Best Games to Bet on Today: Warriors vs Magic and Spurs vs Jazz

Thursday night viewing has never been this good as we’ve lined up a pair of blockbuster NBA games that will definitely tickle your hoops fancy. Opening proceedings tonight is the much-anticipated showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Orlando Magic.

Then, the San Antonio Spurs square off with the Utah Jazz in a marquee Western Conference clash. Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two important matchups and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Golden State Warriors vs. Orlando Magic (7:00 PM ET)

Line: Golden State Warriors (-8) at Orlando Magic (+8); total: 222.5 – view all NBA lines

The Orlando Magic returned to winning ways Tuesday with a 124-115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Nikola Vucevic scored a season-high 35 points for the Magic who moved to within four games of the Chicago Bulls for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Up next for Orlando is a clash with the league-leading Golden State Warriors. For the Magic to record a major shock tonight, they will need to improve on their perimeter defense. They allowed the Sixers to shoot 54.4 percent from the field and 10-for-21 from beyond the arc on Tuesday. That kind of performance simply won’t do against a Golden State attack that leads the league in field goal percentage and three-point shooting this season.

The Magic are 4-2 SU and ATS in their last six home games against the Warriors.

Click here for an in-depth breakdown of this game.

Writer’s Prediction

Golden State wins, 113-96.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz (10:30 PM ET)

Line: San Antonio Spurs at Utah Jazz – view all NBA lines

The Utah Jazz opened their three-game home stand with a thrilling 117-114 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday. Gordon Hayward scored 28 points for the Jazz who moved a half-game ahead of the Rockets for eighth place in the Western Conference.

They will look to tighten their grip on that final playoff spot when they face the San Antonio Spurs tonight. That will be easier said than done, though, with Quin Snyder’s men struggling mightily against the Spurs this season. The Spurs have defeated the Jazz by an average of 31 points in their two encounters this campaign.

The Jazz are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against the Spurs.