There are just three NBA teams still undefeated through the first few days of the new season, and all three of them will put those perfect records on the line on the same night.
First up, the East-leading Chicago Bulls will look to extend their win streak to five games when they take on former coach Tom Thibodeau and his tough New York Knicks.
And out West, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will have their hands full against Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies, who knocked the Warriors out in last year’s play-in tournament.
Meanwhile, the 3-0 Jazz will like their chances of maintaining their perfect start against the struggling Houston Rockets.
So read on as we preview these perfect teams’ next assignments, along with the rest of the day’s NBA schedule.
Detroit Pistons @ Philadelphia 76ers
The Pistons are the only team left in the league without a win after the Thunder defied the NBA 2021 betting odds and beat the Lakers last night.
With leading scorer Jerami Grant and top pick Cade Cunningham still out, the Pistons just don’t have enough talent to compete.
Detroit will now face the Philadelphia 76ers, who have already beaten two lowly teams in the Thunder and Pelicans. So even without Ben Simmons, the Sixers should still find a way to pick up an easy home win.
Atlanta Hawks @ Washington Wizards
The Hawks and Wizards will be in action on the second night of a back-to-back. The two teams are coming off road wins last night, with the Hawks just squeaking by the struggling Pelicans. Trae Young continues to shake off a recent shooting slump by scoring 31 points.
Meanwhile, Wizards star Bradly Beal had an off-night as he had just 17 points on 7-of-25 shooting. But despite his struggles, the Wizards still took care of the Celtics thanks to 25 points and 11 rebounds from sixth man Montrezl Harrell.
Betting Tip: Atlanta Hawks Asian Handicap -2.00 @ 1.98
Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets
The Jazz’s NBA 2021 results have picked up where they left off from last regular season as they’ve gotten off to a 3-0 start. With Donovan Mitchell struggling with his shot, the rest of the team has picked up the slack. Fellow All-Star Rudy Gobert has been dominant, averaging 19 points and 19 rebounds per game.
The Jazz have done just fine without marquee offseason signing, Rudy Gay. But with Bojan Bogdanovic and Eric Paschall both questionable to play against Houston, their depth will be significantly tested.
Luckily, the Rockets are not expected to pose much of a threat. Their starting backcourt of rookie Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. remains highly inconsistent, and they will struggle to get anything at the rim with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Gobert roaming in the paint.
Betting Tip: Utah Jazz Asian Handicap -8.50 @ 1.86
New York Knicks @ Chicago Bulls
The Bulls were one of SBOTOP’s winners of the offseason when they acquired DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso to play alongside All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. And they have been big winners thus far as they’ve made their best start to a season since 1996-97.
DeRozan (22.5 PPG) and Ball (14.3 PPG, 43% 3-PT FG) have both impressed thus far, providing LaVine (25.5 PPG) with more help on offence.
LaVine is currently dealing with a thumb injury but plans to play through the pain, which is big for the Bulls as they take on the Knicks, who are off to a fine 3-1 start this season.
All-Star forward Julius Randle continues to do a little bit of everything, averaging 25.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, New York’s offseason additions have significantly improved their offence, with Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker providing some much-needed shooting and playmaking.
Betting Tip: Chicago Bulls -2.50 @ 2.08
San Antonio Spurs @ Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have looked unimpressive despite a 2-1 start under new coach Jason Kidd. The well-oiled offensive machine has sputtered in their first few games, with Kristaps Porzingis (12.3 points, 30% FG) struggling amid more touches.
Luckily, Luka Doncic – 23.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists – is around to bail them out. And with Porzingis questionable to play due to a back issue, Doncic could get more space to work with against San Antonio.
The Spurs have slumped to three straight defeats, albeit against some strong teams. Meanwhile, San Antonio’s young stars have been playing fairly well and will certainly be keen to get one over against their fierce Texas rivals.
Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors
The Grizzlies have now lost back-to-back games after a strong 2-0 start. They lost by 20 points last night to the Blazers, with the red-hot Ja Morant – who came into the game as the league’s leading scorer at 35 PPG – scoring just 17 points with 9 turnovers.
Morant and co. will not have much time to regroup as they take on the Warriors, who maintained their perfect record by beating the Thunder.
Reigning scoring champion Stephen Curry is still locked in, averaging 29 PPG. And he’s now getting more offensive help from Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Damion Lee.
Betting Tip: Golden State Warriors Asian Handicap -5.50 @ 1.86
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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