When the NBA SO/UP collection was launched, I wished to make a degree of together with completely different groups and making a degree to not solely choose video games involving the Lakers, Warriors, Knicks and so on. That dedication has largely been profitable.
4 new groups be a part of the SO/UP combine Friday night time, solely this set of picks goes to be a little bit completely different. As a result of Thanksgiving weekend this preview goes to give attention to the groups in broad strokes, how they’re doing and how we predict every matchup will go.
SI Betting editor Dave Scipione is again to supply his ideas on the 2 video games we have focused for Friday.
Mike Watters/USA TODAY Sports activities
Minnesota Timberwolves (9-9) vs. Charlotte Hornets (12-8)
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Unfold: Timberwolves +2.5 (-118) | Hornets -2.5 (+100)
Moneyline: MIN (+110) | CHA (-133)
Complete: Underneath 222.5 (-110) | Over 222.5 (-110)
The Timberwolves have picked issues up in late November, rattling off a five-game profitable streak on the backs of massive scoring nights from Karl Anthony-Cities, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. That stretch included a 43-point shellacking of the Grizzlies. Minnesota ranks within the backside half of the league in scoring (107.4 PPG) and has the No. 8 scoring protection (104.8 PPG). The T-Wolves’ Towards The Unfold (ATS) file is equivalent to their file (9-9) and due to their robust protection and beneath the pack offense, the overwhelming majority (over 70%) of their video games keep below.
The Hornets are enjoying nice basketball. Winners of seven of their final eight, and in opposition to high quality opponents, Charlotte has a playoff spot within the East if the season ended at the moment. You possibly can’t discuss concerning the Hornets with out mentioning LaMelo Ball or Miles Bridges, the staff’s younger stars, however Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre and Terry Rozier are all an enormous a part of Charlotte’s success. That being mentioned, the Hornets have room to enhance defensively. They permit the third-most factors (112.4 PPG) within the NBA, and they make up for it with the league’s fourth-highest scoring offense (111.9 PPG). Charlotte additionally owns an 11-9 ATS file this season.
I just like the Hornets to win at house, the place they’re 6-2, however I do assume the Timberwolves maintain it shut.
SI Betting Editor Dave Scipione’s take:
This ought to be a extremely enjoyable sport to look at. I am undecided about betting it, as a result of I really feel just like the oddsmakers nailed the whole and unfold—so it is a little bit harder to seek out worth right here. It is two of the highest three picks from the 2020 NBA Draft going at it tonight, and whereas I really feel like Minnesota has the higher roster—Charlotte is proficient, playoff hungry and enjoying at house.
It is the enjoying at house issue that has me taking the Hornets laying 2.5 factors. Each groups can simply put up 100-plus factors, so if I needed to choose betting the unfold or the whole, I might go together with over 222.5 factors and hope for an pleasant sport the place the outright winner would not matter. With younger rosters like this, and a prove-it sport between two stars from the identical draft class, there ought to be loads of factors on this matchup.
D’Angelo Russell to notch a double-double is certainly a guess value putting. He is the veteran level guard going up in opposition to the NBA’s subsequent younger star on the identical place, and I believe he’ll fill his stat sheet to point out up LaMelo Ball.
Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports activities
Chicago Bulls (12-7) vs. Orlando Magic (4-15)
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Unfold: Bulls -8.5 (-110) | Magic +8.5 (-110)
Moneyline: CHI (-400) | ORL (+310)
Complete: Underneath 213.5 (-110) | Over 213.5 (-110)
The Bulls, because of the reinforcements the entrance workplace acquired for Zach LaVine prior to now 12 months, are top-of-the-line groups within the NBA. They’re a sport out of first within the East with the No. 7 scoring protection (104.6 PPG). The offense is nowhere close to nearly as good, ranked No. 14 ( 108.2 PPG) regardless of having two gamers (LaVine and DeMar DeRozan) averaging greater than 25 PPG. Chicago is 12-7 ATS and 58% of their video games hit the below. The Bulls are a powerful 6-3 exterior of Chicago, having gone 3-2 on their latest West Coast street journey with wins over the Clippers and Lakers.
The Magic have strung collectively 4 separate dropping streaks of two or extra video games—they’re maintaining their victories socially distant. Nonetheless, there’s so much to be enthusiastic about in Orlando. Cole Anthony has developed right into a constant scorer, Mo Bamba is wholesome and lottery picks Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs are figuring out. None of that has translated to wins. Their ATS file (8-11) is marginally higher than their precise file. Nonetheless, Orlando has the Twenty eighth-ranked offense (100.8 PPG) and the Twenty fourth-ranked protection (110.6 PPG). Victories are arduous to return by with backside 5 models on each side of the ball.
The Bulls ought to roll on this one and I like Nikola Vucevic to have a very good sport in opposition to his former staff.
SI Betting Editor Dave Scipione’s take:
These are the video games groups just like the Bulls are speculated to win, and groups just like the Magic are speculated to lose. A diffusion nearing double digits is not as a lot enjoyable to guess, as a result of everyone knows what occurs late in NBA video games. I be ok with hammering the Bulls -8.5 for a snug win over the Magic. I’ve to agree with Kyle, this has all of the makings for Nikola Vucevic to point out up massive. I will be his double-double odds and really feel comfy in putting a few bets on this sport.
The whole of 213.5 appears too good to be true, so my intuition there may be to stay with the below. I at all times attempt to think about what the ultimate rating might be, and this one seems like Bulls 100-plus, Magic beneath 90. Give me the below, there isn’t a manner I need to guess a Magic sport to hit the over. Out of all three bets, I like Vucevic to ball out for his double-double essentially the most.
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