Top spot in the NBA‘s Eastern Conference will be on the line when the conference-leading Miami Heat and the second-placed Chicago Bulls collide. The Heat will look to extend their one-game lead over the Bulls, who will be eager to bounce back after seeing their six-game winning streak snapped by the Memphis Grizzlies.
And speaking of the Grizzlies, Ja Morant and co. will be keen to inch closer toward the Golden State Warriors for the No. 2 seed in the West when they host the San Antonio Spurs.
Read on below as SBOTOP previews in detail all seven games on the upcoming NBA schedule.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Cleveland Cavaliers
The Timberwolves were on the receiving end of a 133-102 beatdown by James Harden and the new-look 76ers. Anthony Edwards had another rough night as his current struggles continue. The 20-year-old is averaging just 8.8 points on 21 per cent shooting over his last four games.
Edwards will look to get back on track against the shorthanded Cavs, who ended their three-game losing skid by beating the Wizards.
With guards Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Rajon Rondo all out, Lauri Markkanen led the way with 23 points, while Cedi Osman added 19 points off the bench. Garland, LeVert, and Rondo will once again miss the Timberwolves’ visit, so Brandon Goodwin and Isaac Okoro will continue to start at the guard positions.
Betting Tip: Minnesota Timberwolves Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 1.86
Indiana Pacers @ Orlando Magic
The Pacers defied the NBA 2022 odds as they picked up a surprise 128-107 win yesterday over the red-hot Celtics. Oshea Brisset led the way with 27 points as the Pacers shot a blistering 17-of-33 on 3-pointers. New acquisition Tyrese Haliburton also continued his fine play with 22 points and 9 assists.
Indiana will be keen to get their first winning streak December when they face the Magic, who snapped their four-game losing skid by beating the Rockets, 119-111. Chuma Okeke starred with 26 points and 9 rebounds off the bench, while Wendell Carter Jr. added 24 points and 12 rebounds.
The big NBA 2022 news for the Magic is that former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz will make his much-awaited return after missing the past year with a torn ACL.
Toronto Raptors @ Brooklyn Nets
The Raptors are slumping. They suffered a 127-100 defeat to the Hawks, with Trae Young going off for 41 points. They have now lost four of their last five games, with three of those defeats coming by 25 or more points.
Raptors forward OG Anunoby is out and All-Star guard Fred VanVleet is questionable for their showdown with the Nets, who pulled off a big 126-123 win over the Bucks despite still not having Kevin Durant and big trade deadline acquisition Ben Simmons in the lineup.
Kyrie Irving starred with 38 points, while newcomers Seth Curry (19 points) and Andre Drummond (17 points, 12 rebounds) both came up big. But with Irving once again unable to play at home, Curry and Drummond will have to step up for the Nets.
Betting Tip: Brooklyn Nets Asian Handicap +2.50 @ 2.06
Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat
The Bulls lost ground to the Heat in the race for the top seed in the East after their 116-110 loss to the Grizzlies. Red-hot DeMar DeRozan finally saw his incredible streak of consecutive games with 35 or more points and 50 per cent or better shooting snapped at eight as he finished with 31 points on just 10-of-29 shooting.
DeRozan and the Bulls will look to bounce back in Miami against the Heat, who extended their winning streak to three games with a hard-fought 133-129 victory over the Spurs. Bam Adebayo had a monstrous game with 36 points, while Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro both had 27 points apiece.
The Heat have won the first two games in the season series against the Bulls, including a 26-point home victory in their most recent meeting.
Betting Tip: Miami Heat Asian Handicap -3.50 @ 2.00
San Antonio Spurs @ Memphis Grizzlies
Not only did the Heat snap the Spurs’ two-game win streak, but they also prolonged Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s wait to tie the NBA record for regular-season wins.
The Spurs put up a surprisingly good fight against the Heat despite being without All-Star guard Dejounte Murray due to a bruised knee. Tre Jones stepped up with 19 points and 11 rebounds in a rare start, while Devin Vassell, Keita Bates-Diop, and Lonnie Walker IV all had 22 points.
The Spurs will hope to have Murray back in Memphis to help contain Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who broke the franchise record with 46 points in their win against the Bulls. Morant is averaging 31 points in his last nine games and has dropped 44 points or more in two of his last three.
Charlotte Hornets @ Milwaukee Bucks
Charlotte’s struggles continued as they lost in overtime to the lowly Pistons last night. Terry Rozier had 33 points in a losing effort for the Hornets, who are just 2-8 in their last 10 games.
And now, they must pay a visit to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks, who are eager to get back on track after close losses to two of their top East competitors in the 76ers and Nets.
But the Hornets have had the Bucks’ number this season. They’ve won the last two meetings against the Bucks (both at home) and just narrowly lost 127-125 in Milwaukee.
Betting Tip: Charlotte Hornets Asian Handicap +10.50 @ 1.90
Sacramento Kings @ Oklahoma City Thunder
The Kings’ losing slump is now up to four games after back-to-back defeats to the Nuggets. De’Aaron Fox had 29 points and 10 assists in a losing effort. The young point guard is averaging 26.7 points and 5.6 assists in his last seven games, but the Kings have gone just 2-5 during that stretch.
Sacramento should like their chances of winning against the Thunder, who beat the Pacers 129-125 last time out. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been terrific in his two games since returning from injury, averaging 34 points and 5 assists while shooting well over 50 per cent from the field.
Betting Tip: Sacramento Kings Asian Handicap -4.50 @ 1.94
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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