On the eve of Valentine’s Day, here are the three teams we like the most.
Denver Nuggets @ Miami Heat–7:30 PM ET
The Nuggets lead the Western Conference at 39 wins and 18 losses, while the Heat are sixth in the Eastern Conference at 32 wins and 25 losses.
My Take:
Overall records can be a bit deceiving. If this game was in Denver, you definitely take the Nuggets. But this one is not. The Nuggets are 13-14 on the road, and lost on Thursday in Florida when they were stunned 115-104 by Orlando. Miami is a much tougher team than Orlando, and is a respectable 19-9 at home. That’s why I like the Heat at -1.5. Also take the over at 224. The Nuggets have been involved in games with 224 points or more in five of their six games this season.
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Brooklyn Nets @ New York Knicks–7:30 PM ET
The Nets are fifth in the East at 33-23, and the Knicks are seventh in the East at 31-27.
My Take:
We don’t really know what to expect from the Nets now without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. In the two games since the Durant trade, Brooklyn looked great in a 116-105 win over Chicago on Thursday and then only scored 16 fourth quarter points on Saturday in a 101-98 loss to Philadelphia. I like the Knicks overall stability at the moment a little bit more. That is why you take the Knicks at +1. I also like the under at 224, as the Nets struggled offensively in their last contest.
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Los Angeles Lakers @ Portland Trail Blazers–10:30 PM ET
The Trail Blazers are 12th in the West at 27-29, while the Lakers are 13th in the West at 26 wins and 31 losses.
My Take:
Both these teams are underachieving when you consider the talent they have. The Lakers are playing better ball as of late, but it is always tough for teams to go into the Pacific Northwest, and scratch out a W. I like Portland at -6, but realize the fact that Portland has not beaten their opponent by six points or more at home since they beat the Utah Jazz 134-124 on January 25. I also like the over at 239.5. Both teams defenses have not impressed as of late. The Lakers are giving up 118.3 points per game (second most in the West), while the Trail Blazers just gave up 138 points to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.
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