It’s been a good week for us so far and we’re looking to top it off with a strong day on Saturday. There’s a big 9-game slate for us to indulge in with a few key matchups catching our eye. So join us here, where we’ve assessed the value in the markets and provided our NBA betting tips for Saturday, 23rd of December!
2017-18 NBA Preview & Betting Tips for Saturday, 23rd of December
Charlotte Hornets At Milwaukee Bucks (12:00pm AEDT)
The Hornets have the worst away record in the league at 2-11 and are also horrible ATS with a record of 3-8-2. They’ve lost 4 of their last 5 games and have a long injury list, which isn’t helping their cause. Saturday’s duel with the Bucks will be their one and only game of their quick road trip, before returning home on Christmas eve to face the Bucks in the reverse fixture.
The Bucks are 10-5 at home this season and 5-7-3 ATS. They are coming off a team-lifting 119-116 victory against the Cavs on Wednesday, which was their first of a 2-game homestand. The Bucks are 1-1 in their H2H matchup with the Hornets this season, with each team defending home-court so far. Khris Middleton has averaged 31.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5 assists from their 2 meetings and could get off the leash once again if Michael Kidd-Gilchrist isn’t fit to play.
The Bucks come into this one with a small line despite the Hornets atrocious away record this season. We expect the Bucks to win this one comfortably.
TIP: Milwaukee Bucks at the line (-5.5) - $1.97 at CrownBet
Los Angeles Clippers At Houston Rockets (12:00pm AEDT)
The Clippers snapped a 3-game losing streak on Thursday when they beat the Suns at home. They will now hit the road to play the Rockets on Saturday in their first of a quick 2-game road trip. The Clippers are 5-11 in away games this season and are 8-8-0 ATS. Injuries have quickly derailed the Clippers season after a promising start, where they were 5-1 after 6 games. With Blake Griffin sidelined by injury for an extended period of time it’s hard to see the Clippers being competitive with the best teams in the West.
The Rockets 14-game winning streak came to end on Thursday when they were upset by the visiting Lakers. They have only lost consecutive games once this season and will feel confident that won’t happen again on Saturday when they take on an injury-plagued Clippers outfit. The Rockets are 13-4 at home this season and 7-9-1 ATS. They will be without Chris Paul for this game, with Eric Gordon expected to step into the starting line-up.
There’s no value in the Rockets winning straight, but the line is a gettable -10.5 and we’re comfortable they will achieve this.
TIP: Houston Rockets at the line (-10.5) - $1.91 at Ladbrokes
Los Angeles Lakers At Golden State Warriors (2:30pm AEDT)
The value of the day seems to be in the Lakers Vs Warriors game. The Lakers are coming off the best win of the season, defeating the Rockets on the road and snapping their league-high 14-game winning streak in the process. The Lakers have played the Warriors twice this season, losing by 2 and 4 points, with their latest duel going to overtime. The Lakers are 5-10 on the road this season and 7-8-0 ATS.
The Warriors are still without Steph Curry and Draymond Green, but are coming off a comfortable 13-point win at home over the Grizzlies. The defending champions are 11-3 at home and 7-7-0 ATS. Although they are currently on a 10-game winning streak, their injuries and tight contests have to catch up with them at some point. They have had a lot of close games with the Lakers in recent times and it’s hard to justify the 10-point line that the Bookies have given the Warriors in this one.
With the Lakers coming off a morale-boosting win over the Rockets, we think they will give the Warriors a run for their money on Saturday. We expect them to cover the line and potentially cause an upset.
TIP: Los Angeles Lakers at the line (+10.5) - $1.95 at Sportsbet
_ _ _
