There are only a few games on tap for tonight in the NBA, but that doesn’t make the action any less important. The premier game of the night is the first one on deck as Paul George returns to Indiana for just the second time since he was traded to Oklahoma City last year. George is having an MVP caliber season, but the boo-birds will make their voices heard in Indiana. The Lakers will look to avoid the road trap that is playing in Toronto, while Denver is out to move just a game behind Golden State with a win over Dallas.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers (IND -1, O/U 220.5)
It’s not the Warriors that have the most efficient lineup in the NBA this season. Instead, it’s the Thunder who have the best starting five when Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams, Terrance Ferguson, and Jerami Grant take the court.
The emergence of Ferguson and Grant has been fundamental to OKC’s turnaround this season. The Thunder have yet to get Andre Roberson back from injury, so they needed to have another guard develop in his absence, and Ferguson has done that. He doesn’t have big stats, but he has been solid on defense, and he has facilitated both Westbrook and George.
Meanwhile Indiana continues its downslide. The Pacers have not been the same team since the best player they got from the Thunder for George went down with an injury (Victor Oladipo), treading water while trying to hold onto a top four seed.
Both teams play very good defense, so don’t be surprised if the under gets hit.
Los Angeles Lakers at Toronto Raptors (TOR -10, O/U 231.5)
The Lakers may have knocked off the Bulls in their last game, but this team has packed it in. They are seven games back with 15 to play, and even LeBron James can’t lead them back. Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball have been shut down for the year, and it feels like Kyle Kuzma might be the next to see lesser minutes.
Toronto is out to get back on track after a disappointing loss to Cleveland earlier in the week. The Raptors decided to play their starters on the second part of a back-to-back, but they wish they didn’t after a bad loss that cost them Serge Ibaka for the next week because of a suspension.
This line will move as we get a clearer picture on the injury situation. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet are both gametime decisions for Toronto, while Lance Stephenson, Josh Hart, and Tyson Chandler might sit out for the Lakers.
Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets (DEN -11.5, O/U 220.5)
The Mavericks’ season has been about bringing Luka Doncic along. Doncic is a virtual lock to be named Rookie of the Year, and he is looking like a future league MVP. He is the most polished European player we have seen in quite some time, and his emergence makes Dallas’ rebuild appear to be short-lived.
Doncic is leading the team in scoring, and he is a triple-double threat due to his all-around game too. He is learning from Dirk Nowitzki, and this team will be very interesting next year with Kristaps Porzingis in the mix.
Most everyone is dismissing Denver’s chances of contending, but the Nuggets are the real deal. This isn’t the Atlanta Hawks from a few years back, as the advanced numbers show this team has a real chance to stun Golden State, Oklahoma City, and Houston. Nikola Jokic’s ability to dish makes this team really tough to stop when fully healthy, and their bench has gotten some seasoning with the Will Barton injury. The Nuggets don’t take nights off and should roll.
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