The NBA trade deadline is here. Teams will have until 3 p.m. ET today to finalize any trade deals. Awesemo’s very own Josh Engleman will be following the NBA Trade Deadline LIVE, breaking down all of the trade rumors and deals across the league on Thursday. There are several teams playing tonight that could have players on the move, so it is important to keep an eye on all the NBA news updates throughout the day to ensure you are aware of any transactions that impact key players. There are seven games lined up for action on Thursday. There are two marquee matchups on TNT, with the Nets – Wizards kicking off the night, followed up by an NBA Finals rematch between the Bucks and Suns.
NBA Best Bets: Game Tips & Expert Betting Predictions
Bucks vs. Suns Best Bet
Milwaukee and Phoenix will clash for the first time since the NBA Finals where the Bucks defeated the Suns in Game 6 to win the NBA Championship. Tonight the Suns will look for revenge and to improve upon their 44-10 record on the season. The Bucks are entering this game on a four-game win streak and will look to close out their road trip 4-0. Can Phoenix defend their home court and prove they have what it takes to bring down the defending champions?
The Bucks are 35-21, just a half game back from the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee is 8-2 over their last 10 games, averaging 119.2 points on 48.8% shooting from the field. Their offense ranks fifth in offensive rating and seventh in effective field goal percentage on the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo is having another MVP-caliber year. averaging 29.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. It is good to note that Giannis has averaged 21.8 points in 12 career games versus Phoenix, down 7.4 points from his season average. He is locked in right now, and while the focus here is on the best betting picks for the Bucks – Suns game, checking out Giannis’ NBA player props bets today could be another profitable avenue.
Milwaukee relies on the 3-point basket, averaging the fourth-most 3-point attempts and 3-pointers made per game. They will have a tough matchup on Thursday going up against a Phoenix defense that allows the sixth-fewest 3-pointers made. Grayson Allen (hip) is probable, and George Hill (neck) has been ruled out for this game. Brook Lopez (Back) remains out indefinitely.
Phoenix Suns have been impressive on both ends of the floor this season, resulting in the top record in the NBA. The Suns rank fourth in both offensive and defensive rating. Phoenix offense is led by Chris Paul, who is averaging 15 points and 10.5 assists per game. He facilitates the offense and does it very effectively. Phoenix is only averaging 13.1 turnovers per game, the seventh-fewest in the league. The Suns are a very balanced team and do not attempt a ton of 3’s. They are putting up the 26th-most 3-point attempts in the NBA and score the eighth-most points in the paint per game. Devin Booker leads the team in points per game with 25.7. He will have a tough matchup tonight against Jrue Holiday, one of the best defenders in the league.
These two teams both rank top 10 in pace, so do not expect a slow tempo, but this total seems a few points too high given the recent sample size from the 2021 NBA Finals. They only surpassed 230 points in one of the six Finals games, with an averaged combined total of 221 points in this series. The Bucks offense has been on a roll, scoring over 130 points in each of their last three games, but tonight they will be facing a top-five defense that is holding opponents to 105.4 points per game — second fewest in the league. The Bucks have cashed the under in 53% of their games this season, while the Suns are cashing the under in 51.9%. Project this game to end in the 224- to 228-point range.
Best Bet for Today’s Game: Total Under 233.5 Points
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Nets vs. Wizards Best Bet
The Brooklyn Nets travel to Washington in a matchup with two teams struggling to get things going. After starting the season 29-16, the Nets have managed to lose nine consecutive games. Washington dropped their second straight and eighth game in the last nine against the Heat at home on Monday night. The Nets have won three straight in the series with the Wizards, with their most recent win coming on Jan. 19 where they squeezed out a 119-118 victory over the Wizards in Washington. The trade rumors continue to swirl around Nets and James Harden prior to the deadline, so stay close throughout the morning.
Update: James Harden has been traded to the 76ers.
Kevin Durant remains sidelined with a knee injury that will keep him out of the upcoming All-Star game and is expected to keep him sidelined until late February. LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) is unavailable for the sixth straight game. Nicolas Claxton is questionable for Thursday with hamstring soreness. The Nets hobble into tonight’s matchup fortunate to have Kyrie Irving on the court given they can barely manage to keep enough players in rotation. The Nets rank 20th in offensive rating over their last 10 games and are averaging 106 points per game. The Nets defense ranks dead last in defensive rating in this span. Brooklyn’s 3-point production is way down this year, with the team averaging 11.2 3-pointers made per game compared to 14.6 last season. They will not have an easy test going up against a Washington defense that is holding opponents to the second-fewest 3-pointers made per game in the league.
The Wizards clearly miss Bradley Beal, who has been ruled out for the season due to wrist surgery. Their offense has failed to pick up Beal’s missing production, averaging 102.1 points on 43.9% shooting over the last 10 games. On the season the Wizards are 22nd in the league in scoring offense with 106.8 points per game. Their defense ranks 22nd in defensive rating and is allowing opponents to score 109.9 points per game. Washington may opt to make some last-minute deals at the trade deadline, as there have been rumors surrounding Spencer Dinwiddie, so there is a change some players will sit out if they are moved before today’s deadline.
Update:Â Dinwiddie has been traded to Dallas.
Both teams have issues heading into this game, with the Nets dropping nine straight games and the Wizards losing eight of nine. Injury issues have really hurt Brooklyn, as they are 25-28-1 over/under, and Washington is 26-26-1 over/under on the season. The total has gone under in four of the Wizard’s last five games. Tonight is a weird spot for the Nets, but what is a known is that their offensive options will be scarce. Given the offensive struggles from both squads, do not expect a high-scoring affair in tonight’s matchup.
Best Bet for Today’s Game: Total Under 218 Points
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