Be sure to check the injury close to game time as these picks may change withnew information!
Portland Trailblazers at Pheonix Suns
This game is a heavy weight matchup between the Trailblazers (5th in the West) vs the Suns (4th in the West). Both teams are 8-2 in their last 10 games and starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in the West. The Suns are on a two game winning streak.
The Trailblazers have been without two of the their three best players with Nurkic and McCollum out once again. No sweat because Lillard has put this team on his back. Lillard has caught some flack in the past by being able to carry this team but no one is saying that now. Lillard is a man on a mission and was also recently snubbed by the fans from being an All-Star game starter with Luka Doncic getting the nod. Doncic himself said himself that Lillard deserves to start over him. Lillard is averaging 30.0 PPG, 7.9 APG, and 4.5 APG.
The Trailblazers get the slight advantage on offense ranking 6th in offensive rating compared to the Suns who are ranked 8th in this category. The Suns get the advantage on defense ranking towards the top 10 in defensive rating while the Trailblazers rank 28th in defensive rating. If the Suns can exert their lockdown abilities, they can easily take this game.
The Suns are favorite at home with a spread of -6.0. The Suns do have any major injuries so they get talent advantage. With both teams efficient on offense and rebounding, the Suns defense should allow them to get the win. This doesn’t mean a hot Lillard will not go down swinging making Portland +6.0 the play.
Charlotte Hornets at Utah Jazz
The Jazz finally go down after an insane stretch losing only 2 games over a 21 game stretch. The Jazz lost to a healthy Clippers team on the road last game and head back home to take on a much improved Hornets team. The Hornets sit as the 8th seed in the East and are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
Hayward goes back to Utah to play his former team which he spent most of his career with. After blossoming in Utah, he headed to Boston before settling in Charlotte and has taken up the reins as team leader. I can see Hayward having a great game giving maximum effort to beat his former team. Hayward is averaging 21.9 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 5.5 RPG.
The league is also seeing the emergence of rookie LaMelo ball who is distancing himself as Rookie of the Year front runner. He has been playing at an All-Star level averaging around 20.0 PPG since he became a starter. When a new player emerges like this, teams haven’t figured out how to guard him since they are not used to his playing style which could them an advantage against the top team in the West. Get your ROTY wagers in now. Ball and Hayward aren’t the only starters averaging over 20.0 PPG. Scary Terry is also having a great season averaging 21.1 PPG. This team has stepped up offensively and are meshing perfectly.
The Jazz have one of the best offensive and defensive ratings in the league while the Hornets are in the middle of the pack in these categories. The Hornets are at the top when it comes to assists which suggests they can hang with anyone when their moving the ball and have defeated some quality opponents this season.
The Jazz are the heavy favorite at home with a spread of -12.5. The Jazz should easily win this game and should statically win as they do not lose back-to-back games this season. However, with Hayward coming back to his former team and Ball playing lights out. The Hornets should play well enough to cover this monster spread of +12.5.
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