Cleveland Cavaliers (39-25) at Boston Celtics (44-18)
The Cavs got back on track with a 25 pt win over the Raptors on Monday which ended a 3-game losing streak. Donovan Mitchell was the standout for the Cavs with 35 pts and he also bounced back from a couple of quiet outings. While their road form hasn't been great this season, they will head to Boston with confidence. They've beaten the Celtics in both meetings this season. Their lineup is also looking healthy with no major injuries.
The Celtics are looking to respond after a 15 pt loss against the Knicks on Tuesday. They were without Jaylen Brown and Tatum got ejected in a frustrating loss. However, they'll be looking forward to a home game as they haven't played at the TD Garden since the Super Bowl. They're also riding a 4 game-winning streak at home and 8-2 in their last 10. In lineup news, Jaylen Brown is back and that will boost their offence.
While the Celtics should get a boost from playing at home, the Cavs match up well with Boston this season. They're 2-0 in the season series and 5-2 in the last 7.
Stadium Record
Boston are 8-2 in their last 10 at home. Cleveland has lost 6 of their last 7 in Boston.
Head to Head Record
Since 2019, the head-to-head is tied at 5-5.
Best Bet
Cleveland Cavaliers +6.5 = $1.89
Brooklyn Nets (34-27) at New York Knicks (36-27)
The Nets have lost 3 on the trot and will be on a back-to-back against the Knicks. On Wednesday, they went down to the Bucks by 14 pts and that was disappointing considering they had a 15 pt lead at one stage. However, Mikal Bridges comes off scoring 31 pts and Dinwiddie played well with 26 pts. They'll likely go with the same starting lineup as their only major injury concern at the moment is Ben Simmons.
The Knicks are red-hot at the moment after 6 straight wins. They crushed the Celtics by 15 on Tuesday and have now won 4 of their last 5 by a 10+ margin. They've also enjoyed playing at home recently with 5 straight wins and they'll love nothing more than a win over the Nets. They beat them by 18 pts in mid-February so they'll be expecting a similar performance on Thursday.
While the Nets have dominated this cross-town rivalry, the Knicks are the form side at the moment. They're 5-0 ATS at home and just beat the Celtics by 10+. They also crushed the Nets by 18 a few weeks ago and this should be a similar result.
Stadium Record
New York have won 5 straight games on their home court. Brooklyn has won 5 of their last 7 at this venue.
Head to Head Record
The Nets are 9-1 in the last 10 but the Knicks broke the streak last month with a 124-106 result.
Best Bet
New Orleans Pelicans (30-32) at Portland Trail Blazers (29-32)
The Pelicans are coming off another loss as they went down to the Magic 101-93 on Tuesday. That made it 4 straight defeats as their confidence is low at the moment. Their offence is struggling without Zion as they're averaging just 102 pts in their last 5 games. However, this is a favourable matchup against a leaky Portland defence that's allowing 122 pts in their last 5. They do have a few questionable starters coming into this one with Valanciunas and Richardson. However, Ingram and McCollum against his former team will be the key.
The Trail Blazers will be back at home on Thursday and they'll look to respond after an 18 pt loss against the Warriors on Wednesday. Despite a 23 pt lead at one stage, the Trail Blazers defence continues to struggle. They're giving up 122.2 pts in their last 5 games and injuries haven't helped. Simons and Nurkic are both out at the moment so Reddish/Thybulle have been getting more playing time after being traded in before the deadline.
CJ McCollum vs Damian Lillard will be the main storyline in this matchup and that should help the chances of the Over. Portland are giving up plenty of points and CJ will be keen to have a big game. Also, the Over is 4-1 when the Trail Blazers are on their home court.
Stadium Record
Portland hold a 3-2 record in their last 5 home games. New Orleans are 3-2 at this venue since 2019.
Head to Head Record
Since 2019, the Pels lead the head to head 6-4.
Best Bet
