Golden State Warriors (29-7) at Dallas Mavericks (19-18)
Despite a rare off night for Steph Curry, the Warriors rallied to beat the Heat 115-108, mainly behind Jordan Poole. He finished with 32 points in the victory and Draymond Green also added 13 assists. Curry was 3 of 17 from the field and missed 9 of 10 three-point attempts. However, he should get back on track in this primetime matchup against Doncic and the Mavs.
Thursday's matchup with the Warriors won't any ordinary regular-season game as the Mavericks will be retiring franchise veteran Dirk Nowitzki's No. 41 jersey. So there's going to be huge motivation for the home team to get the win on this special occasion. While they're still without Porzingis, Luka Doncic has returned to the lineup after missing most of December and his minutes restriction looks to be lifted after playing 34 against Denver. In the 103-89 victory over the Nuggets, their defence was excellent by allowing just 89 pts and they'll need a similar gameplan against Steph Curry's Warriors.
Driven by the emotion surrounding the Dirk Nowitzki jersey retirement, we can see the Mavericks giving the Warriors a scare. Their defence was impressive against the Nuggets this week and they also have a good recent record against the Warriors. In the last 10 meetings, they're 8-2 ATS and they've won 6 of the last 7 meetings.
Stadium Record
Dallas are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games at home. Golden State are 2-3 in their last 5 games in Dallas.
Head to Head Record
The Mavericks have won 7 of the last 10 meetings. They also trashed the Warriors 133-103 in April this year.
Best Bet
Miami Heat (23-15) at Portland Trail Blazers (14-22)
The Heat's 6 game road trip continues to Portland where they'll be looking to end a 2 game losing streak. They've lost back to back games against the Kings and Warriors. To make matters worse, Jimmy Butler injured his ankle against the Warriors and will be out for this game. So the short-handed Heat will look to lean on their backcourt via Lowry and Herro. Yurtseven has also shown promise at the centre position as they're missing Adebayo.
It's a similar story for the banged-up Trail Blazers as they're desperately missing the likes of Lillard and McCollom. However, they will be coming off a nice 136-131 win over the Hawks in what was a fast-paced contest. One of the standouts was Anfernee Simons as he led the team with a massive 43 points and 7 assists. So he should enjoy more playing time against the Heat with the Trail Blazers missing key pieces in their frontcourt.
This should be a close and high scoring contest between two sides that are missing some firepower. However, we don't mind the underdog Heat as the Trail Blazers have struggled defensively. In their last 2 games, they've allowed 130+ points and we can't see Simons saving them by scoring 43 pts again. So look for the Heat to take advantage of their defensive woes through the combination of Herro and Lowry.
Stadium Record
The Trail Blazers have lost 8 of their last 10 home games. Miami holds a 2-5 record in Portland.
Head to Head Record
Miami won the last meeting 107-98 in April but the Trail Blazers have won 6 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
Utah Jazz (27-10) at Denver Nuggets (18-17)
The Jazz have won 4 of their last 5 games but it will be important to monitor their lineup before this clash. At this stage, 4 of their 5 starters are questionable and that includes; Mitchell, Bogdanovic, O'Neale and Gobert. Meanwhile, they have already ruled out Aussie Joe Ingles. They have been a tough road team as they've covered the line in 5 of their last 6. However, their starting lineup is looking banged up and they could struggle to meet their high standards in this matchup.
Denver couldn't get their offence going against the Mavericks on Tuesday as they were held to just 89 points in the 103-89 loss. Obviously, their lineup revolves around Jokic and if Gobert can't suit up, the Serbian should dominate this matchup around the basket. Meanwhile, the likes of Barton and Gordon will need to step up and make shots when it matters.
This is a tough game to predict at the moment with a lot of uncertainty about the Jazz's starting lineup. So at this stage, we do like the chances of Jokic getting over 15 boards. He's collected 15 or more rebounds in 4 of his last 5 outings and if Gobert can't play, this should be a solid value bet.
Stadium Record
Denver has struggled at home of late with a 1-5 record. The Jazz have lost 11 of their last 14 in Denver.
Head to Head Record
The Jazz won the first meeting of the season 122-110 and have won 6 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
