It is a light schedule on Thursday of the NBA regular season slate. Most teams are resting up at home or making some travel arrangements for their weekend matchup. While it will be a quiet day, the two matchups on the docket are quite intriguing.
The showdowns feature four of the better teams in the league. The Oklahoma City Thunder will go on the road to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers, while the Milwaukee Bucks are hosting the Indiana Pacers. These games could have an effect on the standings in both the West and the East, and there are some clear wagers which should be made on these games. By this time of year, the strength of teams is pretty well-known, so keep an eye on key injuries and other factors that could play a role in the outcome and the spread.
For more details and the best bets for Thursday, check below for the NBA gambling odds.
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Odds Analysis
The Thunder and Trail Blazers have identical 39-24 records on the year. Oklahoma City currently has the tiebreaker advantage which gives it the third seed in the West, but Portland can take that over with a win. The Blazers will be favored because they have the home court advantage. Additionally, Thunder star Paul George is dealing with shoulder soreness which has kept him out of the past several games. He is the team’s go-to scorer and if he cannot go it will be a big blow.
The Thunder boasts Russell Westbrook, and he should be able to put up some big numbers in this one. However, the Blazers can counter with the duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as well as some other complementary pieces. Oklahoma City is the more top-heavy team, but without one of its stars a win here is too much to ask. Take the Blazers on the moneyline to take care of business at home. Portland will be able to jump ahead of the Thunder in the standings with the victory, and will aim to hold on to the No. 3 spot heading into the playoffs.
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The other game is also pretty intriguing. The Bucks have the best record in the NBA, but are coming off an unlikely loss to the Phoenix Suns. Milwaukee will be annoyed at that defeat, and knows it has to pick up a win here in order to stay ahead of the hard-charging Toronto Raptors for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers 41-23 on the season. They got off to a surprisingly good start this year and have even been able to maintain it despite the loss of star guard Victor Oladipo to a season-ending injury. Indiana is currently the No. 3 seed but has shown some cracks in the armor of late.
This game is much too tough. Milwaukee is the superior team and will have the home court advantage. The Pacers have a good all-around team but are going to struggle to find an answer for MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks know how much this game means to them and they are going to cruise to the win.
The spread could be bigger than most would anticipate, which could bring some money in on the Pacers. However, the Bucks are still the pick to cover in the blowout win. Milwaukee will step on the gas early on, and the Bucks are the best bet on Thursday in NBA wagering.
NBA ATS Pick: Milwaukee Bucks to cover the spread against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday
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