It was a rough weekend for two Western Conference playoff hopefuls as the New Orleans Pelicans lost All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins to a season-ending torn Achilles’ tendon and the Oklahoma City Thunder lost guard Andre Roberson, one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, to a season-ending ruptured patellar tendon. Here are two intriguing NBA betting matchups this week. We’ll also have individual previews at MyBookie during the week of some bigger games, along with their latest NBA odds.
On Dec. 21 at Madison Square Garden, New York won 102-93. Michael Beasley scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half. Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis had maybe the worst game of his career, going 0 for 11 from the field and finishing with one point. Porzingis is the only player in the NBA to have at least 975 points, 280 rebounds, 95 blocks and 75 3PT FGM this season. Boston led by nine midway through the third quarter. Irving scored 32 points for the Celtics, who played without Brown because of left Achilles tendon soreness. Tatum added 17 points.
Tatum and Brown were named to the Rising Stars Challenge on All-Star weekend. They are the first pair of Celtics to appear in the game since Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger in 2014. Horford and Irving will play in the All-Star Game, with Irving the first Boston starter since Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo in 2013.
Best NBA Betting Picks & Predictions of the Week – January 29th Edition
#NBA statistical power rankings after the 15th week of games: pic.twitter.com/7dQeGGS8Xh
— Jacob Goldstein (@JacobEGoldstein) January 29, 2018
Portland Trail Blazers at LA Clippers
When: Tuesday, 10:30 PM ET (TNT) It’s the second meeting between these teams, with the Blazers losing at home to the Clippers on Oct. 26, 104-103. Blake Griffin made a three-pointer at the buzzer. He had 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists to pace the Clippers, while Damian Lillard led Portland with 25 points, two rebounds and six assists. CJ McCollum scored 23 points. DeAndre Jordan recorded five points, 18 rebounds and three blocks in 38 minutes for L.A. Jordan is an interesting story line here as the Blazers reportedly have made trade inquiries about him should the Clippers decide to waive the white flag on the season. Jordan can opt out of his contract this summer and become a free agent, which he will do. So the Clippers may prefer to not potentially lose him for nothing, although they could pay him more in free agency than any other club. Neil Olshey was the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers when he picked Jordan in the second round back in 2008. Now he’s Portland’s President of Basketball Operations. Jordan is the fifth-most efficient player (1.20 points per possession) on pick-and-roll plays as the roll man among those with as many possessions. The Blazers rank in the bottom 10 (1.03 PPP) on this play type. The Blazers rank last in points per game (10.8) when running a transition offense. Jordan currently ranks No. 4 overall (1.50 PPP) on this play type.Will the Clippers Have a Gallinari on Their Squad?
The Clippers could see the return of big offseason acquisition Danilo Gallinari on Tuesday. He hasn’t played since Dec. 9 due to a hip injury. Gallinari missed 13 games and just under a month of action nine games into the season as he was recovering from the same glute strain. He would return at 100% to play two games, but re-injure that glute after being undercut and landing hard on his hip area. Gallinari is averaging 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 three-pointers per game this season. The Clippers are still without guard Austin Rivers. His timetable has been stated as within two weeks by coach (and dad) Doc Rivers. Austin Rivers is averaging career highs across the board at 15.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.5 made three-pointers per game on 42 percent shooting from the field and 40.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Backup point guard Jawun Evans remains out with an injured abdomen.New York Knicks at Boston Celtics
When: Wednesday, 8 PM ET The NBA’s schedule-makers did the Knicks little favors. They just finished up a seven-game road trip on Friday, the team’s longest in several years. They return home for just one game, Tuesday vs. Brooklyn, and then turn around and head out to Boston on Wednesday and the Bucks on Friday. These teams have split two meetings this season. On Oct. 24, the Celtics won at home, 110-89. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 23 points, two off a career high. Rookie Jayson Tatum added 22 points. Kyrie Irving finished with 20 points and seven assists. Al Horford chipped in with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Enes Kanter led New York with 16 points and 19 rebounds. The Knicks scored the first basket of the night, but never led again. They shot just 42 percent and went 1 of 12 from the 3-point line.How Was Their Recent Encounter?
On Dec. 21 at Madison Square Garden, New York won 102-93. Michael Beasley scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half. Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis had maybe the worst game of his career, going 0 for 11 from the field and finishing with one point. Porzingis is the only player in the NBA to have at least 975 points, 280 rebounds, 95 blocks and 75 3PT FGM this season. Boston led by nine midway through the third quarter. Irving scored 32 points for the Celtics, who played without Brown because of left Achilles tendon soreness. Tatum added 17 points.
Tatum and Brown were named to the Rising Stars Challenge on All-Star weekend. They are the first pair of Celtics to appear in the game since Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger in 2014. Horford and Irving will play in the All-Star Game, with Irving the first Boston starter since Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo in 2013.
