The 2016-17 NBA began on Wednesday, but it is this Thursday, October 27th that we focus on with NBA betting tips for the day, including the Australian televised clash Thunder at 76ers.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Philadelphia 76ers (Thursday at 11am AEST - Live on ESPN Aus)
Kobe Bryant once described Russell Westbrook as the closest player in the NBA to having a similar mindset to him. That being said, don’t think for a second that Westbrook hasn’t been dying to get on the court to prove to the rest of the NBA and the world that he doesn’t need Kevin Durant to be great and to prove people wrong that he can be a toxic player. We don’t believe the Thunder will come close to earning a spot deep in the playoffs, but Westbrook will be doing everything he can to put this team on his back and win games. He is a triple-double machine and we believe he will want to dominant the young 76ers roster.
The 76ers looked to be about to break the shackles with their injured players such as Joel Embidd finally to play a game and Ben Simmons taken first overall in the draft. However, Simmons went down with a foot injury and Embidd will still be on limited minutes to start his career. The Thunder has a strong roster despite Durant’s departure and they will start the season off with a big victory.
TIP: Thunder at the line (-9.5) - $1.96 at CrownBet
Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies (Thursday at 11am AEST)
The Grizzlies will enter the 2016-17 season with a lot of hope and a lot of determined players as their last season was dismantled due to injuries throughout their entire campaign. It was rare for a starting player to be on their team list let alone two or three and they will head into this year with a lot of fresh players including their new shooter and small forward Chandler Parsons who was acquired during the offseason. They have a strong starting line up but they are lacking off the bench.
Meanwhile the Minnesota Timberwolves have a new head coach in Tom Thibodeau and have arguably the best young squad in the competition. They have two first overall picks in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns whilst they added Kriss Dunn through the draft and he is a terrific back up point guard and could push for the starting spot. This will be a team to watch in the future but we can’t see them getting off to a winning start on the road against a tough and gritty Grizzlies side.
TIP: Grizzlies at the line (-2.5) - $1.88 at William Hill
Denver Nuggets at New Orleans Pelicans (Thursday at 11am AEST)
The Pelicans had a season to forget last year as injuries also derailed their hopes of reaching the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Anthony Davis was predicted to be making a shot at winning an MVP title but he was off the pace and eventually shut down towards the end of the year due to reoccurring injuries. He will be hoping to return to the MVP talk and push his team towards the top 8 in the West. Jrue Holiday came back from injury half way through the year and ended the year strongly and he will start at point guard this year to give the side a lot of strength in the playmaking role. Lance Stephenson is an interesting acquisition as he showed during his years in Indiana he can be a great role player but he has struggled over the last two season with the Hornets, Clippers and Grizzlies. Meanwhile Buddy Hield should make an immediate impact in scoring for the Pelicans off the bench.
The Nuggets are in a rebuilding stage and don’t have a superstar of the calibre of Davis. They have a lot of strong pieces and will be competitive in the West but still be off the pace to push for the playoffs. They will find themselves in the awkward position of being too high for a great pick in the draft whilst not strong enough to have a serious push for a playoffs berth.
TIP: Pelicans at the line (-3.5) - $1.91 at Sportsbet
Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns (Thursday at 1pm AEST)
The Kings will take to the court with a different looking back court this season with Darren Collison moving into the starting line up after the departure of Rajon Rondo whilst Arron Affalo was brought in from the Knicks. DeMarcus Cousins will continue to be a beast in the middle but he will have Willie Cauley-Stein along side him who isn’t as athletic but he will be able to stretch the floor. Matt Barnes returns to the Kings this season and will be a strong player off the bench but the Kings are a side that hasn’t pushed for a playoff berth in close to a decade and they won’t again this season.
The Suns are a very talented and young side that is doing all the right things in rebuilding. They are doing it through the draft and have made great selections in recent years with Devin Booker showing all the signs of a great shooting guard whilst Eric Beldsoe will return from injury to run the point. Brandon Knight adds depth to both of these positions and has shown he is capable of starting. Dragan Bender looks to be a steal in the draft and will add a lot to the side’s offense.
TIP: Suns at the line (-3.0) - $1.91 at Sportsbet
_ _ _
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!
