturday with the Wizards hosting the Pacers in the first game followed by the Bulls at Phoenix. We preview and give tips for both games plus the massive clash between Golden State and Memphis in our NBA Betting Tips for Saturday, the 11th of February.
Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards (12pm AEDT)
The rivalry between the Pacers and Wizards has been steadily growing over the years since both became perineal Eastern conference playoffs teams. Both have fairly exciting young rosters with an absolute superstar piece in Paul George and John Wall respectively. After a 7-game win streak that saw them catapult into 3rd place in the East the Wizards suffered a tough overtime loss to the Cavaliers. They bounced back Thursday, however, with a 14 point over time win against the Nets.
Two overtime games in a row and playing what will be their 3rd game in 4 days could be a factor for the Wizards, who already play quite a thin roster, using on average just 9 players per night. Coincidentally, the Pacers were also on a 7-game win streak before a loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday. They’ll come into this after a day’s break, but will have to travel to Washington, who have an impressive 22-7 home record, 2nd to only the Cavs in the East.
Tough game to pick, but I think the home court advantage combined with an injured Pacer in Thaddeus Young could mean a slight advantage to the Wizards here.
TIP: Washington Wizards - $1.83 at Unibet
Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns (2.30pm AEDT)
The Bulls will play the Struggling Suns on Saturday in a fairly lacklustre second leg of the ESPN double header. The Suns have lost 8 of their last 9 games but get a real opportunity here against the Bulls at home. It’ll be the 5th of a 6-game road trip for the Bulls, who have a 26-17 record on the season so far. They are 2-2 on their road trip so far, but their losses have come at the hands of the Rockets and Warriors, so they can be excused for that.
The Suns last win came in an away game against the Kings last week, but they’ll be on the back of a day’s break heading into this one. Injury concerns to both Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, combined with the fact that they are on the back end of a pretty tough road trip makes me think the Suns could have a chance here. One thing the Suns do well is rebound the ball and give their offence a lot of opportunities for 2nd chance points. The Bulls are thin in the big department, often playing a stretch fout in Nikola Mirotic or Doug McDermott. This bodes well for the likes of Tyson Chandler and Alex Len, who should clean up on the paint.
Note: We'll update this post as soon as lines and prices become available, at this point Butler is listed as probable.
TIP: Phoenix Suns +3 - $1.95 at William Hill
Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies (11.30am AEDT)
It’s safe to say that the Memphis Grizzlies have been Golden State’s kryptonite this year. Their two meetings so far have resulted in two losses by a total of 30 points. Memphis are so good at stifling their opponents and taking away the one thing they do well, for the Warriors, that’s shooting the 3-ball. The first game saw them keep the Warriors to 33% from the 3pt line, while the second, just 26%. It’s a major decrease for a team that averages 39% on the season.
Another thing the Grizzlies are good at is shortening the game. Golden State love to play at a high pace, usually shooting within 8-10 seconds of their shot clock. The Grizzlies on the other hand, love to shorten the game and slow their opponents down by pounding inside to their big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. This frustrates the Warriors and gets them out of rhythm, they only managed 89 points in their first meeting.
With Zaza Pachulia, David West and potentially JaVale all potentially out with injuries, the Warriors could be extremely thin for big men for this game, with the likely starter being Anderson Varejao. I like the Grizzlies to cover the line here.
TIP: Memphis Grizzlies +7.5 - $1.95 at Sportsbet
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