After a memorable gameday that saw veteran guards Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo exchange punches in the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets match, the NBA returns this Monday with all eyes still glued on the Western Conference.
Of course, fans will be waiting what punishment will the league’s top brass give to Houston’s Paul ahead of the Rockets’ game against the L.A. Clippers—which so happens to be the All-Star guard’s former team.
However, besides that intriguing storyline, there are more to watch out for in the league. The Golden State Warriors also return to action, this time against a fellow undefeated team Denver Nuggets. In contrast, the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Sacramento Kings in a battle of winless teams.
Here’s the full SBOBET preview of the upcoming matches in the league:
Atlanta Hawks @ Cleveland Cavaliers (October 22, 06:00 GMT+8)
Both the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers lost their opening two games of the season, with the former even bowing down to teams that finished with less than 30 wins last campaign. Nonetheless, one of them is set to get their first “W” of the year when they meet.
The NBA 2018 odds point to a Cavs win, and for a good reason. While Cleveland lost LeBron James in free agency, they managed to keep Kevin Love and even added a bright young talent in Collin Sexton.
Not to mention that they have finally unleashed Cedi Osman, who has averaged 19.5 points in two games for the Wine and Gold.
The Hawks, on the other hand, have been abysmal. Although they are working hard on both ends of the floor, their offence and defence remain an issue. They have allowed their first two opponents to score more than 125 points on them, and that isn’t a good thing for any team.
Cleveland are at -6.50 @ 1.87 to win, and that might not be a bad bet to make given Atlanta’s woes.
Sacramento Kings @ Oklahoma City Thunder (October 22, 07:00 GMT+8)
Talking about winless teams, the Kings and Thunder are in the same situation. Fortunately for Oklahoma, star point guard Russell Westbrook could make his return at Chesapeake Energy Arena against the Sacramento team.
Westbrook has missed the first two games of the season as he recovers from an offseason knee procedure, but ESPN reports that the 2017 NBA MVP is planning to return to action in the Monday game.
With that said, the Thunder could have their pairing of Westbrook and Paul George back on the court, and that could spell trouble for the Kings who are still figuring out their identity on the defensive end.
Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets (October 22, 08:00 GMT+8)
A Jonas Jerebko tip-in saved the Warriors from losing to the Utah Jazz last week, but the reigning champs certainly need to improve if they want to keep their winning streak alive.
They also had a hard time against the Thunder in their opening night match-up and noticeably lost the third-quarter bite that made them dangerous opponents last season.
Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry were impressive for the Dubs in their last two games, with Steph even scoring back-to-back 30-plus points. However, their bench remains a concern and the frontcourt could really use some depth.
Denver boast one of the best big men in the league in Nikola Jokic, and the Serbian is undoubtedly capable of making life difficult for the Bay Area team. After all, he is coming off a historic night that saw him grab the NBA 2018 news headlines with a triple-double of 35 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on a perfect 11-for-11 shooting.
Jokic is only the second player in NBA history to achieve the rare statistical feat, joining the great Wilt Chamberlain in the elusive club.
It remains to be seen if Jokic and the Nuggets can replicate their earlier successes, but it won’t be wrong to expect them to keep the fight close and win on Asian Handicap +3.00 that pays at 2.02.
Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Clippers (October 22, 09:00 GMT+8)
After the Paul-Rondo brawl, the Rockets should expect a hostile environment when they play in the Staples Center again. Besides, they also have history against the Clippers (remember the locker room fight and secret tunnel?).
Paul is likely to be suspended—the only question is by how many games—so he is expected to sit out against the Clippers to serve his suspension.
With that said, the Rockets will be leaning on 2018 NBA MVP James Harden to carry both the scoring and playmaking load for the team. They have to be cautious though, especially with the Clips coming off a win against the Thunder behind Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Boban Marjanovic.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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