Dallas Mavericks @ Atlanta Hawks (ESPN)
Houston will be looking to go one better this season, as they host the New Orleans Pelicans to kick off their 2018-19 campaign.
In the first clash on ESPN on Thursday, Dallas will travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks, in their first match since their major trade on NBA Draft night.
The Hawks went into the draft with pick three while the Mavs had pick five, although Dallas sent a lottery-protected first-round pick in 2019 to Atlanta in order to switch positions inside the top five.
Therefore, the Hawks would go on to select Luka Doncic at three for the Mavs, while they picked Trae Young at five for the Hawks.
We’re only three games in to the new season, but both sides would be pretty pleased with how that deal has worked out so far.
Young put up 20 points and nine assists at Memphis in just his second outing, while launching six triples and recording 35 points and 11 assists in their first win of the season over Cleveland.
Doncic had 26 against Minnesota in their four-point win on Sunday, and averages 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Both sides enter this fixture on the back of wins, with the Mavs 2-1 and the Hawks 1-2.
It’s Atlanta’s first home game of the season, and that’s going to be enough to get them over the line.
Tip: Atlanta @ $1.98
Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets
Houston will host Utah without Chris Paul on Thursday, as he continues to serve a suspension for being involved in a brawl with Los Angeles guard Rajon Rondo and Lakers forward Brandon Ingram.
Paul was suspended for two games, with the clash with the Jazz the second game of his ban.
The Rockets have struggled so far this season, with losses to New Orleans and Los Angeles Clippers either side of their win over the Lakers on Sunday.
Houston have struggled defensively this season, and have a defensive rating (an estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions) of 116.64, which is seventh worst in the league.
Utah come in on the back of two losses, although their one-point loss to Golden State over the weekend wasn’t nearly as bad as their eight-point defeat at home to Memphis last time out.
The Jazz shot just 35.4% from the field, a major decline on their numbers against the Warriors the game before.
Both sides are 1-2, and will be itching to avoid a 1-3 start to the season.
The Rockets should be able to defend their home court here.
Tip: Houston -2.5 @ $1.94
Philadelphia 76ers @ Milwaukee Bucks – ESPN
It’s a battle of the Aussies, as Ben Simmons and Jonah Bolden’s Philadelphia travel to Milwaukee to face Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker’s Bucks.
Weirdly enough however, the game could potentially see all four sit out.
Simmons has been ruled out of the Sixers’ clash with Detroit on Wednesday, and with this the second game of a back-to-back, they could look to rest him once again and keep him fresh for Charlotte on Monday.
Bolden has been a DNP-CD in the Sixers’ last two games, while Dellavedova (four minutes) and Maker (zero minutes) have rarely seen the court this season.
The Bucks enter the clash at 3-0 and are firing on all cylinders, and should have enough to see off the Sixers here, regardless of Simmons’ status.
Tip: Milwaukee at $1.41
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