The Boston Celtics will be out to extend the longest active win streak in the NBA to nine games when they visit Philadelphia. However, their winning run will be under serious threat from Sixers superstar Joel Embiid, who has been absolutely unstoppable of late.
And speaking of unstoppable, the red-hot Luka Doncic will look to lead the Dallas Mavericks to another win when they duel with the East-leading Miami Heat.
Read on below for SBOTOP’s preview of all seven games on the upcoming NBA schedule.
Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers
The Celtics extended their league-leading winning streak to eight games after taking care of the Hawks. All-Star Jayson Tatum dropped 38 points, while newcomer Derrick White added 14 points and 5 assists off the bench. White has been a welcome addition to Boston’s bench as he provides the team with another capable ball-handler and excellent defender.
However, the Celtics will have their hands full against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers will be shorthanded following the loss of Seth Curry and Andre Drummond in the blockbuster James Harden trade. And recent NBA 2022 updates have revealed Harden won’t play for Philly until after the All-Star break.
But the Sixers’ NBA 2022 odds of beating Boston are still good as long as Embiid is playing. The star big man – who had an incredible 40-point, 14-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the win over Cleveland – is averaging 33 points and 13 rebounds over his last nine games.
Betting Tip: Boston Celtics Asian Handicap +1.50 @ 1.85
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Atlanta Hawks
The Cavs saw their four-game winning streak snapped by a 103-93 loss to the Sixers. All-Star guard Darius Garland returned from his recent absence to drop 27 points, but newcomer Caris LeVert had another rough game with just 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting.
Cleveland will look to bounce back against the struggling Hawks, who have now lost four of their last five games after a 105-95 defeat to the Celtics.
Trae Young had a rough shooting game as he went just 9-of-26. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 26 points off the bench, but he is questionable to play due to ankle soreness.
Dallas Mavericks @ Miami Heat
Luka Doncic has been absolutely on fire of late as he dropped 96 total points in back-to-back games against the Clippers. However, his 45-15-8 was not enough as the Mavs lost 99-97 in the second game, which snapped their four-game win streak.
The Mavs are expected to get new additions Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans – acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis trade – against the Miami Heat, who remain on top of the East thanks to a five-game win streak. They held off the Nets last time out with the help of a big 19-point, 14-rebound double-double from Bam Adebayo.
Star Jimmy Butler is questionable to play due to a shoulder injury, while Tyler Herro is out with a knee bruise. But the Heat have dealt with absences to key players well all season.
Charlotte Hornets @ Minnesota Timberwolves
The Hornets’ struggles continued as they lost to the Grizzlies, their seventh defeat in their last eight games. Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball combined for 60 points, but forwards Kelly Oubre Jr and Miles Bridges both struggled while Gordon Hayward remained out.
The Hornets will have their hands full against the Timberwolves, who ended their recent losing skid by beating the Pacers. Anthony Edwards erupted for 37 points and seven 3-pointers, his second-straight game of 30 or more points.
Betting Tip: Charlotte Hornets Asian Handicap +6.50 @ 1.98
Memphis Grizzlies @ New Orleans Pelicans
The Grizzlies’ win streak is now up to five games after they took care of Charlotte. They have scored 120 or more points in all five of those wins, and 130 or more in three of them. All-Star Ja Morant continues to shine as he’s averaging 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in his last 10 games, but he is questionable to play due to ankle soreness.
As for the Pelicans, they picked up a huge 120-90 win over the Raptors last night to snap their two-game losing skid. CJ McCollum is settling well with his new team; after dropping 36 points against the Spurs, he had a team-high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
Indiana Pacers @ Milwaukee Bucks
After a busy trade deadline which saw them trade Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis, the Pacers’ freefall continues. They have now lost six straight games and 10 of their last 12. New addition Tyler Haliburton had a huge game with 22 points and 16 assists in their recent loss to the Timberwolves, but with Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner still out, they are still struggling to be competitive.
They now face the Bucks, who have lost back-to-back games after going down 122-107 to the lowly Blazers. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game due to an ankle injury and it remains to be seen whether he will play on the second night of their back-to-back. The Bucks are also missing Pat Connaughton, who just had hand surgery.
LA Clippers @ Phoenix Suns
The Clippers are now on a two-game win streak after a surprising 119-104 demolition of the Warriors last night. Terance Mann led the way with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while five other Clippers finished in double figures. That includes Reggie Jackson, who is averaging 20 points and 8 assists in his last three games.
But the Clippers will be hard-pressed to pull off another upset on the second night of a back-to-back against the West-leading Suns, who have won five games in a row and 16 of their last 17. The Suns are coming off back-to-back 20-plus-point blowouts of the Bucks and Magic, with big man Deandre Ayton shooting a sizzling 80 per cent from the field in those two games.
Betting Tip: Phoenix Suns Asian Handicap -12.50 @ 1.87
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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