Friday night sees the start of yet another packed weekend of basketball action and here at VegasBetting we again bring you our expert NBA picks from the weekend’s top action.
At the top of the Eastern Conference, the Bulls and the Bucks will be looking to continue hauling in table-topping Brooklyn Nets.
While over in the Western Conference, the battle at the top between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns just keeps getting better, with both sides pushing each other all the way.
The first match we’re looking at this weekend involves the Brooklyn Nets.
Head coach Steve Nash is under a lot of pressure this season and is expected to deliver the championship.
Odds to win 2022 NBA Championship | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Brooklyn Nets | +350 | +236 |
Golden State Warriors | +400 | +520 |
Milwaukee Bucks | +800 | +700 |
Phoenix Suns | +900 | +850 |
LA Lakers | +1000 | +820 |
Utah Jazz | +1000 | +860 |
Miami Heat | +1200 | +1325 |
LA Clippers | +2500 | +1850 |
As you can see above, the top NBA basketball gambling sites still think Nash will get the job done.
His Nets’ side remains the sportsbooks betting favorites, a position they’ve held all season.
Despite the betting odds being overwhelmingly in the Nets’ favor, this matchup takes on more significance in light of both these teams’ most recent results.
In their last match, the Hawks beat the Timberwolves by 121 to 110. This latest win has seen the Hawks take their winning streak to two.
At home, the Hawks have an 8-4 record, while overall this season, they have won 13 and lost 12.
It’s their form across their last 10 matches that makes for interesting reading though. In this period, they are 7-3.
As good as that is, the Nets’ last 10 match record also reads 7-3.
This is also an improvement in form, as their overall record is 17-8.
On the road, the Nets are at their best though. Away from New York, they are 9-3, while at the Barclays Center they have lost fives times this season (8-5).
In their last match, the conference leaders lost 114-104 to the Rockets on Wednesday.
It’s not often the Nets lose two running, and I expect them to beat the Hawks and quickly get back to winning ways.
Next up is a non-conference matchup with the Phoenix Suns hosting the Boston Celtics.
The Suns’ ridiculous record-breaking run finally came to an end last Friday night when they went down by 118 points to 96 at the hands of rivals Golden State Warriors.
Prior to that defeat, the Suns had gone on an 18 match winning streak.
The @Suns have now won a franchise-record 18 straight games, the longest win streak of Chris Paul's career.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 3, 2021
He won 17 straight with both the Clippers and Rockets, making him the 1st player in NBA history to be part of 3 different win streaks of 17+ games (h/t @EliasSports). pic.twitter.com/hNiNwfjZbl
As good as the Suns’ winning streak was, it still fell some way short of the Lakers’ 33 matches winning streak back in the 1971/72 season. Incredible stuff!
Phoenix didn’t waste much time bouncing back though, they beat the San Antonio Spurs 108-104 last Monday night.
The Suns are 11-2 at home this season, and in their last 10, they are 9-1.
As for the Celtics, they are on a losing streak of two. They are 5-5 across their last 10, and their overall record this season is 13-13.
Away from home, Boston is 7-9, which is a slightly better record on the road than I envisioned.
That said, I can’t see that helping them on Friday night, and I’m happy to back the Suns to win on the handicap with MyBookie.
You can check out our MyBookie Sportsbook Review here for even more great betting offers!
The final matchup this weekend I want to look at is on Saturday afternoon, and is another non-conference clash.
The Clippers have had an up and down season so far and have a 10 match record of 5-5.
They are on a winning streak of two though and have shown some signs of improvement lately (they’ve won three of their last four).
Their opponents on Saturday, Orlando Magic are having an awful season.
They’ve only won five matches all season, are on a losing streak of three, and sit second bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Crucially, the Magic’s 10 match record reads 1-9.
Away from home, the Magic are 3-13, ironically, that’s more wins than they’ve managed at the Amway Center.
At the Staples Center, the Clippers record reads 10-7, which isn’t great but isn’t bad enough to suggest we’ll see anything other than an 11th Clippers home win this weekend.
A Clippers win seems inevitable, it’s just a matter of if they will beat the spread or not.
I think they will, and I’m taking the Clippers to win on the handicap.
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Dean has a strong affinity for the English Premier League and cricket, but his extensive understanding of sports allows him to discuss a wide range of athletic topics. Previously, Dean has explored the world to attend events such as the FIFA World Cup and Ashes cricket matches, but currently, he prefers to enjoy sports from the coziness of his home.