We’re now a couple of weeks into the new NBA season and what a start it has been. We’re 14-8 on our spread bets so far and are eyeing off the huge 11-game slate on Thursday!
We’ve identified three key matchups that we’ve previewed and provided spread and prop bets for, which you can check out below. Good luck to everyone following and happy punting!
NBA Betting Tips: Thursday, 7th of January
Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic
Amway Center, 11am AEDT
The Cavaliers have cooled off since their surprisingly hot start to the season, losing three of their past four games. One of the key reasons they were flying early was because of the play of Darius Garland, who’s set to miss his second straight game through injury.
The Magic also cooled off after winning their first four games of the season, but were able to bounce back against the Cavs last start with a blowout win. Markelle Fultz, Terrence Ross and Nikola Vucevic have all been fantastic in leading them to a 5-2 start.
These teams played in this identical fixture just two days ago when the Magic won 103-83. Collin Sexton went to work again for the Cavs with 7th straight game of 20+ points, but there was little help around him without Darius Garland sidelined and we’re expecting a similar story again on Thursday. Take the Magic to cover the spread to start off the big slate.
Andre Drummond has had a great start for the Cavs but only plays big minutes depending on the matchup. He notched 32 minutes and 14 rebounds against Vucevic and the Magic two days back and we expect him to be putting up similar numbers (if not better) in this outing.
Prop: Drummond O13.5 Reb ($1.82)
Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks
Philips Arena, 11:30am AEDT
The Hornets surprised a few with some wins in two of their first four matches, but have regressed since by losing their last three by double figures. LaMelo Ball has been the shining light in their losses and has worked his way into favouritism for Rookie of the Year.
The Hawks were touted as one of the big improvers in the off-season and they backed those calls up with four wins from their first five games; however, they’ve stumbled in their last two against lesser talented teams in the east and now find themselves at 4-3.
Both teams are on losing runs coming into this game but the Hornets have certainly been the worse of the two. They lack scoring punch and come up against one of the more potent offenses in the NBA. We expect the Hawks to bounce back with a double-digit win on their home deck.
De’Andre Hunter is putting his hand up for Most Improved Player early in the season with splits of 16/7/2. The second-year player and former #4 pick looks a star for the future and is already producing at a high level on both ends of the floor. The bookies are yet to catch up with his high output, making over 20.5 PRA (Points + Rebounds + Assists) a really nice bet here.
Prop: Hunter O20.5 PRA ($1.91)
Toronto Raptors at Phoenix Suns
PHX Arena, 1pm AEDT
The Raptors have been extremely disappointing so far this season despite bringing in a roster that looks fairly similar to past seasons. They’re 1-5 this campaign with their only win coming against a short-handed and inferior team in the Knicks.
The Suns were another team touted as potentially big improvers this season and have certainly done no harm to achieving that early in the season. They come into this game with a 5-2 record despite losing against the Clippers last start.
As mentioned above, the Raptors are off to a terrible start and come up against one of the form teams in the competition. On current form, it’s really hard to see why the Suns aren’t more than 3.5-point favourites on their home deck.
DeAndre Ayton got his third season as an NBA player off to a slow start but has come on really strong in the last two with 22 and 24 points. He’s cleared his PRA of 26.5 in all three meetings against the Raptors in his young career and we expect him to do it again on Thursday.
Prop: Ayton O26.5 PRA ($1.82)
