We had a successful first day back from the All-Star break with our NBA betting tips, hitting on two of our three bets from the six game slate on Friday. We started the day off on a low with the Bucks failing to cover their spread against the Celtics, but turned it around quickly with wins on both the Kings and the Lakers. We now shift our focus to the nine game slate on Saturday and look to continue our winning form. Check out our best bets below and good luck to everyone following!
NBA Betting Tips Saturday 23rd February
New Orleans Pelicans @ Indiana Pacers (11am AEDT)
The first game of the day features the cross-conference battle between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were victorious in their most recent meeting with the Pelicans, but they still trail the season series 2-1 heading into this one.
The Pelicans season looked bright early on, but all the hope has been snuffed out with a tonne of losing streaks and the Anthony Davis saga. They’re 3-5 in their last eight games and come into this with one of the worst road records in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Pacers have shown terrific fight in recent weeks without their star man Victor Oladipo. Most expected them to drop out of contention in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve shown the resilience in recent weeks to suggest that won’t be the case.
The Pacers have been terrific at home all season and come up against one of the worst road teams in the West. We see their depth and consistency proving too much over the 48 minutes here.
Indiana Pacers -5.5
$1.92
Washington Wizards @ Charlotte Hornets (11am AEDT)
Second up for the day we’re looking at the Eastern Conference match-up between the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets. The Wizards won the only meeting between these two sides this season, defeating the Hornets by four points in a high scoring affair in December (130-126).
The Wizards season is done and dusted, and has been for some time now. The loss of John Wall through injury was huge, and the Bradley Beal trade rumours haven’t helped. Unfortunately, Wizards fans have to settle for another season of mediocrity in the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets on the other hand, have had a better season than many anticipated. They’re well and truly in the playoff race and have a superstar in their hands in Kemba Walker. They’re also a decent home team, holding one of the better records in the East.
This was an immediate pick for us when we first saw the markets. The Hornets are a no nonsense team that will put in a good enough effort over 48 minutes to take care of a discombobulated Wizards outfit.
Charlotte Hornets -5
$1.92
Detroit Pistons @ Atlanta Hawks (11:30am AEDT)
Our third and final play from a busy Saturday slate comes from the Eastern Conference duel between the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks. The winner of this game will take the lead in a regular season series that is currently tied at one game apiece.
The Pistons have found some form we probably didn’t think they had in them in all honestly. They made a couple of deadline day trades to try and shake up their roster, which has paid dividends in the short run. However, there’s still a long way to go in their pursuit of a playoff berth.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are enduring what has been a tough season right from the get go. However, they’ve been a lot more competitive than a lot of people thought they’d be, and have even eclipsed their season over/unders set by vegas in the pre-season.
The Hawks have been a bit of a surprise at home lately and we feel they have the talent to keep this one close right up until the final buzzer. More than happy to take them with a couple of points headstart.
