GREAT ODDS TO PLAY ON NBA
THE NBA’S Saturday slate is more chock-full of thrills and excitement than Nic Cage’s IMDB: who do the odds like?
MATCH ODDS Milwaukee Bucks: $2.06 Philadelphia Sixers: $1.74
IF someone taught two TRexes to play basketball, that’s what this battle of East superstars feels like.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philly’s Joel Embiid will demolish everyone in their path going up against each other.
Embiid is fresh off dropping a record-breaking 59 point, 11 rebound, 8 assist and 7 block game, and his Sixers have won four of five despite no James Harden. The Bucks, meanwhile, have lost three of their last five after opening a nine-game winning streak, with both Giannis and All-star Jrue Holiday missing time nursing injuries.
If Holiday is okay to go, like a late-night cheesesteak the Bucks will be too much for Philly.
THE PICK: Milwaukee H2H
Oklahoma City Thunder: $3.05 Memphis Grizzlies: $1.37
OKLAHOMA City’s dynamic duo of Aussie Josh Giddey (aka the Moptop Mamba) and Shai GilgeousAlexander have been lighting it up: a triple double at MSG for Giddey and then SGA’S game-winning buzzer-beating heroics on Thursday.
They come up against a Grizzlies team that, despite the amazing feats of human electrical shock Ja Morant, are struggling to overcome the loss of potential All-star sharpshooter Desmond Bane for 2-3 weeks.
The Thunder have covered the line in four straight: without Bane (averaging 24.7/4.9/4.8 per game), the Thunder could win this one outright, let alone cover. THE PICK: Oklahoma City +6.5, $1.86
NY Knicks: $3.10 Golden State Warriors: $1.36
THE 8-7 Knicks might be messier than a sharehouse shared by three blokes in their early 20s.
But they pulled off two huge, unexpected back-toback wins, riding an improved defence, a team-first ethos and a red-hot Julius Randle.
They run into the reeling Warriors (6-9) who have started 0-8 away from San Francisco, the worst road start
by a defending champ since the ‘99 (post-jordan) Bulls.
Golden State will be desperate to keep their winning-ways at home (where they’re 6-1) rolling: back Stephen Curry to once again go off (averaging 25/5/6 in his career against NYC) and the Warriors, having covered their last two at home and with plenty of scoring options, should blow by the Knicks.
THE PICK: Golden State
-8.5, $2.08
Boston Celtics: $1.64
New Orleans Pelicans: $2.22
WITH the big rig of Zion Williamson nursing a foot injury, a little of the spice in this matchup might be lost.
But the Jayson TatumJaylen Brown wing duo of the East-leading Celtics against the weapons of New Orleans like CJ Mccollum and Brandon Ingram will still provide more fireworks than Sydney on new years eve.
Boston is 6-2 on the road and its league-leading offence will be too much for New Orleans’ top 10 defence.
THE PICK: Boston -3.5, $1.98
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