A wild night in the NBA saw us cash in just one of our three ATS picks, though it was a big one with the Celtics humiliating the Suns in a top two team clash in the first seven weeks of the season. .
We have a much lighter betting menu ahead of us on Thursday, with just three games to go before a busy weekend.
Here are a pair of our favorite games to target at BetMGM on a quiet night of hoops:
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NBA odds Thursday, pick (via BetMGM)
- Rockets -1.5 @ Spurs
- Nuggets +1.5 @ Trail Blazers
Spurs vs. Rockets prediction and analysis (8:30 p.m. ET)
Are the Rockets… favored? What at first glance looks like a clerical error is the product of inspired play by one of the NBA’s worst teams, coupled with an absolutely abysmal run from host Spurs.
San Antonio hasn’t won a game since Nov. 11, losing 11 straight with a gruesome 1-10 ATS record and by far the league’s worst net mark (-19.4) – nearly doubling the next worst note on the same sequence. Eight of those 11 losses are in double digits, none worse than Sunday’s 38-point loss to the struggling Suns.
Meanwhile, Houston showed signs of life with outright wins over the 76ers and Suns, and bettors were clearly impressed enough to consider the Rockets favorites for the first time this year. They went 4-3 ATS in this location last year with four wins by at least 13 runs, so don’t be afraid to pay full price in a clearly winnable location.
Spurs pick vs. Rockets
Rockets -1.5 (BetMGM)
Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets prediction and analysis (10 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
These two teams have virtually opposite profiles heading into Friday’s contest, and bettors are challenging you to buy low on the Nuggets in a game they should probably be favored to win.
On the one hand, Denver had won four games in a row and was starting to look like the elite team many had been waiting for two years now – only to lose three in a row in confusing fashion. On the other side, the Trail Blazers reached a two-game high after going a miserable 1-7 (2-6 ATS) in their previous eight games.
Portland star goaltender Damian Lillard is back from his second extended absence of the season, but he played just 32 minutes in Sunday’s return – his third less in 12 games – and isn’t expected to be 100 either. % In this one. Until he is, I’m taking the dots on reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and his superior supporting cast in one clear place.
Trail Blazers pick vs. Nuggets
Nuggets +1.5 (BetMGM)
