The NBA season is heating up. With four games on the schedule for Thursday, there are plenty of opportunities for even the most novice bettor. Here are a few of my favorite NBA picks & predictions for the Thursday slate.
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Thursday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Golden State Warriors at Milwaukee Bucks
The big matchup of the night is the Warriors and Bucks in Milwaukee. These two teams have gotten off to two of the hottest starts in the league. Golden State has compiled a 4-1 record with some impressive wins over the Lakers, Nuggets and Clippers. Meanwhile, the Bucks have taken care of Toronto and New York.
Golden State has gotten off to its hot start due to excellent defense. Their defensive rebounding rate ranks in the top five in the league, and they aren't going to foul their opponents either. They're going to make things difficult for the Bucks to continue their hot shooting to start the season. Milwaukee has the best effective field goal rate (eFG%) in the league at 60.5%. However, if they aren't able to secure offensive rebounds against this strong Warrior team, they'll need to hit as many shots as they can.
The offense for the Warriors has been strong, too. Led by Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga, who are all shooting over 50% from the floor, they're scoring 121.3 points per game (PPG) even after a 98-point outing against the Clippers. It doesn't matter how strong the defenses they've played are, and they've been strong, considering they have the seventh-toughest strength of schedule by defensive rating.
The Warriors have gotten off to an incredibly hot start, and I don't think it's fool's gold. They have a very good offense and an elite defense. They should be the first team to really give Milwaukee's shooters a hard time. I'll back them in this big Thursday matchup.
Pick: Warriors -2.5 (-110)
Washington Wizards at Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is off to a thunderous start in its title defense. They're 5-0 with a Thursday matchup upcoming against the Wizards. The Thunder have spent much of the season holding their opponents to 101 points or fewer, except when they end up in double-overtime games. It's no surprise they remain at the top of the defensive rating rankings again.
Washington comes into this game with a 1-3 start. We knew coming into this season that the Wizards weren't going to be very good, and they have delivered on that. In the last two games alone, they've allowed 139 points each to the Hornets and 76ers. They've given up 133+ points in each loss this season. They don't force many turnovers and play at one of the fastest paces in the league. Any team with a competent offense will put up points in bunches.
Although the Thunder have been strong defensively, it is the NBA, so I do expect that the Wizards can put up their fair share of points. But I don't see how the Wizards slow down Oklahoma City. The sportsbooks have this as the lowest point total of the night, but I like it to go over.
Pick: Over 229.5 Points (-110)
