There will be a lot of action in the NBA this weekend. Particularly the Golden State Warriors will have two meeting that could leave them exhausted. The best team in the NBA hasn’t been able to beat the Memphis Grizzlies this season. That’s their first clash of the weekend. It should be a great one.
Then they travel to OKC to face the Thunder. The Westbrook vs Durant narrative is getting older as they meet for the third time. But in primetime, both teams should give us a good game.
Boston and Utah will clash late on Saturday in a game of two teams looking to show the NBA world they are for real. And last but not least, the Spurs travel to New York in what should be an easy matchup for San Antonio.
These are the NBA Weekend Predictions:
Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies
Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies
- Game Time: Friday, February 10 | 8:00 PM ET
- Stadium: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
- TV: ESPN
The Golden State Warriors have a bone to pick against the Memphis Grizzlies. Two of the Warriors losses have come in the hands of the Grizzlies. Their last meeting saw Golden State blow 19 points lead in the fourth quarter at home against Memphis.
Even if the Grizzlies have won the last two games, the Warriors will jump as the favorites in the pay per head services; even as they play on the road. Golden State leads the NBA with 118.2 points per game and 31.1 assists. The ball movement by the Warriors can’t be reproduced by anybody in the league.
The one thing Memphis has going their way is their defensive effort. The Grizzlies match up well with the Warriors due to their intensity to close the lanes and get all loose balls. It’s not a surprised they allow the third fewer points in the NBA with 99.3 every night.
The Grizzlies have covered the spread in three of the last four games, including both wins this season. The pay per head bookies won’t be eager to make the Warriors huge favorites. Don’t get me wrong; they will be favorites, but not by a huge number.
The Warriors are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game, 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite, 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall, and 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game, per the NBA betting stats.
The Grizzlies are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5 points, 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall and 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games playing on one day rest.
Pick: Grizzlies with the points.
Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder
- Game Time: Saturday, February 11 | 8:00 PM ET
- Stadium: Chesapeake Energy Arena, in Oklahoma City, OK
- TV: ABC
Playing on back-to-back nights the Warriors will go to Oklahoma City to see if the Thunder can challenge them. OKC has lost five in a row against Golden State, including the two this season. Neither of the two wins has even been close. The Warriors have covered the spread against the per head sportsbooks as favorites by 12 and 15 points. They won the first meeting by 26 points and the second by 21.
Russell Westbrook is having a tremendous season, but he doesn’t have a good enough team to compete against the Falcons. Westbrook said he wants a piece of Zaza Pachulia. He will get it in this game. But as far of playing a winning this game; their chances are not looking great.
The Thunder is 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games, 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning {c44f53148ca15068631231900821c84f41217af0237910c947d4979ff2d91aa8} above .600, 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a home underdog, and 3-0-1 ATS in their last four home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
NBA Prediction: Warriors to cover.
Boston Celtics at Utah Jazz
- Game Time: Saturday, February 11 | 10:00 PM ET
- Stadium: Vivint Smart Home Arena
- Salt Lake City, UT
- TV: N/A
The meeting between the Boston Celtics and the Utah Jazz is a clash of two underrated teams. Both the Celtics and the Jazz fly under the radar, but both play good team’s basketball.
Boston is a team that moved the ball well enough to challenge anybody. They average 25.4 assists per game, which is the third best number in the NBA. They have also been pretty good on the road, posting a 14-11 record.
Point guard Isaiah Thomas is playing out of his mind. He averages 29.8 points per game and 6.4 assists this season. Thomas is a guy Utah can’t stop. The bookie websites have suffered when odds go against the Celtics, and Isaiah is feeling it.
Utah is a solid team, but their against the spread record is not impressive. They are 24-28-1 ATS overall this season. And playing at home, they are 13-14-1 ATS. Their struggles mostly come because they have problems putting points on a consistent basis. The Jazz averages 100.4 points per game, which is the third-worst in the NBA.
NBA Predictions: Boston to cover.
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks
- Game Time: Sunday, February 13 | 3:00 PM ET
- Stadium: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
- TV: ABC
The New York Knicks are the antithesis of the San Antonio Spurs. With all the nonsense they had to deal this week with the Charles Oakley case, one can tell the Knicks are a laughing stock from top to bottom. New York is below .500 when playing at home and they are about to face one of the best teams in the NBA.
New York has covered the spread in two of the last three games against San Antonio but has lost three of the last four. Those three wins by the Spurs ended OVER the game total.
At this point in the season, the Spurs are heating up to make a push for a good Conference position. The first place might be a little too much to ask considering the Warriors are on another level; but even so, this is the time of the season when the Spurs start to take things really seriously.
San Antonio has the second best scoring defense in the NBA. They only allow 98.8 points per game. The Knicks can score averaging 106.0 points per game, but their defense is the sixth worst in the league. They won’t be able to keep the pace if they don’t make an outstanding defensive effort.
NBA Prediction: Spurs by a lot.