Top NBA Betting Games Of The Week (Feb. 23rd – 25th)

After the fun of the All-Star Weekend, it’s time for all NBA teams to get back to the serious business of making a run at the playoffs, with the second half of the season getting underway this week. At this stage of the season, it’s fair to say that we have a lock on the teams that will be in the top 3 or 4 in each of the conferences, but there are still a lot of battles to be fought in the bottom half of the East and West. Many of the game that we will be looking at for this coming week will feature teams that have been dragged into that fight. The NBA betting lines action begins again on Thursday night, so let’s start by looking at the best games on tap from then through the weekend.

Top NBA Betting Games Of The Week (Feb. 23rd – 25th)

Charlotte Hornets at Detroit Pistons – Thursday

The Pistons are clinging to the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference right now, but things are so tight there, they could easily move up or down a few spots, depending on their form in the next few games. There are just 4.5 games separating the Indiana Pacers in 6th and the Charlotte Hornets in 11th, which should give you an idea of just how tight things are in the East. The Hornets will be hoping that the break will have been a welcome one, as they were on a 1-9 run heading into the All-Star Game. Another stretch like that and their season may well be over.

LA Clippers at Golden State Warriors – Thursday

It is once again the Warriors who are setting the bar that everyone else has to try and reach in the regular season, and they look like an absolute shoe-in to win the West. The LA Clippers are currently occupying the #4 seed in the conference, yet they are already 11 games back of the Warriors. Their goal at this point is likely to maintain their top 4 seeding, as that will guarantee them home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. This is a game that should be highly entertaining.

Boston Celtics at Toronto Raptors – Friday

The Toronto Raptors are another team that may well have benefitted from the timing of the All-Star Break. They were just 4-6 in the 10 games leading up to the break, a run that saw them fall to 4th place in the Eastern Conference. They have been heading in the opposite direction of the Boston Celtics, as their recent form has vaulted them into second spot, just 3 games back of the Cleveland cavaliers. If the Celtics have designs on stealing the conference crown, then these are the types of games they need to get in the habit of winning.

Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers – Saturday

Once you get beyond the top 5 seeds in the East, you run into a log jam featuring 6 teams, and potentially more, battling it out for only 3 spots. The Chicago Bulls are in the middle of that, and while they are holding the 7th seed right now, there is no guarantee that they will stay there if they cannot stay consistent. The good news is that they ended the first half on a modest 2-game win streak, and while they are in for a tough one against the defending champs, I expect them to make a real game of it.