Six of the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference are set to meet on Wednesday in what is brewing to be a wild day in the NBA.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors headline the upcoming games as both teams try to establish their dominance. However, the match-up between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, as well as the Miami Heat versus the Charlotte Hornets, shouldn’t be missed too—not with the four teams already playing a rematch this early in the season!
Read on for the full SBOBET preview of the upcoming matches in the league:
Miami Heat @ Charlotte Hornets (October 31, 07:00 GMT+8)
It isn’t easy to forget the first meeting of the two a couple of weeks ago. After all, the game ended with just a one-point win for the Charlotte Hornets. Moreover, that match also featured Kemba Walker scoring 39 points en route to becoming the first Hornets player in franchise history to reach the 10,000-point mark.
Goran Dragic and co. will surely look to slow down Walker and the Hornets this time, though they have a lot of work to do after allowing the Sacramento Kings to score 123 points in Miami’s latest loss.
Charlotte are well rested while Miami will be playing the second of a back-to-back, so it’s no wonder why the home team are expected to win on Asian Handicap -4.00 @ 1.94.
Atlanta Hawks @ Cleveland Cavaliers (October 31, 07:00 GMT+8)
The Atlanta Hawks have a golden opportunity to end their losing streak. Cleveland have just fired head coach Tyronn Lue after a 0-6 start, and there’s little to no chance that they can regroup quickly under Voice of Cleveland (aka interim head coach) Larry Drew.
![Head coach Tyronn Lue has been fired after failing to seal a win for the Cavaliers in the new NBA season](https://liputanarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ty-Lue-Cleveland-Cavaliers.jpg)
Not to mention that Cavs star-man Kevin Love is expected to miss an extended amount of time with a toe injury.
Atlanta haven’t been playing well on the offensive end, losing to the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 7ers in their last two games, but they have been impressive defensively (case in point: their come-from-behind win over the Dallas Mavericks).
With that said, it won’t be wrong to bet on the Hawks beating an Asian Handicap +4.50 that put them as underdogs at 1.96.
Sacramento Kings @ Orlando Magic (October 31, 07:00 GMT+8)
The Sacramento Kings—who finished with a 27-55 record in the 2017-18 campaign—are on a three-game winning streak. Let that sink in for a moment.
Sacramento are balling, thanks in large part to playing fast. They currently rank third in the league when it comes to pace, which allowed their offensive efficiency to take a huge leap. De’Aaron Fox (17.7 points), Buddy Hield (17.2) and Willie Cauley-Stein (16.5) are leading the way, and it doesn’t look they are stopping anytime soon.
Orlando remain inconsistent on both ends of the floor, and Aaron Gordon needs to really step up if they want any chance of taking the W here.
Considering all these, the Kings have a good chance of extending their run and winning on Asian Handicap +4.00 @ 2.02.
Detroit Pistons @ Boston Celtics (October 31, 07:30 GMT+8)
Blake Griffin and the Detroit Pistons certainly have matters to settle against the Boston Celtics.
The Beantown team handed the Pistons their first loss of the season the last time out. Even more remarkable, Brad Steven’s side held Griffin to just seven points in the match—just four days after the five-time All-Star grabbed the NBA 2018 news headlines with 50 points!
Defence will be the key again for the Celtics; and for the Pistons, it will be Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.
The game is expected to be a tight encounter, so Detroit on Asian Handicap +9.00 @ 1.92 might not be a bad bet to make.
Philadelphia 76ers @ Toronto Raptors (October 31, 07:30 GMT+8)
The Toronto Raptors just suffered their first defeat of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks, but they don’t have time to soak in that loss as they return home to face another top contender in the form of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kawhi Leonard is set to return to the team after resting against the Bucks, so that should give them a little bit of an edge.
On the other hand, it shouldn’t help the Sixers that they haven’t really hit their stride yet on both ends, having already lost almost half of their games and winning only against teams that finished at the bottom of the East last season.
Portland Trail Blazers @ Houston Rockets (October 31, 08:00 GMT+8)
Houston, we have a problem.
The team that was supposed to be the biggest threats to the Golden State Warriors’ reign are currently in chaos, no thanks to Carmelo Anthony and his (and their) porous defence.
![James Harden hopes to turn the odds around Houston Rockets' favour when they face the Trail Blazers next in NBA](https://liputanarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/James-Harden-Houston-Rockets.jpg)
Houston Rockets star James Harden gets past Los Angeles Clippers’ Tobias Harris during an NBA match
Losing three straight games isn’t a good thing, and the situation looks more worrying against the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard, who is averaging 33.8 points per game for the team!
Interestingly, the NBA 2018 odds put the Blazers as unlikely winners with Asian Handicap +3.00 @ 2.01.
Washington Wizards @ Memphis Grizzlies (October 31, 08:00 GMT+8)
There’s nothing good happening in the Wizards’ paradise. They have lost three consecutive matches and have dropped to 1-5 in the standings. It didn’t help that the players and their coach continue to air their dirty laundry to the media.
It remains to be seen how their on-court/off-court will affect the team, but it’s a great opportunity for the Memphis Grizzlies to improve their record. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol have been shooting below 40 percent for Grind City, so knowing that Washington rank as one of the worst defensive teams right now will be music to their ears.
How about betting on a Memphis victory on Asian Handicap -2.50 @ 1.99?
LA Clippers @ Oklahoma City Thunder (October 31, 08:00 GMT+8)
The Rockets have lost four straight to start the season before getting their first win against the Phoenix Suns. Now, Russell Westbrook and Paul George will look to keep the streak alive as they try to climb up the bottom of the West.
The LA Clippers won’t be easy opponents, though. They are third in the West for a reason, and they are brimming with confidence right now after back-to-back wins against Houston and Washington.
Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari have been tearing up opposing defences as well, making the Clips even more dangerous foes.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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