A mixture of championship contenders and cellar dwellers do battle in the NBA on Wednesday as the BetDeluxe team finds all the best bets ahead of another big day of basketball action.
It all begins when Detroit and New Orleans do battle at 11:00am (AEDT).
new orleans @ detroit
february 2nd 11:00am
With playoffs no hope for both New Orleans and Detroit, pride and development into the future is what both the Pelicans and Pistons are looking to salvage when they go head to head at Little Caesars Arena.
Despite sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons managed to knock off Cleveland on Monday with a 115-105 result, which should give them some confidence heading into this fixture.
New Orleans, meanwhile, got the Cavaliers immediately after the Pistons handed them defeat but could not replicate the winning result and ultimately fell 93-90 after being six points clear heading into the final period.
The Pelicans do have a win over the Pistons this season having recorded a 109-93 result back on December 11 last year thanks to a big performance from Brandon Ingram.
But the advantage could very well be with the Pistons given Ingram will miss this clash with an ankle injury.
Think Detroit can get the job done especially with the form star rookie Cade Cunningham is in.
His triple double worth 19 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds is sure to have the Pistons faithful up and about for this clash even though the season has been a struggle from a winning perspective.
Suggested Bet: Detroit -1.5 at $1.90
miami @ toronto
february 2nd 11:30am
Miami Heat will look to get revenge against Toronto and put an end to its two-game losing streak when it travels to Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.
The Heat were dropped in triple overtime against the Raptors on Sunday and then followed it up with a horrible 30-point defeat against Boston.
Toronto, however, capitalised on its form against the Heat and continued its winning run with a 106-100 win over Atlanta.
Pascal Siakim and Garry Trent Jnr. hit this game in supreme scoring form and could cause a few headaches for a Heat defence which really needs to tighten up after the loss to the Celtics.
One could excuse the Heat for their poor form against the Celtics given the late omissions of Jimmy Butler and P.J Tucker.
With the pair likely to miss again, we are siding with the Raptors to continue their winning form.
Suggested Bet: Toronto Raptors -2.5 at $1.91
denver @ minnesota
february 2nd 12:00pm
A six-game winning streak is on offer for Denver Nuggets when it heads over to Minnesota for a battle against the Timberwolves.
The 136-100 thumping of last year’s champion Milwaukee, ensured the Nuggets registered their fifth-straight victory as they launched themselves into fifth place on the Western Conference standings.
The Nuggets will approach this contest with a fresh set of legs having managed the load well against the Bucks.
However, Minnesota will be not be an easy task to overcome.
The Timberwolves have played four of the best teams in the NBA through their last five fixtures and have come out better than most would have predicted.
A 126-106 win over a short-handed Utah, which saw Karl-Anthony Towns nail a triple double (30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists), ensured the Timberwolves remained in a guaranteed playoffs position.
The Nuggets and Timberwolves have played each other twice this year and have split the honours at one win apiece.
Interestingly, the win for both teams against each other came on the road, so the Nuggets will have fond memories of their 93-91 win over Minnesota at the Target Center earlier this season.
Suggested Bet: Denver Nuggets +2.5 at $1.94
brooklyn @ phoenix
february 2nd 2:00pm
The white-hot Phoenix Suns will try to charge towards an 11th victory in a row when they meet the Brooklyn Nets in desperate need of a form reversal.
The Suns currently have the longest active winning streak in the NBA and have showed absolutely no signs of being halted.
A 115-110 home win for the Suns over the San Antonio Spurs assured they will have the best record in the Western Conference by February 6, which is the beginning of All-Star week.
The Nets, however, arrive in Phoenix with a season-worst four-game losing slide and it has led to them dropping 11 of their last 17 games.
The Nets hope to have star guard James Harden back in the fold after a strained right hand forced him to miss the 110-106 road loss against the Golden Warriors.
If Harden is fit and returns, the Nets stand a chance of not only covering the spread, but beating the Suns.
If he does not return, Devin Booker and Chris Paul will go to work and get the job done again.
Suggested Bet:
Brooklyn Nets +7.5 at $1.92 (If Harden Plays)
Phoenix Suns -7.5 at $1.90 (If Harden does not play)
