Philadelphia 76ers @ Indiana Pacers – ESPN
The Sixers will travel to Indiana on Thursday to try and put an end to their interesting record to start the season.
Philadelphia have lost all five road games this campaign, but haven’t dropped a home game yet either, which sees them enter this clash with a 6-5 record.
The Pacers are 7-4, after their three-game winning streak was ended by the Rockets.
Philly are scoring at a higher clip (111.6ppg to 106.6ppg) compared to Indiana but are also allowing more points (112.9ppg to 102.3ppg), as the Pacers boast a top-three defence in the NBA.
They’ve also got the fifth-best field goal percentage in the league at 48.9%, and rightly head into the clash as slight favourites.
The match-up between Myles Turner and Joel Embiid could go a long way to deciding this contest, while the Sixers will need to curb the output of Victor Oladipo in order to give themselves a chance of winning.
Unfortunately for Philly, their winless road record may get worse on Thursday.
Tip: Indiana @ $1.71
Denver Nuggets @ Memphis Grizzlies
The Nuggets have started like a house on fire this season, and have tied their best start in franchise history.
Jamal Murray exploded for 48 points against the Celtics on Tuesday, which saw the Nuggets move to 9-1 on the season, with their only blemish coming in a loss to the Lakers in LA.
However, they come up against a side this Thursday who began the season 5-2 and are undefeated at home, after most experts tipped them to be at the bottom of the Western Conference in their pre-season predictions.
Memphis have been led by Mike Conley (18.1 points, 5.8 assists per game) and Mark Gasol (13.8 points, 8.6 rebounds per contest) this season, and have been rewarded for their hard work defensively so far this campaign.
They allow just 102.1ppg, which sees them second to only Boston as the NBA’s stingiest defences.
However, Denver come in at fourth on that list at just 102.4 points allowed, meaning this game could be won with a big offensive performance, just like Murray did last time out against the Celtics.
Memphis should prove a stern test, although not much can stop the Nuggets at the moment.
Tip: Denver -3.5 @ $1.92
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers – ESPN
In the final clash on Thursday, Minnesota and Los Angeles will face off for the second time this season, after the Timberwolves drew first blood in their 124-120 win against the Lakers on October 30.
Jimmy Butler led the way with 32 points, although he has been inactive twice in the past four games for the Wolves, so his availability may still be uncertain.
The Lakers could debut Tyson Chandler for the contest, after picking him up off the waivers following his buyout with the Phoenix Suns.
Los Angeles are in desperate need for some presence in the paint on the defensive end, and the former Defensive Player of the Year certainly addresses some of those concerns.
The Wolves have struggled on the road this season and are 0-6 away from the Target Centre, which could be enough to help the Lakers add to their current 4-6 record.
Tip: Los Angeles - $1.48
