NBA primetime picks welcome everyone back from the All-Star Break. Bovada online betting sportsbook bounces back with the opening numbers raring to go. Getting a week off means, hopefully most players should be well rested. The NBA starts tonight with eight games on Thursday night, including Denver and Memphis. Thankfully, bettors luck out with some fun matchups to launch the final quarter of the 2022-23 NBA regular season.
| Thursday Night NBA Numbers |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Nuggets | -110 | -110 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers (-2.0) | -110 | -110 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | -110 | -110 |
| Philadelphia 76ers (-4.0) | -110 | -110 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | -110 | -110 |
| Utah Jazz (-2.5) | -110 | -110 |
NBA Primetime Picks wants to see if Cleveland rocks on Thursday night. Honestly, coming out of the week-long break reveals a few things. This includes an excellent clash between the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers. Coming out of the break gives us at VegasBetting a chance to take risks. It remains hard to refuse taking a wager on Nikola Jokic and the Western Conference leading Denver Nuggets.
This carries risk as Cleveland comes in with an impressive 25-6 home record. That is the most wins in the NBA at home and second in winning percentage to Milwaukee. However, the best regular season team may be Denver right now. That’s right. Currently, many believe they could challenge Boston right now in the East. With the historic season their center is having, who could argue?
The nuttiest notion of Thursday night is this fact. Denver is only .500 on the road, but all anyone has heard in the past seven days is that Jokic cannot carry this team away from home. He experiences all this pressure, saying he can’t do this or that, etc. Jokic probably has heard this like a broken record over and over. Now, it is put up or shut up time for the center and his teammates.
So, NBA Primetime Picks strives to do an about face. Denver allows far too many points on the road but had won seven of ten going into the break. It is hard to figure out who will be more rusty here. However, if there was a time to strike on an underdog, this would be ideal. If a bettor stretches a bit and goes for the +115 moneyline, that may not be a bad bet. Jokic and Denver can win this game outright.
Now, the NBA Primetime Picks takes a huge risk as we gamble on Memphis in Philadelphia. There looked to be a definite slump in Memphis’ play as the All-Star Break approached. Part of that was injury but part of that may have been the curse of the Shannon Sharpe incident. Whether anyone believes that is for another time. However, the Grizzlies did lose six of their final ten contests before taking a week off.
Again, Memphis is only 11-17 on the road, but we do not need them to win here. Their ATS record on the road is right around .500. Expecting them to play better is not a reach. They should be motivated, especially with Steven Adams out. Their matchups against Philadelphia and Denver figure to be must watch television. It is time for Memphis to step up once more. They did win 20 of 24 at one point with Ja Morant out last season.
Now, the Grizzlies won three of their final four games heading into the break. Could that be an omen to a surge in the final 25 games? Perhaps. Players like Jarren Jackson and Desmond Bane can lift the slack off Ja Morant. Morant struggled mightily against the Jazz, shooting 8-for-26. The chances of that happening in Philadelphia are likely less.
Honestly, bettors could be swayed by the over in this tilt. NBA online betting sites pondered dropping the over down below 229, while others looked to go back to 230. That 229 number is solid, and it is tempting to use the over as a side bet, with Memphis losing narrowly by a possession or even winning outright. Philadelphia getting caught napping would not be that surprising. That happened against Orlando after a big win versus Denver.
The NBA Primetime Picks open the wallet a little bit. Yes, the most fortunate concept about the first night of NBA games after the NBA break is this. Every bit of news and data is out early. Take a shot, or don’t take a shot. After all, teams have had almost a week to figure out who is hurt, out, etc.
So, with Oklahoma City trying to stay around .500 as Utah continues to slowly slip further below .500, that got the wheels in motion. What if we attempted to side with a third underdog on the slate? No one is risking 3-5% of their bankroll here. This is like betting lunch or pizza money.
The shocker comes in the Oklahoma City Thunder ATS from the start of last season. That drops in at 83-51-5. Profit would be considerable here, and a tidy 18% return on investment. Again, Utah started the season off so well and has fallen off. However, the Thunder have been steady, hovering around .500 while gradually improving as a team.
For NBA Primetime Picks, consider going with the double. Take the cover to hedge getting 2.5 points at -110. Then, wager on the outright at +120. If this drops any shorter, stick with the original bet.
What are other NBA Vegas online prop bets to ponder? Game props include the winning margin. Taking Denver at 3-6 points and Cleveland at 3-6 points pay at +500 and +400, respectively. That’s a double money hedge if it connects.
