The Houston Rockets are under intense scrutiny among the NBA’s online betting community.
The James Harden-led outfit is now faced with a worrying losing streak after making such a hot start to the season. Losses to the Lakers, Clippers, Thunder and Celtics show worrying signs of Houston’s condition.
There are other games worthy of your free bets, but it’s hard not to talk about the losing streak.
Houston Rockets @ Washington Wizards (December 30, 8:00 GMT+8)
Houston horribly lost all of their last four games, but it is important to note that three of them were without Chris Paul. While this will change once Paul returns to the rotation, this streak should be a concern for Mike D’Antoni.
James Harden is doing everything he can, but basketball is a team sport. They need to find ways to become productive without Paul, or teams with stacked backcourts like the Wizards will steal the game from under their noses.
Atlanta Hawks @ Toronto Raptors (December 30, 8:30 GMT+8)
The Raptors are quietly stacking wins one after another and should be favourites to win here despite their recent losses. Atlanta are on a win streak but will have to be extra vigilant in defence against Toronto’s all-new passing game.
I think the hosts should easily win this, so there’s no reason to go for Toronto -11.00 @ 1.98.
Brooklyn Nets @ Miami Heat (December 30, 9:00 GMT+8)
The Nets just play terrible basketball whenever they are on the road. Meanwhile, the Heat got a confidence-boosting win after hosting intra-state rivals Orlando the other night. Miami -6.50 @ 1.97 is a no-brainer.
Indiana Pacers @ Chicago Bulls (December 30, 9:00 GMT+8)
The Bulls look to be back on track after the reconciliation of Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic, winning games against New York and Milwaukee. They should have a fighting chance against Indiana, but Victor Oladipo will surely put up a fight.
I think the United Center will do the Bulls a lot of favours, so Chicago -3.00 @ 1.95 is not a bad pick.
Dallas Mavericks @ New Orleans Pelicans (December 30, 9:00 GMT+8)
The Mavericks pulled off unbelievable wins against Indiana and Toronto thanks to the heavy contribution from the bench. However, Dallas are outclassed by the Pelicans when it comes to player quality: DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis are playing unbelievable basketball while Rajon Rondo is showing off his dusty passing chops once again.
New Orleans -7.00 @ 1.96 is pretty hard to ignore.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Oklahoma City Thunder (December 30, 9:00 GMT+8)
This game will be an explosive one as both teams feature mould-breaking stars that can bend the flow of the game to their will. Giannis should be able to mount a fierce resistance, but Oklahoma’s hot streak won’t end anytime soon. Don’t bother betting on anything other than Oklahoma City -9.00 @ 2.01.
Phoenix Suns @ Sacramento Kings (December 30, 11:00 GMT+8)
Both clubs are playing surprisingly good basketball contrary to preseason predictions. While they are both subpar squads, the Suns stand out when they are put together. They have an established scorer in Devin Booker and should have no difficulty outscoring the Kings. Place your money on Phoenix +2.50 @ 1.95.
Charlotte Hornets @ Golden State Warriors (December 30, 11:30 GMT+8)
The Hornets are a terrible team on the road, while the Dubs are dominant. I think they can even play against the Monstars and still win by 20. I don’t think I have to even convince you any further to place your bets on Golden State’s -11.50 Asian Handicap for 2.06, right?
LA Clippers @ Los Angeles Lakers (December 30, 11:30 GMT+8)
The Clippers are doing fantastically well despite having Blake Griffin on the sideline. Meanwhile, the Lakers continue to struggle after the miracle win they pulled off in Houston. I think the Lakers faithful would have to wait a bit before everything goes back to normal for them.
For the latest sports update, promotions and betting picks with SBOBET get social with our official Twitter, Google+, YouTube and Facebook accounts. Visit SBOBET and join us now. Start placing your bets today!
Click for more basketball betting options.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
