After a big 3-0 day on Thursday we currently sit at 38-25 on the season so far with all bets coming at minimum of line prices. We will be hunting for a similar day today as we preview the ESPN televised Houston Rockets at Philadelphia 76ers and some other key matchups in out 2016-17 NBA Betting Tips for Saturday, January 28th.
Houston Rockets at Philadelphia 76ers (12pm AEDT)
The Sixers, led by Joel Embiid have been playing some inspired basketball of late. They have won 10 of their last 13 games and show no sign of slowing down. It was always going to take some time before the young team began to mesh and Embiid found his feet in the league, however, now that it seems to have happened, they are rolling, knocking over solid teams in the Raptors, Bucks and Clippers in their current win streak. It’s safe to say they haven’t come up against a team of Houston’s caliber in their hot run of form though, and it will be interesting to see how they handle the test.
The 3 games Philly have lost in the last 13 have been to quality teams in the Celtics, Wizards and Hawks so they could be susceptible to the stronger teams. A promising sign is they are getting some wins through strong defence and some through strong offence. In the last 13 games they have kept their opponents to under 100 five times and scored over 110 four times. It will be hard to keep the Rockets under 100 though, they have only been kept under triple digits 3 times so far this season and have the 2nd best offensive rating in the league.
At 29-20, Houston are the best team in the NBA against the spread. Due to Philly’s hot form and the home court advantage the line should swing a few points in the Rockets favour, which I’m happy to take.
TIP: Houston Rockets at the line (-7.5) - $1.95 at Sportsbet
Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trailblazers (2pm AEDT)
There’s some real value in this game in my opinion. With Portland being on a bit of a slide lately, losing 4 of their last 6 games, and sitting at 20-27 on the season, I can’t imagine why they have opened as favourites in this game. Memphis are a team that just manages to grind out wins no matter what the situation. They could be playing away from home with 3 of their starting 5 out and somehow come away with a win.
Portland lack a real inside defensive presence. They thought they were getting one when they signed Festus Ezili away from the Golden State Warriors, however, he has yet to pull on a Blazers jersey due to injury. The Grizzlies play some of the biggest, hardest basketball in the NBA, with big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph often bullying smaller sides. The Grizzlies should also get back wing Chandler Parsons for this contest, adding to their scoring and perimeter defence.
I’m happy to take the Grizzlies to win this one away from home at a very healthy price.
TIP: Memphis Grizzlies to win - $2 at William Hill
Charlotte Hornets at New York Knicks (11am AEDT)
The Knicks are a nightmare team to bet on. At times throughout the year they have looked like a genuine playoff team in the East, and at other times they have looked like the worst team in the league. However, I do find some value as they host the struggling Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Bookies are still riding Charlottes hot start to the season to some degree. After being well above .500 at the qurter mark of the season, they sit right on the mark at 23-23 coming up to the all-star break after a poor patch of form.
While you never know what the Knicks are going to serve up on any given night, I’ve had rejuvenated faith in them over the past few weeks as Carmelo Anthony has begun to make a push to impress coaches ahead of all-star selection. He has found some form that explains why he was the NBA scoring champion in 2013-14. Although the Knicks haven’t been getting the all important wins of late, their offence has started to mesh a little bit better with Carmelo retaining his alpha dog role when Kristapz Porzingus was out with injury. Porzingus looks content to take a back seat at the moment, which bodes well for their offence in the short term future.
I like the Knicks to cause a home upset in this one, especially with an injury cloud hanging over Charlotte centre Cody Zeller, who is an underrated part of their defensive structure.
TIP: New York Knicks to win - $2 at William Hill
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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!
