Category: NBA

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Clippers live stream, TV channel, start time, prediction, odds

The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Boston Celtics at the Staples Center on Friday night, you can stream the NBA action live.

The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Boston Celtics at the Staples Center on Friday night.

The Clippers have been cruising along this season and have won 11 of their last 13 games and are looking for their 18th win this year. As for the Celtics, they have struggled over the last few games and will look to get back on track against the Clippers tonight.

This should be a fantastic late game to cap of the Friday night. here is everything you need to know to stream the preseason action tonight.

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Clippers

  • When: Friday, February 5
  • Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN, NBCS Boston
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Prediction: I like the Clippers at home tonight. The Celtics are on their third game of a west coast trip and think they will come up short tonight against the Clips.

Bet: Los Angeles Clippers -6.5

NBA Odds and Betting Lines

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Boston Celtics (+200) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-250)

O/U: 219.5

Want some action on the NBA? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

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Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets live stream, TV channel, start time, prediction, odds, how to watch the NBA

The Brooklyn Nets will host the Toronto Raptors from the Barclays Center on Friday night, you can stream all the NBA action live right here.

The Brooklyn Nets will host the Toronto Raptors from the Barclays Center on Friday night.

The Nets are coming off a 124-120 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. They have been on a roll, winning five of their last six games with Kevin Durant leading the way with 30.8 points per game. As for the Raptors, they are coming off a 123-108 win over the Orlando Magic as they look for their 10th win on the season tonight against the star studded Brooklyn Nets.

This should be a fantastic matchup between the Raptors and Nets, here is everything you need to know to stream the NBA action tonight.

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets

  • When: Friday, February 5
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Prediction: I’m rolling with the Nets in this one. I think Brooklyn will have some juice tonight as they look for their 15th win on the season. The Raptors have just been too inconsistent as of late to count on them showing up in Brooklyn.

Bet: Brooklyn Nets -5.5

NBA Odds and Betting Lines

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Friday at 5:10 p.m. ET.

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets -5.5

O/U: 239.5

Want some action on the NBA? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

The Dallas Mavericks look bad right now, but they can still get back on course

The Mavericks are at the tipping point.

Coming into this season, the Dallas Mavericks were one of the darlings of the NBA, and rightfully so.

They were only a few games away from beating the 2-seed Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs last season. Luka Doncic is already one of the best players in the league in just his third season.

So, yeah, it makes total sense for people to pick the Mavericks for potentially deep playoff runs. And it also made sense that Doncic was a trendy MVP pick for people coming into the season.

The only problem is they look absolutely nothing like the team they did last season. In their best player’s words, they’ve been “terrible” at times.

They’re off to an absolutely putrid start. Their 9-14 record has them sitting at 14th in the Western Conference. Luka Doncic has looked spectacular, but clearly it hasn’t been enough to keep the Mavs afloat in the West.

Though they are off to a bad start, they do still have plenty of time to turn it around. Whether they will or not remains to be seen, but there’s certainly room for improvement.

Let’s explore that a bit.

How Kelly Oubre bounced back for a career-best scoring performance

Golden State Warriors wing Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 40 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, connecting on seven three-pointers.

Golden State Warriors wing Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 40 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, connecting on seven three-pointers.

Oubre, 25, was a key addition to the organization during the offseason. The Warriors (12-10) are 9-2 so far this season during games in which Oubre has scored at least 14 points. But they have been much worse when he has struggled from the field, which had been a bit more common than expected.

Despite a tough transition to a new team, his new teammate Stephen Curry has appreciated the energy and effort that Oubre has brought to his time with the Warriors.

Perhaps one reason Oubre was sluggish out of the gates is that he was still recovering from a torn meniscus. Now, enough time has passed that he may be closer to healed from the lingering issue.

But there were other factors beyond just the injury. During such a wild offseason for players around the league, it may have been hard to find a rhythm with a new organization.

The 25-year-old wing acknowledged that he had to slow himself down to find his flow. But everything was flowing smoothly for him during the big victory over Dallas.

So what were the biggest takeaways for Oubre from his stellar performance on Thursday night?  One of the main differences for him during the game was his shot selection.

Since joining the Warriors, per Cleaning the Glass, approximately 25 percent of his field-goal attempts have come from the midrange. While that is higher than the league average for wings, he took just one attempt from this zone vs. Dallas.

According to NBA.com, five of his buckets were at the rim and seven of his makes were from beyond the arc. He had just two attempts between five and twenty feet of the basket. For spacing and efficiency reasons, this is an ideal distribution for any player in the league.

Perhaps another factor that helped Oubre reach his best form was the lineup that surrounded him. Golden State was without James Wiseman, Kevon Looney and Eric Paschall for the game, which left them incredibly thin in the frontcourt.

So with Wiseman and Looney out of the lineup, coach Steve Kerr inserted Juan Toscano-Anderson into the first unit. Because he is more of a threat from beyond the arc, the Warriors were able to spread the floor.

Golden State had been far less effective during the minutes Oubre had played with a more traditional big man. This could potentially lend some insight into how to maximize his effectiveness moving forward.

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Washington Wizards at Miami Heat odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Friday’s Washington Wizards at Miami Heat NBA odds and lines, with basketball picks, tips and predictions.

The Washington Wizards (5-13) meet the Miami Heat (7-14) for a second straight game at the American Airlines Arena Friday. The tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Wizards-Heat NBA odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

This is the third and final regular-season Wizards-Heat meeting with each team winning a game and Washington beating Miami Wednesday 103-100 as 9-point road dogs.

The Heat’s 128-124 win over the Wizards Jan. 9 came against a Washington team missing the NBA’s leading scorer—Bradley Beal—and 2016-17 MVP Russell Westbrook.

Despite Miami being in the Finals last season, and Washington never really contending for a postseason berth, the Wizards have played the Heat tough over the last two seasons. Washington is only 2-4 in the last six, but they’ve covered the spread in five of those games.

Wizards at Heat: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:15 p.m. ET.

  • Money line: Wizards +220 (bet $100 to win $220) | Heat -275 (bet $275 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Wizards +6.5 (-110) | Heat -6.5 (-110)
  • Over/Under: 229.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Wizards at Heat: Key injuries

Wizards

  • None affecting the betting odds.

Heat

  • PG Goran Dragic (knee) probable
  • SG Avery Bradley (calf) out
  • SF Maurice Harkless (thigh) out

Special NBA Betting Promotion!

Place a $1 bet on either team’s money line, WIN an additional $100 (in free bets) if either team hits a 3-pointer during the game today. Promotion available in CO, IN, MI, NJ, TN, VA and WV. IA and PA residents, don’t miss BetMGM‘s risk-free, first-bet offer!

Place your legal, online sports bets at BetMGM! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Wizards at Heat: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Heat 119, Wizards 115

Money line (ML)

PASS with a lean on the Wizards (+220) since Washington plus the points is the only side I’d play in this spot. As someone who made a lot of money off of Miami’s 2020 NBA Finals run, I imagine the Heat are going to go on a winning streak here soon.

Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Against the spread (ATS)

Both teams have been abysmal lately for a similar reason, (COVID-related absences) but I think the NBA community is more willing to give Miami the benefit of the doubt since they were in the Finals last season.

And while that’s fair, the Wizards have kept these head-to-head games competitive recently, and they are at least 11th in offensive rating whereas the Heat are below average on both sides of the floor.

I lean WIZARDS +6.5 (-110) for a half-unit because it’s too many points given their head-to-head history and Miami’s current form.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 229.5 (-110) for 1 unit is the best play in the Wizards-Heat matchup. This projected total is at least 3 points higher than the previous two Wizards-Heat games this year, and this is coming off the heels of a meeting that went Under the total by 24.5 points.

Furthermore, the Over has cashed in nine of their last 12 meetings, the Wizards are 25-15-1 O/U with a plus-5.8 total margin on the road and the Heat are 27-17 O/U at home since the beginning of last season.

Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Also see: 

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Shaq and Kenny Smith did the ‘I’m busy right now’ TikTok challenge and it was hilarious

Wow this was hilarious.

Prank calls will forever be hilarious. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book for a reason. They always work.

There’s proof on TikTok. The new “I’m busy right now” challenge is 2021’s version of the “is your refrigerator running” prank call everyone used to pull back in the day.

The person is supposed to call up their friends on FaceTime and say “I’m busy right now, can I call you back later?” Then, they’re supposed to record the response of the person they called. This is an excellent troll.

So, of course, you know they had to find a way to get this on the NBA on TNT show where almost everything is jokes.

The crew had Shaq and Kenny Smith call up some of their famous friends for the challenge. The result was HILARIOUS.

Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Mark Jackson, Shareef and Shaqir O’Neal boys, Charles Barkley. All of them got got. The best reaction had to be Charles.

Just before the video cuts out, he says, “You mother….” You know what was coming next.

This was incredible. Well done by the TNT crew.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL89E_SzPNzLqXug9ytQ_TRLxehRIDfI52

New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Friday’s New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers NBA odds and lines, with basketball picks, tips and predictions.

The New Orleans Pelicans (8-12) stop by the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Friday to play the Indiana Pacers (12-10) at 7 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Pelicans-Pacers NBA odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

New Orleans just finished a five-game homestand with a 3-2 record (3-2 against the spread) after beating the Phoenix Suns 123-101 Wednesday. The Pelicans had the fifth-highest offensive rating and the highest assist to turnover ratio in the Association during their homestand.

The Pacers were steamrolled their last time out by the Milwaukee Bucks, 130-110, as 9-point road underdogs. Indiana is 2-3 overall and ATS in its last five games partially due to the Pacers’ opponents being top-10 in “miscellaneous” metrics such as points off of turnovers, in transition, in the paint and second-chance points in those games.

Indiana stole one from New Orleans in the first meeting of the season with a 118-116 overtime road win. Former Pacers SG Victor Oladipo was Indiana’s leading scorer in that game but has since been traded to the Houston Rockets.

Pelicans at Pacers: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:50 p.m. ET.

  • Money line: Pelicans +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Pacers -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Pelicans +1.5 (-110) | Pacers -1.5 (-110)
  • Over/Under: 227.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Pelicans at Pacers: Key injuries

Pelicans

  • None affecting the betting odds.

Pacers

  • SG Caris LeVert (medical condition) out
  • SF T.J. Warren (foot) out

Special NBA Betting Promotion!

Place a $1 bet on either team’s money line, WIN an additional $100 (in free bets) if either team hits a 3-pointer during the game today. Promotion available in CO, IN, MI, NJ, TN, VA and WV. IA and PA residents, don’t miss BetMGM‘s risk-free, first-bet offer!

Place your legal, online sports bets at BetMGM! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Pelicans at Pacers: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Pelicans 118, Pacers 112

Money line (ML)

Indiana got a fluky win against New Orleans in their first meeting, and if the second game goes anything like the first, the Pelicans should win handily.

The Pacers scored six points in the final 20.5 seconds of the fourth quarter thanks to an Oladipo three, steal in the backcourt followed by a C Myles Turner 27-foot three to send the game into overtime. Also, if Pelicans All-Star SF Brandon Ingram doesn’t shoot 12-for-31 from the field in the first game, New Orleans wins.

In the last three Pelicans-Pacers games, New Orleans has out-rebounded Indiana in each, and in the last two games, the Pelicans have held a 16- and 15-rebound edge.

Judging by the market action, sharp money believes this was a fluky win as more money is on the Pelicans while more actual bets placed are with the Pacers, according to Pregame.com. And generally the money column in the sharp side of the market.

Let’s follow the money and TAKE PELICANS (+105) for 1 unit.

Against the spread (ATS)

PASS the spread unless this somehow gets up to Pelicans +2.5.

Over/Under (O/U)

I lean OVER 227.5 (-110) for a quarter-unit since there are so many Over-friendly trends such as New Orleans having an 8-1 O/U record in its last nine, Indiana going Over in three straight and the last four Pelicans-Pacers games going Over the total.

However, I’d only place a small wager on it since the Pacers have been inconsistent on offense recently but defend midrange shots well, which is something New Orleans does a lot of.

Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Also see: 

Follow Geoff Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Toronto Raptors at Brooklyn Nets odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Friday’s Toronto Raptors at Brooklyn Nets NBA odds and lines, with basketball betting picks, tips and predictions.

The Toronto Raptors (9-12) visit the Brooklyn Nets (14-9) Friday for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off at Barclays Center. It’s the first meeting between the two this season and they won’t play each other again at least until the second half of the schedule is released for March and beyond. Below, we analyze the Raptors-Nets NBA odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

Raptors at Nets: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:45 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Raptors +155 (bet $100 to win $155) | Nets -190 (bet $190 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Raptors +4.5 (-110) | Nets -4.5 (-110)
  • Over/Under: 240.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Raptors at Nets: Key injuries

Raptors

  • SF OG Anunoby (calf) out

Nets

  • SG Spencer Dinwiddie (knee) out

Special NBA Betting Promotion!

Place a $1 bet on either team’s money line, WIN an additional $100 (in free bets) if either team hits a 3-pointer during the game today. Promotion available in CO, IN, MI, NJ, TN, VA and WV. IA and PA residents, don’t miss BetMGM‘s risk-free, first-bet offer!

Place your legal, online sports bets at BetMGM! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Raptors at Nets: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Raptors 128, Nets 126

Money line (ML)

The RAPTORS (+155) need to be taken with the excellent money line value coming off their 123-108 and 115-102 wins over the Orlando Magic. Of course, the Nets are vastly superior to the Magic, but the Raptors offense is finally getting some consistency and matches up well against Brooklyn’s all-offense, no-defense style.

Toronto is No. 1 in 3-point attempts, No. 2 in 3-pointers made and eighth in 3-point shooting percentage. The Nets, who are first in field-goal percentage and second in 3-point percentage, allow the 11th- and seventh-best percentages, respectively, to their opponents.

Brooklyn isn’t yet the juggernaut it was expected to become after acquiring G James Harden from the Houston Rockets. Since that pivotal Jan. 14 day, the Nets are 7-3; they’ve allowed 120-plus points in eight of the 10 games. Both teams want this to be a 3-point chuck-off, but that turns it into more of a coin-flip game for betting purposes.

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Against the spread (ATS)

The RAPTORS +4.5 (-110) are a much better play with the insurance of 4 points in the event of a loss. SG Fred VanVleet had a franchise-record 54 points on 11-for-14 3-point shooting in the last game against the Wizards. While that’s not going to be the new norm for Toronto, his teammates should rally around him for at least the next few games.

Confidence is rising for the 2018-19 NBA champions and the Nets are sleepwalking their way through the regular season on the defensive end. The Raps are a perfect team to take advantage of that.

Over/Under (O/U)

Brooklyn has hit the Over in nine of its last 10 games to improve to 17-6 against the number for the season.

Based on the above picks and that hard trend, back the OVER 241.5 (-110) and stop sweating it early in the fourth quarter.

Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Also see:

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Friday’s Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder NBA odds and lines, with hockey picks, tips and predictions.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (5-16) take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (9-11) at Chesapeake Energy Arena Friday night. Tip-off will be at 8 p.m. ET. This is the first game of a Friday-Saturday back-to-back between the Timberwolves and Thunder with the second game coming Saturday. Below, we analyze the Timberwolves-Thunder NBA odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

Timberwolves at Thunder: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:45 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Timberwolves -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Thunder -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Timberwolves +1.5 (-120) | Thunder -1.5 (+100)
  • Over/Under: 219.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)

Timberwolves at Thunder: Key injuries

Timberwolves

  • PG D’Angelo Russell (quadriceps) questionable
  • C Karl-Anthony Towns (health and safety protocols) out

Thunder

  • SF Trevor Ariza (personal) out
  • PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (knee) out
  • PG George Hill (thumb) out
  • SG Ty Jerome (ankle) out
  • SG Lu Dort (knee) out

Special NBA Betting Promotion!

Place a $1 bet on either team’s money line, WIN an additional $100 (in free bets) if either team hits a 3-pointer during the game today. Promotion available in CO, IN, MI, NJ, TN, VA and WV. IA and PA residents, don’t miss BetMGM‘s risk-free, first-bet offer!

Place your legal, online sports bets at BetMGM! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Timberwolves at Thunder: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Thunder 109, Timberwolves 106

Money line (ML)

The THUNDER (-110) are the play on the money line. The Timberwolves have lost 16 of their last 19 games. Minnesota has lost nine straight road games but this game is somehow a pick ’em in OKC.

Oklahoma City will be without a few starters, but so will Minnesota as Towns is out and Russell is questionable. Gobble up the value here on OKC as the Thunder should win at home.

Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Against the spread (ATS)

If you are unsure about the money line, consider taking the THUNDER -1.5 (+100) to win by at least 2 points on the spread for a higher profit. The Thunder have covered the spread in four of their last six games, and they are 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games against divisional opponents.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 219.5 (-105) is the smart play as these are two of the worst offenses in the NBA. Both squads are averaging around 107 points per game and have each struggled over the last week. It’s going to be tough for either side to get over 110 points and that should allow the Under to cash.

Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow Marcus Mosher on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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The NBA needs to listen to LeBron James, who has ‘zero excitement’ in an All-Star game

“I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star Game this year.”

Back in June, as the NBA was putting together a plan for a return to play for the 2019-20 season in the Disney World Bubble, it was Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley who spoke out as some players, like Kyrie Irving, debated whether they should come back at all for the season.

“Hoopers say what y’all want. If [James] said he hooping. We all hooping,” he wrote on Twitter. “Not Personal only BUSINESS.”

The same should go for how the NBA does its business, especially with the All-Star game, which is in the midst of being negotiated on by the NBA Players Association and the league.

I know: it’s probably about the money generated by the event — although, per USA TODAY Sports, “both sides have also discussed a plan to provide funding for historically black colleges and universities and COVID-19 relief.” There are complications behind-the-scenes I might not be considering.

But the NBA, like other leagues, has had its struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic as expected, and given that this season started so close to the last one, James expressed his desire to rest instead:

James isn’t the only big-name player saying this — Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox had an honest take this week: “I think it’s stupid.”

When James speaks, the NBA and the NBAPA needs to listen. When there are starts like Fox — and there will be others, I imagine — speaking, everyone should listen. An All-Star Game that everyone’s dreading instead of the much-needed rest isn’t a good idea.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL89E_SzPNzLqXug9ytQ_TRLxehRIDfI52