Boston Celtics (35-31) at Chicago Bulls (27-39)
The 6th seeded Celtics have been in good form lately with 3 wins in their last 4 games and that's despite missing Jaylen Brown with injury. He's out again for this matchup but Kemba Walker did return from a 4 game absence in their latest win over the Magic. Walker showed no signs of rust as he finished with a game-high 32 pts. He'll also get a good matchup against a Bulls defence that has struggled against point guards.
Chicago's chances of a playoff spot are pretty slim but a 120-99 win over the Hornets on Friday should give them confidence. LaVine returned from injury but the key was Vucevic as he finished with 29 pts / 14 rebounds. He has an excellent matchup against Boston's defence in this clash as they struggle to contain centres.
The Celtics just have more to play for at the moment in terms of playoffs and the Bulls defence will likely find it difficult against Walker/Tatum. Boston has also covered in 4 of their last 5 games in Chicago.
Stadium Record
The Bulls have a poor 3-7 home record in their last 10. Boston have won 4 of their last 5 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Celtics are 8-2 against the Bulls but Chicago did win the last meeting a few weeks ago, 102-96.
Best Bet
New York Knicks (37-29) at Phoenix Suns (47-19)
The Knicks 3 game winning streak ended in Denver with a 113-97 defeat on Thursday and they'll face another tough challenge in Phoenix. But after playing the Suns in New York recently, they should be able to develop a more improved defensive strategy. Especially against Booker after he scored 33 pts in that game.
After 5 wins on the trot, the Suns were simply outclassed by the Hawks in Atlanta 135-103. So the Suns will be looking to come out on their home court and start well against the Knicks. As mentioned, they beat the Knicks in New York a few weeks ago and will look to get the ball into Booker's hands early and often after he dominated.
The Suns have been involved in plenty of high scoring affairs so we do like the Over trend with them involved. Overall, the Over is 8-3 in their last 11 home games and 6-1 at any venue. Meanwhile, the Knicks are 4-1 against the Over on the road.
Stadium Record
The Suns have been tough to beat at home with a 12-1 record in their last 13. The Knicks have a poor 4-12 record at this venue.
Head to Head Record
Phoenix beat the Knicks a few weeks ago in New York, 118-110, and have won 7 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
Los Angeles Lakers (37-29) at Portland Trail Blazers (37-29)
This is a huge game for the struggling Lakers as they hold the same record as the Trail Blazers. However, the Lakers are going to be severely undermanned. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have already been ruled out, so they'll join Schroder and Horton-Tucker on the sidelines. They'll also be coming off 7 defeats in their last 9, which includes a 118-94 loss to the Clippers on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers are on fire at the moment after winning 5 of 6 games on their recent road-trip. They have struggled at home recently with 6 straight defeats but they won't get a better opportunity to end the streak against a banged-up Lakers team. Especially with Lillard scoring 30+ pts in 3 of his last 4 games.
The Lakers injury crisis just continues and with the Trail Blazers seeking a spot in the top 6 in the West, they surely can't drop a game to a team without James/Davis/Schroder. While they have been poor at home recently, they just covered in 5 of their last 6 games and should be confident on their home court.
Stadium Record
Portland has lost their last 5 home games. The Lakers are a perfect 5-0 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Lakers won the earlier season meeting 102-93 and have won 7 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
