As per tradition, this week is one of the busiest weeks in the NBA regular season. Martin Luther King Day celebrations on Monday saw 28 of the 30 franchises take to the court while the Clippers defeated the Mavericks on a scoreline of 110-107 on Tuesday night.
There’s a bit of travel on the cards for league leaders Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets too. They play on Friday night in Paris as part of the NBA’s Global Games Series.
Lets take a look at the betting for three of this week’s top games.
San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Pelicans
Wednesday 22nd January 9:30PM
12th vs 9th in the Western Conference doesn’t usually garner much attention but it’s fair to say that all NBA fans will have their eyes on this one. That’s all down to one man – Zion Williamson. New Orleans’ No. 1 draft pick is set to make his long-awaited debut in the league tonight.
The 19-year-old is considered to be the most exciting basketball prospect since LeBron James entered the league. Expectations are high for the former Duke star.
Much has been made of the Pelicans schedule for the remainder of the season and a playoff push is well within their reach. If Zion can perform as expected then they will be a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs.
The Spurs are another team who will have their eyes on the playoffs. They have reached the playoffs in each of the last 22 seasons, picking up five NBA titles along the way. They have struggled to find any form this season and that could ultimately be their downfall.
So, how will this one play out? The hype is going to be on another level. Williamson’s debut has been talked about for months and the home crowd should be enough to help them over the line.
He has a decent supporting cast around him who should flourish. Brandon Ingram has been getting some All-Star buzz lately and we’re backing him to score over 24.5 points at -105 with CanPlay Sports.
Bet on Zion and the Pelicans to pick up the win at home.
Pelicans to win | -175 (Moneyline) with CanPlay | Bet Here
Los Angeles Lakers @ Brooklyn Nets
Thursday 23rd January 8PM
This will be third of a four game Eastern Conference roadtrip for the Lakers. They suffered their biggest loss of the season to Boston on Monday night with Jayson Tatum scoring 27 points as the Celtics won out 139-107. They head to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night before visiting Brooklyn on Thursday. Their trip closes out with a game with Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Confidence is low in the Nets camp having lost eight of their last ten. Kyrie Irving’s persistent absence has been noted and it’s unknown whether he will return for Thursday night’s game against his old teammate LeBron. Brooklyn currently occupy the last playoff position in the Eastern Conference and the Pistons and Bulls are breathing down their neck.
On paper this looks like an easy win for the Western Conference leaders and we’re backing the Lakers to win with CanPlay.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Charlotte Hornets
Friday 24th January 3PM
The Milwaukee Bucks take on the Charlotte Hornets in Paris on Friday night as part of the NBA Global Games Series.
NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a league best 39-6 record. The Greek Freak is favourite to win the title of league’s best once again this season and the Bucks are listed as the sportsbook’s favourite to win the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets have had little to get excited by in 2020. They make the trip across the Atlantic having not won a game in two weeks. Second year player Devonte Graham has been their standout player, averaging 18.6 points per game.
The Bucks should pick up another win although things could be closer than expected with travel taken into account. Back the Hornets with the spread. They’ll come home from France with a spirited defeat.
Bet on the NBA with CanPlay.
