Last Updated on December 15, 2022 1:22 pm by Erwin Noguera
Another high-level basketball Monday is about to begin and, once again, great teams will take to the court in an attempt to offer a spectacle for their fans and improve their positions on the leaderboard.
Round 9 will start with the maintenance of the Bucks in the leadership of the Eastern Conference and with the debacle of the Phoenix Suns, which ceded the first position of the Western Conference to the Pelicans, after the games of the weekend. The Warriors appear in frank recovery, after having won three of the last five games, approaching the top 6 positions of the West.
Among the many interesting games of the round, we will analyze some important matches that are surrounded by a lot of expectations. Follow our analysis and predictions.
NBA Weekly Preview 9: Grizzlies vs. Hawks
When:
Monday, December 12th, 08:00 PM ET at FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN
Moneyline odds:
Grizzlies -277
Hawks +220
Where can I watch it?:
The Grizzlies play at home against the Hawks in an attempt to extend their winning streak to six. The Memphis team, the host of tonight’s match, is second in the Western Conference after winning 17 games and losing 9. Ja Morant is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 27.7 points per game, which puts him among the best players of the current NBA season.
The Hawks have only won two of their last 5 games recently, but the head-to-head record against the Grizzlies favors the Atlanta team. In the last 20 games played between them, the Hawks won 11 and lost 9. The Hawks are going through a moment of instability and the fact of playing away from home should be a factor that hinders the recovery of the team.
We believe in the victory of the Grizzlies in this confrontation, due to the good sequence of victories that they achieved.
If you put $100 into the Grizzlies’ win, you could get $30 for a total payout of $130.
NBA Weekly Preview 9: Trail Blazers vs. Timberwolves
When:
Monday, December 12th, 10:00 PM ET at Moda Center, Portland, OR
Moneyline odds:
Trail Blazers -181
Timberwolves +146
Where can I watch it?:
After three days after the first victory against the Timberwolves, the Trail Blazers enter the court again to seek a second victory over the Minnesota team. In Sunday’s game, the hosts won 124-118, with a great performance by Damian Lillard, who scored 36 points on that occasion.
The Timberwolves were on a two-game winning streak before losing to the Trail Blazers. Facing the same opponent, in the same place, a few days later, could generate a new motivation for the team, which will be more attentive to the main plays of its opponent, and could generate a good surprise in this new confrontation.
The Trail Blazers are again favorites for this match and we believe in their victory.
If you put $100 into the Trail Blazers’ win, you could get $58 out of a total payout of $158.
NBA Weekly Preview 9: LA Clippers vs. Boston Celtics
When:
Monday, December 5th, 10:30 PM ET at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Moneyline odds:
LA Clippers +140
Boston Celtics -172
Where can I watch it?:
The last NBA game on Monday will be between the LA Clippers and Boston Celtics, two teams that are going through different moments in the league, but that have the common goal of remaining among the six best teams and qualifying for the Playoffs.
The Celtics, visitors to the match, have won 21 games so far and are the team with the most wins between the two conferences. Despite the good numbers, the Celtics lost the last game to the Warriors, a situation that gives confidence to the Clippers, who need the victory to reach the 6th position of the Western Conference.
The hosts beat the Wizards, away from home, in the last round. However, they have lost three of their last five games, showing a certain instability in the team.
We believe in the victory of the Celtics in this match, due to the good games that the team plays away from home and the record of victories that they have achieved so far.
If you put $100 into the Celtics’ victory, you could receive $61, out of a total payout of $161.
NBA Weekly Preview 9: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies
When:
Thursday, December 15th, 08:00 PM ET at FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Moneyline odds:
Milwaukee Bucks +102
Memphis Grizzlies -125
Where can I watch it?
NBA League Pass
The Milwaukee Bucks travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies this Thursday, December 15th, 2022, at 08:00 PM ET. Both teams come into this matchup experiencing an incredible season, battling for the top spot in the standings in their respective divisions.
The Bucks continue to prove that their basketball is at the highest level, and their goal is still to put on the championship ring again this season. Right now, they have a 20-7 record and are just one game out of first place in the Eastern Conference, which the Celtics hold.
After a disappointing 92-97 loss to the Rockets, one of the worst teams in the league this season, the Bucks bounced back in a big way with an excellent 128-11 win over the Warriors on Tuesday. It marked the Bucks’ 20th win of the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the offense for the Bucks averaging 31.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
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On the other hand, the Grizzlies are also showing an excellent level of play this season, reaffirming that what they have done in previous seasons is not a coincidence. They are now tied for first place in the Western Conference with the Pelicans, with a record of 18-9.
Memphis enters this matchup with a perfect winning streak extended to 6 in their last game against the Hawks last Tuesday when they crushed them 128-103.
Although JA Morant leads the team with 27.7 points per game, he was not in that last matchup against the Hawks, where the team was led by Tyrus Jones and Dillon Brooks, who scored 22 and 18 points, respectively.
We believe the Grizzlies will continue to extend their string of victories for this game.
If you put $100 into the Grizzlies’ victory, you could receive $80 out of a total payout of $180.
NBA Weekly Preview 9: Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets
When:
Thursday, December 15th, 08:00 PM ET at Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Moneyline odds:
Miami Heat -188
Houston Rockets +153
Where can I watch it?
NBA League Pass
Miami Heat is set to visit the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center this Thursday, December 15th, 2022, at 08:00 PM ET. These two teams have not had a good performance this season, but they come in with the confidence of winning the last game they played.
The Heat is coming off an 87-82 loss to the Indiana Pacers. In this game, the Heat showed a great defense, but they still have the task of scoring points this season, as they are currently scoring only 107.9 points per game, which places them in the last position in the league in this section.
With this win, the Heat have now won two in a row and climbed to eighth place in the standings with a 14-15 record. The Heat is still without Jimmy Butler to lead their offense, so Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro have led the team to victory in the last two games.
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On the other hand, the Houston Rockets are struggling. Since the departure of several important players in recent years, Houston has been a team with many problems getting wins, and they continue to show it this season. With a 9-18 record, they are in second-to-last place in the NBA’s Western Conference.
Likewise, the Rockets come into this game after a spectacular win over the Phoenix Suns, one of the most dominant teams in the league in recent seasons, with a score of 111-97. They were impressive on both ends of the court and held the Suns to 32% shooting from the field.
The Rockets have Jalen Green as their leading scorer on offense, averaging 21.8 points per game.
For this game, despite playing away, our pick is a win for the Miami Heat.
If you put $100 into the Heat’s victory, you could receive $53.19 out of a total payout of $153.19.
NBA Weekly Preview 9: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz
When:
Thursday, December 15th, 09:00 PM ET at EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Moneyline odds:
New Orleans Pelicans -125
Utah Jazz +103
Where can I watch it?
NBA League Pass
For the second straight time this week, the Utah Jazz are set to host one of the strongest teams this season, New Orleans Pelicans, this Thursday, December 15th, 2022, at EnergySolutions Arena at 09:00 PM ET.
Two great teams from the Western Conference meet in this Thursday night game, so we are sure we are in for many emotions.
In addition, the Jazz is coming off a 100-121 thrashing of the Pelicans in last Tuesday’s game, which means that the spirit of revenge is more alive than ever for the Pelicans.
The Pelicans (18-9) are leading the Western Conference, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies, but they need to get back to winning ways in this game if they don’t want to lose the top spot.
New Orleans has one of the best offenses in the tournament, averaging 117 points per game. This is largely thanks to their excellent team play, as only one Pelicans’ player averages more than 20 points per game, Lauri Markkanen, with 22.1 points. If the Pelicans continue with the cooperative play, they will continue on the winning path.
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On the other hand, we have the Utah Jazz, a team that, while they rank second in the league in average points scored per game with 117.4 points, have not had the defensive consistency needed to maintain a winning streak that would help them stay in the top half of the Western Conference.
They have a 16-14 record and are ranked eighth in the standings, 3.5 games behind the first-place Pelicans. Zion Williamson has had an excellent season for the Jazz averaging 25 points per game.
For this game, we believe the Pelicans will be able to get revenge for Tuesday’s game and get back to winning ways.
If you put $100 into the Pelican’s victory, you could receive $80 out of a total payout of $180.
EN 
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PT