Be sure to check injuries and other relevant information close to game time as this article is written the night before and my picks might be subject to change!
Oklahoma City Thunder at Chicago Bulls
The Thunder are fairing much better than what they were given credit for after revamping their entire team to opt for a rebuild after securing a pleather of first-round draft picks. They hold a record of 17-22 and are 6-4 in their last 10 games. However, the Thunder are currently riddled with injuries. Listed out so far is Hill, Horford, Ariza, and Bazley. Listed as game-time decisions are Dort, Maledon, and Hall.
It seems that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be a lone wolf out on the court having to carry the load with a ragtag group of players. On the bright side, this is an excellent experience as the future draft picks come rolling in and he will be a seasoned leader. This season he is averaging 23.7 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 5.0 RPG. Solid numbers by the young guard.
The Chicago Bulls are rapidly approaching a record of .500 and will need to take advantage of games like this in order to get into the playoff picture and sit two spots outside the 8th seed. The Bulls got healthy over the All-Star break and have all their star numbers back. The Bulls are a difficult team to stop when they are healthy and are on top of their game.
Some games you have to consider a lot of factors to effectively cap a game and sometimes going to far into the stats can be a bad thing. This is game that must be taken at face value. The Bulls are the better team even without all the injuries on the Thunder. The Bulls are the -5.0 favorite at home and should cover that relatively easily.
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers
The Knicks are having a decent year in compared to the past several years. They are .500 and sit 7th in the Eastern Conference. In a weak year for the Eastern Conference, they certainly will have a chance to make the playoffs.
Luckily, the Knicks will get the 76ers and not have to deal with Embiid who has been a serious problem this season and is having an MVP season. The 76ers without Embiid is great news for Randle who will look to have himself a game and take advantage of this. Randle will get his team fired up as they will look to steal a game in Philadelphia. Embiid is on rest as they think they can still win at home without him, which should bring out the competitive nature in the Knicks.
The 76ers are first in the East and will look to extend their five game winning streak to six, which is certainly possible. In the last 10 games the 76ers are 8-2 and have been excellent at home this season as they have been in previous seasons as well.
The Knicks are the underdog on the road and given a spread of +6.5. In this case, it might be better to watch line movement. At first glance, I like the Knicks at +6.5. However the Knicks do have a couple of players on the injury list such as Rivers, Rose, and Payton while Robinson is out. If some of these players go out, then the Knicks will get a better spread and I will take it.
Bulls-5.0
Knicks +6.5
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