After an exciting night of basketball on Wednesday, we finished 5-5 on our picks for the evening. Thursday’s night NBA schedule has given us eight more games to look forward to and hopefully, we can find ourselves above .500 when it is all said and done. Set for tonight, we have the Clippers bringing their nine-game winning streak into Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. We also have the Lakers heading into Minnesota after both teams suffered big losses on Wednesday night.
Let’s take a look and break down all eight games on the NBA schedule for this evening.
Utah Jazz at Detroit Pistons – 7 PM EST
Jazz Last 10 Games: 4-6
Pistons Last 10 Games: 0-10
Jazz Injuries: Jordan Clarkson – Out (Thigh), Keyonte George (Ankle), Omer Yurtseven – Out (Illness)
Pistons Injuries: Isaiah Stewart – Day To Day (Shoulder), Killian Hayes – Day To Day (Illness), Jalen Duren – Out (Ankle), Monte Morris – Out (Quad)
Last 5 Meetings: Jazz Lead 3-2
Our first matchup of the night features the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons. The Jazz are coming off a loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday night while the Pistons are currently riding a historic 24-game losing streak. Both teams seem to be at a disadvantage in this contest with the Jazz 2-13 in away games this season while the Pistons are just 1-12 at home.
This matchup is going to favor Utah’s Lauri Markkanen in a big way as he finds himself in favorable defensive matchups no matter who Detroit throws his way. Since returning from injury, Markkanen is averaging 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Even with Jordan Clarkson and Keyonte George sidelined, Markkanen can lead the way over the lowly Pistons tonight fairly easily.
Prediction: Jazz def. Pistons 124-108
New Orleans Pelicans at Cleveland Cavaliers – 7:30 PM EST
Pelicans Last 10 Games: 7-3
Cavaliers Last 10 Games: 6-4
Pelicans Injuries: Zion Williamson – Day To Day (Illness), Herb Jones – Day To Day (Illness), Jonas Valanciunas – Day To Day (Illness), Cody Zeller – Day To Day (Ankle), Larry Nance – Out (Rib), Matt Ryan – Out (Calf)
Cavaliers Injuries: Darius Garland – Out (Jaw), Donovan Mitchell – Out (Illness), Evan Mobley – Out (Knee)
Last 5 Meetings: Cavaliers Lead 3-2
Our second matchup of the evening will be between the 16-10 New Orleans Pelicans and the 16-10 Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pelicans come in off a stunning loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday while the Cavaliers see the second half of a home back-to-back after stunning Utah without most of their starters on Wednesday.
The Pelicans certainly have the advantage heading into this one when it comes to both team health and rest. A few key Pelicans players such as Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas are questionable with an illness but should be on the court at tip-off. The player to watch for in this one is going to be New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram going up against a depleted Cavaliers lineup. In his last 10 games, Ingram has been on fire with 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 50.0% shooting. I expect him to have a huge night and get New Orleans back on another winning streak.
Prediction: Pelicans def. Cavaliers 118-105
Indiana Pacers at Memphis Grizzlies – 8 PM EST
Pacers Last 10 Games: 5-5
Grizzlies Last 10 Games: 4-6
Pacers Injuries: Andrew Nembhard – Out (Knee)
Grizzlies Injuries: Brandon Clarke – Out (Achilles), Derrick Rose – Out (Hamstring), Luke Kennard – Out (Knee), Marcus Smart – Out (Ankle)
Last 5 Meetings: Grizzlies Lead 4-1
The Indiana Pacers bring their league-leading offense into Memphis on Thursday night to take on the Memphis Grizzlies who are looking to right the ship after a slow start to the 2023-24 season. Ja Morant ignited a spark in the team on Tuesday night in his return with 34 points and the game-winning buzzer-beater in the comeback victory.
All eyes will be on the point guard matchup tonight with Tyrese Haliburton and Ja Morant taking centerstage. As always, Haliburton will look to get his teammates involved early, especially in the favorable matchup of Myles Turner going up against Jaren Jackson Jr. who is highly prone to foul trouble. Morant’s presence and energy are contagious for this Memphis team and make them look like an entirely different squad than they were for their first 25 games this season.
Give me another Morant 30-point performance and the Grizzlies in an upset.
Prediction: Grizzlies def. Pacers 135-128
San Antonio Spurs at Chicago Bulls – 8 PM EST
Spurs Last 10 Games: 1-9
Bulls Last 10 Games: 7-3
Spurs Injuries: Keldon Johnson – Day To Day (Back), Victor Wembanyama – Day To Day (Ankle)
Bulls Injuries: Zach LaVine – Out (Foot), Torrey Craig – Out (Foot)
Last 5 Meetings: Bulls Lead 3-2
A tale of two different teams is the focus of our fourth matchup of the night between the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls. The Spurs come in just 1-9 in their last 10 games and 4-22 on the season. The Bulls have been on fire as of late with seven wins in their last 10 games including a blowout victory over the Lakers on Wednesday night.
This matchup favors the red-hot Bulls, especially with Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson both fighting through injuries. DeMar DeRozan and Coby White have been leading the latest surge for Chicago and with a favorable matchup against the Spurs’ perimeter defense, I expect that trend to continue. Also, look for Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, and Ayo Dosunmu to take advantage of mismatches and play a big role in a victory for Chicago this evening.
Prediction: Bulls def. Spurs 123-109
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Orlando Magic At Milwaukee Bucks – 8 PM EST
Magic Last 10 Games: 5-5
Bucks Last 10 Games: 8-2
Magic Injuries: Joe Ingles – Out (Ankle), Markelle Fultz – Out (Knee)
Bucks Injuries: Giannis Antetokounmpo – Day To Day (Foot), Jae Crowder – Out (Groin)
Last 5 Meetings: Bucks Lead 4-1
The Orlando Magic head into Milwaukee tonight coming off a loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Orlando has been on a bit of a slide lately, going 5-5 over their last 10 games while the Bucks have been on a roll and winners of eight of their last 10. The duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have hit their stride and have been leading the latest surge for the Bucks up the Eastern Conference standings.
Orlando has been able to hang tough and pull off some big wins over contenders this season. However, I do not see a path in which they can stop the Bucks’ super duo tonight. Lillard and Giannis feed off each other and with Lillard enjoying a stretch of 29.4 points per game on 43.1% from three over his last five games, the odds are stacked against Orlando on the road tonight.
Prediction: Bucks def. Magic 131-119
Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8 PM EST
Clippers Last 10 Games: 9-1
Thunder Last 10 Games: 6-4
Clippers Injuries: Paul George – Day To Day (Illness), Mason Plumlee – Out (Knee)
Thunder Injuries: N/A
Last 5 Meetings: Thunder Lead 3-2
The Clippers bring the NBA’s longest winning streak to Oklahoma City tonight to take on the Thunder. Coming off a win over Dallas on Wednesday, the Clippers have now won nine straight games and are looking to make it double-digits on the road against the Thunder in one of the marquee matchups of the night.
It has been Kawhi Leonard’s two-way play that has been the biggest difference for the Clippers during their winning streak and what will be their biggest advantage tonight. Leonard’s offense has been incredible but his defensive effort on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tonight could make all the difference between defeat and victory. For the Thunder, feeding Chet Holmgren in a favorable matchup against Ivica Zubac in the post will be something to watch. Zubac will try to get physical with Holmgren but Chet should be able to counter it with his offensive finesse.
Prediction: Clippers def. Thunder 126-120
Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves – 9 PM EST
Lakers Last 10 Games: 5-5
Timberwolves Last 10 Games: 8-2
Lakers Injuries: Jalen Hood-Schifino – Out (Back)
Timberwolves Injuries: Jaylen Clark – Out (Achilles)
Last 5 Meetings: Timberwolves Lead 3-2
Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off tough losses in their first leg of back-to-backs on Wednesday evening. The Lakers have lost four of their last five games since winning the In-Season Tournament and the Timberwolves are still winners of eight of their last 10 despite the loss to the 76ers yesterday.
The biggest advantage that the Timberwolves have in their matchup against the Lakers is their depth. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns have been carrying the offensive load but the defensive effort from Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert is going to be key in this one. Meanwhile, the Lakers outside of Anthony Davis and LeBron James have been hard to watch. D’Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince have struggled mightily as of late while Austin Reaves has yet to be as consistent as Los Angeles hoped he would be this season.
With the way things have been trending and the unpredictability of both Davis and James on back-to-back, the edge lies with the NBA’s No. 1 defense and the Minnesota Timberwolves heading into tonight.
Prediction: Timberwolves def. Lakers 130-118
Washington Wizards at Portland Trail Blazers – 10 PM EST
Wizards Last 10 Games: 2-8
Trail Blazers Last 10 Games: 3-7
Wizards Injuries: Landry Shamet – Out (Rib), Ryan Rollins – Out (Knee), Delon Wright – Out (Knee)
Trail Blazers Injuries: Shaedon Sharpe – Day To Day (Adductor), Robert Williams III – Out (Knee)
Last 5 Meetings: Trail Blazers Lead 3-2
The final matchup of the night features the 4-22 Washington Wizards heading to the West Coast to take on the 7-19 Portland Trail Blazers. While neither team is making much noise in their respective conferences, both have shown flashes of decent basketball for small stretches so far this season. The Jordan Poole era has gotten off to a rocky start in Washington while the post-Dame era in Portland has started the same.
Where Portland can take control of this game early is with their offensive attack centered around Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton. Simons has a clear advantage over the perimeter defense of Washington while Ayton should be able to make things happen against the solid defense of Daniel Gafford. Even without Shaedon Sharpe, Portland can turn to Jerami Grant who has averaged 26.3 points per game on 57.4% shooting in his last three games.
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