Another week of NBA starting and great games will start tonight, for the eighth week of the 22/23 season. The Celtics maintained the leadership of the Eastern Conference and achieved their 19th victory by beating the Brooklyn Nets, yesterday, by 103-92.
The Phoenix Suns were not shaken by the defeat suffered against the Houston Rockets on Friday and beat the San Antonio Spurs, on Sunday, by 133-95, annihilating the game of the hosts and guaranteeing the 16th victory of the Arizona team.
Among the big clashes on Monday, the following stand out: the visit of the Celtics to Toronto to face the Raptors; the Grizzlies hosting the Miami Heat; and the Pacers heading to California to try to surprise the Warriors. These will be the games that we will analyze below.
NBA Weekly Preview 8: Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics
When:
Monday, December 5th, 07:30 PM ET at Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Moneyline odds:
Raptors -114
Celtics -106
Where can I watch it?:
The Raptors will have the difficult task of stopping the best team of the current NBA season in this Monday-night showdown. The Boston team leads the Eastern Conference with an incredible 19 wins – and only 4 losses -, while the hosts continue to try to climb the table to be among the six best teams and get a berth in the playoffs.
Recent clashes have been balanced and the Raptors have already shown that they have the strength to surprise any opponent at home. However, in the last 20 games between them, the Celtics won 12 and lost 8.
The Celtics are a better team and they should win this game. If you put $100 into the Celtics’ win, you could get $94 for a total payout of $194.
NBA Weekly Preview 8: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Miami Heat
When:
Monday, December 5th, 08:00 PM ET at FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Moneyline odds:
Grizzlies -125
Heat +102
Where can I watch it?:
Balance is the word that best defines the meeting between the Grizzlies and Heat. The Miami Heat is still looking for a better position in the Eastern Conference and the victory over the Celtics, last Friday, may have given the necessary motivation for the team to start a good winning streak.
The Grizzlies are fourth in the Western Conference and have won 14 games. The Memphis team arrives for this confrontation after beating the 76ers and the Pistons this weekend.
In the last 20 games played between the teams, each of them won 10 times, which demonstrates the size of the balance between these two NBA powers. We believe in the victory of the Grizzlies in this confrontation.
If you put $100 into the Grizzlies’ win, you could get $80 out of a total payout of $180.
NBA Weekly Preview 8: Golden State Warriors vs. Indiana Pacers
When:
Monday, December 5th, 10:00 PM ET at Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Moneyline odds:
Warriors -625
Pacers +437
Where can I watch it?:
When the Warriors play in front of the crowd, everyone can already expect a real spectacle. The expectation increases even more when the team is in a positive sequence of results and the opponent is not having a good moment. This is the ideal opportunity for Californians to crush the opponent and win undisputedly.
The last 20 clashes between the teams demonstrate a certain balance, despite the great favoritism of the Warriors in today’s game. Golden State has won 11 times and lost 9 against the Indiana Pacers, but in the last 5 matches, the Pacers have won 3 games.
Even with this recent cut favorable to the visitors, the expectation is for a quiet victory for the Warriors, since they have been performing well, in addition to playing at home.
If you put $100 into the Warriors’ victory, you could receive $16, out of a total payout of $116.
NBA Weekly Preview 8: Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Clippers
When:
Thursday, December 8th, 07:30 PM ET at FTX Arena, Miami, FL.
Moneyline odds:
Heat -217
Clippers +175
Where can I watch it?
NBA League Pass
The Miami Heat are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings with 11 wins in 25 games played, while the Clippers are in ninth place in the Western Conference with 14 wins and 12 losses.
In the last 10 games played between these two teams, the Clippers have dominated the court to take 6 wins, while Miami has won 4 times.
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The Clippers have dealt with some injuries this 2022-23 season, but have managed to stay afloat in the Western Conference and have a positive record after an overtime loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
The Californian team has been without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in most of their games this season, but, they have managed to put up a great defensive game that has led them to have a positive record.
On the other hand, the Heat have had a lot of trouble in this early season to get wins, especially when they are games played away from home, in which they have a terrible record of 3-9.
The Heat have also had a lot of injuries this early in the season and without a doubt, the one that sticks out the most for them is Jimmy Butler, who just returned from injury on December 2. Joining Butler on the injury report are Victor Oladipo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Dewayne Dedmon, and Max Strus. That’s in addition to Gabe Vincent, who has already been ruled out.
The plethora of injuries the Heat have on their team could be pivotal in how this game plays out, which is why our pick is a win for the Clippers, and we also suggest the SPREAD bet on the Clippers at +5.
If you put $100 into the Clipper’s victory, you could receive $175, out of a total payout of $275.
NBA Weekly Preview 8: Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers
When:
Thursday, December 8th, 10:00 PM ET at Moda Center, Portland, OR.
Moneyline odds:
Nuggets -114
Trail Blazers -106
Where can I watch it?
NBA League Pass
The Nuggets will look to snap a streak of three straight losses when they travel to Portland on Thursday night to take on the Trail Blazers.
The Nuggets had reeled off four straight wins at the end of November, but are winless in their first three games of December. Portland, meanwhile, has won two straight games, including a 116-100 victory over Indiana on Sunday.
The Nuggets have had an up-and-down start to the season as they have had good and bad streaks and, so far, this has not affected them at all as they are in fourth place in the Western Conference with a very good 14-10 record just 2 games out of first place.
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Denver needs to come up with a better defensive game if they want to get back to winning ways and stay there, as they have allowed 116 points in the last 3 games played.
On the other hand, we have the Trail Blazers, a team that finally has a healthy lineup after their main point guard Damian Lillard returned from injury, and looked to be in solid shape on Sunday in his first game back.
In his absence, Portland relied on Anfernee Simons who took over the reins of the team to average 24.7 points per game.
In their last game, Portland shined against the Pacers with a 116-111 victory. This time, Jerami Grant led Portland on offense with 28 points, while Anfernee Simons added 22 points and six assists.
For this game, our pick is a win for the Trail Blazers, and we’re also going for the SPREAD on Portland at +1.
If you put $100 into the Trail Blazer’s victory, you could receive $94.34, out of a total payout of $194.34.
NBA Weekly Preview 8: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Dallas Mavericks
When:
Friday, December 9th, 10:00 PM ET at American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX.
Moneyline odds:
Bucks
Mavericks
Where can I watch it?
NBA League Pass
A great game awaits this Friday, December 9, 2022, when the Dallas Mavericks are set to host the Milwaukee Bucks at the American Airlines Center at 10:00 pm ET.
This matchup has occurred a total of 82 times in NBA history and even though the last few seasons have shown great parity in the results obtained, the Bucks lead the series with a 44-38 record.
The Bucks continue to show the other teams in the league that their level of play is optimal and that they are not thinking about anything other than winning the championship ring this NBA season. Right now, they are in second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 18-6, just 2 games behind the Celtics.
The Bucks continue to rely on Giannis Antetokounmpo for their offense, as he leads the team with 32.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Anteto is joined by point guard Jrue Holiday, who averages 18.9 points per game and 7.6 assists.
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On the other hand, the Mavericks have played a discreet season so far, as they are ranked seventh in the Western Conference with a record of 13 wins and 11 losses. Despite being “far away” in the overall standings, they are only 3 games behind the Pelicans for first place.
The Mavericks are coming off a huge game to win their 3rd consecutive victory over the Nuggets with a very close score of 116-115. Slovenian star Luka Doncic continues to lead his team with 32.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
For this game, we expect a very close score, but, our winner’s chip goes to Dallas Mavericks.
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