Two heavyweight teams headline the BetDeluxe NBA preview.
The best bets and selections for Wednesday basketball.
milwaukee @ philadelphia
march 20th 10:00am
The Milwaukee Bucks travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers in a crucial Eastern Conference showdown.
Milwaukee and Philadelphia are both coming in off losses and are currently tied in 3rd place in the conference, just a half game behind both Miami and Boston.
A win in this game could move either team into the top of the standings.
Philadelphia has become a more offensive oriented team since James Harden’s arrival.
In the 16 games since Harden started playing, the Sixers are averaging nearly 114 points per game.
This is over 5 points per game more than the team averaged prior to his arrival.
The defence, however, has suffered.
The Sixers have allowed over 109 points per game since Harden’s arrival, four points more than they allowed per game pre-Harden.
With Brooke Lopez back, Milwaukee has more size to throw at Joel Embiid.
While they don’t expect to stop the MVP candidate, they can at least make him work with a combination of Lopez, Bobby Portis Jr, Giannis Antetekoumpo and Serge Ibaka.
Suggested Bet: Milwaukee Bucks +1.5 at $1.90
la lakers @ dallas
march 30th 10:30am
Los Angeles will try to pull off an upset when it travels to Dallas on Tuesday night.
The Lakers have lost two straight games and have lost six of their last eight games overall with their teetering on a knife’s edge in 10th spot on the Western standings.
Dallas, meanwhile, has won three of its last four contests, including a 114-100 win over Utah in its most recent fixture.
There is reason to be suspect about the Dallas defence, however, and we know how strong the Lakers can be if they get their offence firing.
But the Lakers have just been too disappointing in 2022 to back with any confidence.
LeBron James is also battling through an ankle injury which will likely hinder his performance here.
Expect Luka Doncic to run amok here as the Mavericks strengthen their position in the West.
Suggested Bet: Dallas Mavericks -12.5 at $1.95
detroit @ brooklyn
march 30th 10:30am
The Brooklyn Nets will look to improve their playoff positioning by avoiding an upset against the Detroit Pistons at the Barclays Center.
Detroit is coming off a narrow 104-102 home loss to the New York Knicks to cover as a 4.5-point underdog, while falling to 20-55 on the season, tied for worst in the East.
Brooklyn is currently in ninth place at 39-36 after losing 119-110 to the Charlotte Hornets as a seven-point home favourite.
Despite their losing record during a rebuilding season, the Pistons have become more competitive in the back end.
The improvement of star rookie Cade Cunningham has coincided with what looks to be a bright future for the Pistons.
The Nets have a sky high ceiling but haven’t fired on all cylinders consistently enough due to lack of depth, and Detroit should find a way to make this more competitive than expected.
Suggested Bet: Detroit Pistons +13.5 at $1.90
utah @ la clippers
march 30th 1:00pm
The Utah Jazz will conclude their six-game road trip with this Wednesday clash against the Los Angeles Clippers.
After an opening win over the Knicks, the Jazz lost the next four and are now hoping to avoid the fifth consecutive defeat.
The Jazz have shifted to fifth in the Western Standings with a 45-30 record, while the Clippers are in a form battle of their own.
The Clippers have lost their last five in a row and could very well be in for a season sweep having lost the two times they have met the Jazz.
But the Jazz will be without Rudy Gobert who is so integral to this team’s defence and hustle on the boards.
Clippers to avoid the sweep.
Suggested Bet: LA Clippers head to head at $1.88
