Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN)
The Nets are in Philadelphia to open the ESPN double-header on NBA Thursday (all times AEST).
Brooklyn are sitting firm in the East’s eighth seed with an 18-21 record, including 7-12 on the road. They had been in a slump recently, dropping seven in a row, before bouncing back with two-straight wins over Miami and Atlanta.
The Nets were boosted by the unexpected return of Kyrie Irving in the Hawks win, who many predicted would have shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season
Brooklyn will be coming off a back-to-back, going down to the red-hot Jazz 118-107 on Wednesday.
The Sixers have been in their own slump, dropping six of their last eight games. They’ve lost two in a row to the Pacers and Mavs both on the road, but are 18-2 at home this season.
For a team that was already struggling to live up to expectations this season, the loss of Joel Embiid cannot be understated. The star big man had surgery on his left hand last week and will be re-evaluated in the next couple of weeks.
The Nets beat the Sixers 109-89 in Brooklyn in their earlier meeting this season.
Tip: Philadelphia to win @ $1.32.
Toronto Raptors at OKC Thunder
The Raptors visit Oklahoma City in an exciting inter conference clash.
Toronto have been below their best recently after being cruelled by injuries to several key players. Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell recently made their returns, while Fred VanVleet and Marc Gasol remain sidelined.
The Raptors have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games, but will look to get things back on track with Siakam back, who is now arguably the best player on this team. They are sitting fourth in the East at 25-14.
The Thunder are flying, sitting seventh in the West at 23-17 and amazingly just five games behind the second-placed Jazz. OKC have gone 8-2 over their last 10, including impressive victories over the Mavs, Raptors and Rockets.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up a monster line in their most recent win over the Timberwolves, tallying 20 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in his first triple-double. He became the youngest player in league history to record at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game.
The recent play of Danilo Gallinari has also been huge for this team, averaging 21.1 points on 45.6% shooting from the field and 87.5% from the line, 3.5 triples and 5.2 rebounds per game over the last month.
OKC won this matchup 98-97 in Toronto in late December.
Tip: OKC +2.5 @ $1.61.
Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets (ESPN)
The Blazers and Rockets close out the ESPN double-header in Houston.
Portland are fighting it out for the eighth seed but have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league this season. They have gone 3-7 in their last 10 and rank 24th in the NBA in defensive rating (111.9) and 13th in scoring (111.5).
In an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Blazers, the addition of Carmelo Anthony has been a success, with the 10-time All-Star averaging 16.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
The Rockets are fifth in the West at 26-13, losing two of their last three. They rank first in the league in scoring at 119.2 points per game. Houston will be coming off a loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday which Russel Westbrook (rest) missed.
James Harden continues to be the most dominant offensive player in the league and one of the frontrunners for the MVP, averaging 37.7 points, 5.1 threes, 6.2 boards, 7.5 dimes and 1.8 steals per game. But it must be asked – can a team achieve true success being so reliant on one individual?
The Rockets won this matchup 132-108 at home in November.
Tip: Houston to win @ $1.27
