NBA Predictions, Picks, and Odds: 22/02/24

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic. Prediction, Odds

Pick: Cavaliers -5.5
Odds: -135 (Tonybet)

The seemingly unstoppable Cleveland Cavaliers face off against the Orlando Magic at home on Thursday. And while Orlando has been pretty solid, they may have some struggles containing Cleveland, as they are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now.

Shooting through the tough Eastern Conference to now sit as the second seed – there isn’t a single roster in the NBA with an answer for them right now.

Orlando has also had their own strong stretch of games over the last little bit, winning seven of their last 10 showings. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner continue to lead the team in scoring, but they still aren’t crashing the boards or making any real defensive stops.

Conversely, the Cavs have made a name for themselves based on their tough defense, especially within the paint. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley may not be averaging a crazy number of blocks, but their presence alone redirects a ton of shot attempts.

Unlike the Magic, they also rebound quite hard, which should lead to plenty of easy baskets and putback attempts.

While Franz Wagner is a solid overall player, he’s going to have his hands more than full with the two imposing big men clogging the key, especially with how poorly he has been shooting from deep recently.

With all of that being said, we have got to give this one to the heavy favourite Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland is simply too good right now, and the Magic don’t have any real stars to rely on.

That’s not to say the Magic don’t have a shot, especially with Mitchell listed as a maybe for Thursday’s NBA game, but it’s going to be an uphill battle. Unless Orlando really gets on the boards, Cleveland’s big men are going to have a field day.

Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers. Prediction and Betting Tip

Pick: Warriors – 6.5
Odds: +100 (Tonybet)

The Golden State Warriors host the crippled Los Angeles Lakers at home in what will likely be a rough showing for the Lakers. LA’s entire roster has been destroyed by injuries, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis both out, along with a litany of other roleplayers. When you have seven injured players, you’re never going to win that many games.

However, even with the injuries, LA has been able to beat a couple of mediocre teams like the Pistons, but not any real contenders.

On the home team’s side of things, the Warriors have been hot over the last 10 games, only losing to the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks. The roster has finally shaken the rust off, especially Andrew Wiggins, and is starting to look like the team we all know and love. At the minimum, Wiggins going from a -85 +- to actually contributing to winnings is great to see.

As for this matchup, there’s simply nobody healthy enough on the Lakers side to stop Stephen Curry, let alone the entire Golden State roster. And without any strong perimeter defenders to speak of playing, Curry will be torching them all night.

Don’t get us wrong, D’Angelo Russell isn’t the worst point guard in the world, and Austin Reaves is a solid scorer, but neither player can lead a team.

All in all, it looks like it’s going to be a hard night for Lakers fans, as unless Anthony Davis shakes off injury, they won’t have any scoring, let alone defence. With that in mind, we have to give it to the Warriors; they would have no issues putting down a healthy Lakers roster, let alone a roster riddled with injuries.

Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns Prediction and Betting Tip

Pick: Mavericks -4.5
Odds: +118 (Tonybet)

Coming into this game fresh off their sixth win in a row, the Dallas Mavericks host the Phoenix Suns at home. While the Phoenix Suns have had their own decent stretch of games over the last month, Dallas has really taken it to the next level.

However, there is a decent chance that Luka Dončić won’t play on Thursday due to a nose injury, so this game is really up in the air.

If he does manage to play, the Suns are in a rough spot, especially with Dončić averaging almost 32 points per game over the last five matches. The potent scoring combination of both Dončić and Kyrie Irving will be too much for the lacking Phoenix Suns defence.

Phoenix still has no shot blocker down low, and their perimeter defence really isn’t doing them any favours. They’re going to be sliced up like Swiss cheese, so Suns fans better hope that Kevin Durant and Devin Booker can score them out of this one.

If either Durant or Booker has an off game, or heaven-forbid, the Suns get in a hole early, it’ll be quite tough to take home a dub.

On the other hand, Dallas’ defence also isn’t anything special, but it’s at least serviceable with Jusuf Nurkić sitting at centre. Two scoring-centered teams facing off, but unfortunately for Suns fans, Dallas’ defence is just a little bit better.

After looking at all the variables, we have to disagree with bookmakers on this one and give the edge to the underdog, the Dallas Mavericks. The only real way the Suns will pull this one out is if Dončić doesn’t play and Irving has an off game.

Disclaimer: Odds are accurate at the time of posting and subject to change. Please verify the latest odds on our platform before betting.

NBA Predictions, Picks, and Odds: 22/02/24

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic. Prediction, Odds

Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers. Prediction and Betting Tip

Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns Prediction and Betting Tip

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