Brooklyn Nets (27-16) at Washington Wizards (23-21)
The Nets have lost Kevin Durant for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury so Harden/Irving will be the key on offence going forward. Without Durant on the sidelines for the first time since his knee injury, they struggled against the Cavs on Tuesday with a 114-107 defeat. However, Irving was in good touch as he scored 27 pts and he should be available for the next 3 road games on this trip. Brooklyn has also played well on the road this season with a 15-5 record. But it will obviously be tougher without Durant.
Meanwhile, the Wizards have been a tough opponent on this home-stand with 3 wins in their last 4 games. They come off an impressive 117-98 win over the 76ers after a disappointing loss against the injury-riddled Trail Blazers. In the victory over the 76ers, the return of Bradley Beal was a welcome sight after he had missed the 3 previous games. Overall, the Wizards are one of the healthiest teams in the NBA so they should be confident of continuing their home form against Brooklyn.
The Wizards are at full strength and they're competing with the best teams in the East at the moment. So we like their chances of a home victory over the Durant-less Nets. The Wiz have won 9 of the last 10 meetings at home and have also covered in 4 of 5.
Stadium Record
The Wizards are 4-2 in their last 6 games. The Nets have a woeful 1-9 record in Washington.
Head to Head Record
Brooklyn won the first meeting of the season 104-90 but the Wizards are 6-4 in the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
Washington Wizards -1.5 = $1.91
Charlotte Hornets (24-20) at Boston Celtics (23-22)
After wins over the Bucks (twice) and 76ers, the Hornets were flat against the Magic on Saturday with a 116-109 loss. However, they got back on track with a comfortable 97-87 win over the Knicks on Tuesday. When their defence is playing well, the Hornets are a tough team to play as they've conceded under 100 pts in their last 3 wins. This will also be a revenge game for former Celtic Gordon Hayward and he'll be looking for a good performance.
Boston had to rally against the Pelicans last time out after a slow start, which isn't a great sign coming into a tougher matchup. But Tatum led the Celtics to victory with 27 pts and Boston has now won 4 of their last 5 games. Schroder has also been enjoying more playing time with Smart out and he comes off 23 pts /9 assists. However, Marcus Smart is likely going to return from covid-19 protocols and we'll know more closer to tip-off.
We like the chances of the Over in this matchup considering the trend between the two teams. In 5 of the last 6 games at TD Garden, the Over has saluted and the two sides totalled 269 pts in the first meeting of the season.
Stadium Record
Boston are 6-1 in their last 7 home games. The Hornets have lost all of their last 5 in Boston.
Head to Head Record
Boston thrashed the Hornets at the beginning of the season and have won 8 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
Los Angeles Clippers (22-23) at Denver Nuggets (22-20)
On Tuesday, the Clippers ended a 2 game losing streak with a high scoring 139-133 win over the Pacers in the end. They now head into an 8 game road trip, starting in Denver where they've had success more recently with 4 wins in their last 5. However, the Clippers are understrength with no Paul George or Kawhi Leonard on the court. So the likes of Jackson, Morris Snr and Batum will be the key on offence. The trio played well against the Pacers as they all scored over 21 points, which is a good sign going forward.
The Nuggets return to the court on Thursday after a few days rest since a 125-102 defeat against the Jazz. However, they only had 10 fit players in that contest and the extra few days rest will help their situation against LA. So they should get Rivers and Green back to strengthen their rotation. However, as usual their offence will run through Jokic and Aaron Gordon has been stepping up as a one-two punch.
The Under looks to be trending between these two teams and we like it here. The two sides met last week and totalled just 172 pts. The Under also holds a 6-2 record in the last 8 meetings in Denver and the Clippers are 4-1 against the Under on the road.
Stadium Record
The Nuggets are 2-1 on this home-stand. Los Angeles has won 4 of their last 5 in Denver.
Head to Head Record
Since 2020, the Nuggets have won 6 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
