Be sure to check injury reports and other relevant information as this article is written the night before and picks may change with relevant information!
Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets
The Nets get the home-court advantage as Kyrie’s former team comes into town. Although his stint in Boston was short-lived, it will still be enough to get his juices flowing after a brief rest. Kyrie will easily get the matchup advantage against Kemba Walker. Walker is nowhere near his former self and it’s hard to say why, although playing through an injury is most likely the culprit. Kemba will have hard time trying to contain Kyrie. Expect the Kyrie to go for at least 30 points.
The Nets were coming into the All-Star break as one of the hottest teams in the league going 9-1 in their last 10 games, without Durant. The Nets can beat anyone even if Durant sits suggesting the Nets will take a careful approach when it comes to his return. The Nets are now 24-13 overall and have found their mojo after the Harden trade. When you get this many All-Stars together who can score, suddenly defense becomes rather meaningless.
The Boston Celtics are a decent team but have been boom or bust. They will need to play a more offensive game and exert more energy on offense and attempt to outscore this team which isn’t impossible with Tatum and Brown who are averaging 24.9 PPG and 24.7 PPG, respectively. They both will need to exceed these averages in order to win. Brown will be able to stop Harden a bit but Harden has improved his assist game immensely making it even more difficult to guard him. Expect a high scoring affair.
The Nets are the -2.5 favorite and will look to put an end to the Celtics four-game winning streak. The Celtics can win if they catch the Nets on an off night, however, I believe Kyrie will be motivated enough to come out swinging which is why Nets -2.5 is the play. Although, the Nets Moneyline is the safer play.
Blake Griffin is the newest member of the Nets but will not play this game.
New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks
The Knicks are probably the biggest surprise of the NBA this season and the front office needs to send a major thanks to Julius Randle who has put this team on his back. At least some chocolates or some flowers. The emergence of Julius Randle should have him in contention to win the most improved player of the year. It’s weird typing this but the Knicks are currently 5th in the East and have a winning record of 19-18.
The Knicks have some impressive wins under their belt against some quality teams and have already beaten the Bucks this season. Tom Thibedeau has whipped this unlikely band of players into a playoff team and should be in contention for Coach of the Year. Tom has taken RJ Barrett under his wing made him an effective player that is averaging 16.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG while chipping in a few assists as well. When RJ is on is game, the Knicks win.
The Bucks have been one of the best regular-season teams in the league the past few years. However, the Bucks have been struggling this season despite being 3rd in the East. A weak Eastern Conference is the reason as other teams are underperforming as well, such as the Raptors and Heat.
The Bucks have the talent advantage behind Giannis and Middleton. This duo makes or breaks this team. Giannis always gets his, but Middleton either comes out on fire or flat which has caused problems this season.
The Bucks are the -11.0 favorite at home and should win this game but have struggled covering the double-digit spread. The Knicks are a surprising team and have beaten this team already which is why I’m taking Knicks +11.0. The Bucks should win this game though.
Nets -2.5/ML
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Knicks +11.0
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