The 2018-19 NBA All-Star voting second returns were released a couple of days ago, and by this time, fans have already a clear view of who are the top contenders to make it to the annual festivity.
Out West, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry and James Harden are among the top vote-getters, so all eyes will be on them as they feature this Monday. In the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard will look to take centre stage and put up some All-Star calibre performances.
Of course, with over a week left in voting, the likes of Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard and Ben Simmons will surely aim to further solidify their case to make it to the showdown in Charlotte.
Toronto Raptors @ Washington Wizards (January 14, 02:00 GMT+8)
Four wins in a row catapulted the Toronto Raptors back to the top of the Eastern Conference. Now, they have their eyes set on making that five in as many games when they take on the Washington Wizards at the nation’s capital.
The Wizards are riding a winning run of their own, thanks to Bradley Beal who is picking up the slack in the absence of John Wall. However, the Raptors have their own weapon in Kawhi Leonard who has proven that he is still the best two-way player in the league.
Not to mention that Kyle Lowry is playing like an All-Star as well, while the Raptors’ bench is looking more like the mob that we’ve seen in the 2017-18 season.
Betting Tip: Toronto Raptors Asian Handicap -7.00 @ 2.09.
Philadelphia 76ers @ New York Knicks (January 14, 02:00 GMT+8)
The Philadelphia 76ers have beaten the New York Knicks twice this season and the NBA 2019 odds at SBOBET point to a similar result this time around. Nevertheless, that could be a little premature given the Sixers’ situation.
Philly could be without Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid in this game, with the two stars listed as questionable. Embiid is Philly’s top-scorer with 26.9 points per game while Butler is second with 18.8 points, so their possible absence would be a massive blow to the Sixers’ chances.
New York have lost their last three games, but this could be an opportunity for them to end that skid. Besides, Philadelphia have just lost to the lowly Atlanta Hawks!
Milwaukee Bucks @ Atlanta Hawks (January 14, 04:30 GMT+8)
Milwaukee had a bad week, to say the least. After succumbing to the Raptors, they lost Giannis Antetokounmpo to hip and quad injuries, bowed down to the Wizards and lost the East’s no.1 seed. Overall, they split their last four games with two wins and two losses.
Fortunately for them, Antetokounmpo is expected to make his return. It should also help the Bucks that they are up against a Hawks team that they recently clobbered 144-112m highlighted by a 43-14 first-quarter run.
Betting Tip: Milwaukee Bucks First Half Asian Handicap -5.50 @ 1.94.
Houston Rockets @ Orlando Magic (January 14, 07:00 GMT+8)
The Houston Rockets are one of the hottest teams right now, grabbing the NBA 2019 news headlines with their rise to the West standings after a tumultuous start to the season. They did lose to the Portland Trail Blazers and Bucks recently, but those were mere blips to their ascension.
In fact, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said he was surprised they still lost some games with the way they are playing right now.
James Harden is the main attraction for Houston. And after his historic night versus the Cleveland Cavaliers that saw him record a triple-double in less than 30 minutes, the Beard is expected to carry the momentum against a hapless Orlando Magic side.
Betting Tip: Houston Rockets Asian Handicap -5.50 @ 1.98.
Golden State Warriors @ Dallas Mavericks (January 14, 08:00 GMT+8)
Luka Doncic versus Stephen Curry: two All-Star contenders with a point to prove.
Doncic has been sensational for the Dallas Mavericks this year, and his stellar play for the Mavs puts him in the race for the All-Star game despite being a rookie. Curry, however, will be raring to show the 19-year-old what the title really means.
Both the Mavs and Warriors are on a roll, though it’s quite worrisome for Dallas that they will be without bench sparkplug J.J. Barea who is likely out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
Portland Trail Blazers @ Denver Nuggets (January 14, 09:00 GMT+8)
If there are players who are not getting enough love from fans, it’s probably Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic and Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
Jokic is playing like an MVP for the West-leading Nuggets, while Lillard has kept the Blazers in the top-four of the West. Nonetheless, the two are not even in the top five of the voting!
Sure enough, making the All-Star game is not the priority for the two, particularly for Jokic. But that should give them an extra motivation in this match-up.
It’s worth mentioning that the last game between these two sides ended up by a one-point win by the Nuggets.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Los Angeles Lakers (January 14, 10:30 GMT+8)
Life without LeBron James has been ugly for the Los Angeles Lakers. The team has won only three times in their last nine games without LeBron, and their prospects of getting back on track don’t look good.
LeBron James (sports hernia injury) could be out until after the #NBA all-star break. 🙁 pic.twitter.com/bNOtWd9KbJ
— SBOBET (@SBOBET) January 10, 2019
The King is expected to be out longer than expected, and that is a huge blow to the Lakers who are barely surviving in his absence.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the worst team and have lost 12 straight matches, but they did play out a close game with the Lakers in their first meeting.
Betting Tip: Cleveland Cavaliers Asian Handicap +9.50 @ 1.99.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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