There won’t be any love lost when Goran Dragic faces off against the Phoenix Suns. Dragic had some choice words for his previous team which eventually landed him in Miami. He’ll have a chance to make the Suns miss his services when Phoenix faces the Heat tonight.
The showdown later tonight between New Orleans and Dallas also isn’t lacking in terms of drama. The Pelicans are missing their stars, but are deep into a playoff chase. Meanwhile, the Mavericks are struggling to find their groove after dropping three straight.
These two games offer a pair of highly entertaining (and profitable!) matchups. Read on as we give you our best games to bet on today. If you’re still short of action, then you can also check out tomorrow’s Rockets vs. Hawks and Celtics vs. Cavs.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Goran Dragic has a chance to extend Miami’s nine-game win streak against Phoenix. That is if he can get past his recent woes. He’s scored 12 points or less in three of his six appearances as a member of the Heat, but has followed up his subpar performances with 20-point games. Teaming up with Luol Deng should also help. Deng has averaged 19.7 points on 54.8 percent shooting in three matchups against Phoenix.
The Suns aren’t exactly rolling into Miami healthy and on a tear. They may miss newly acquired Brandon Knight due to a hip pointer he suffered in the first half of 101-74 loss to San Antonio. They’ll still be pretty dangerous, though, especially with Marcus Morris and Gerald Green combining to go 10-for-13 on three-pointers in December’s 103-97 home defeat to Miami.
Writer’s Prediction
There’s going to be too much Heat for the Suns. Take Miami to win and cover.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks (8:30 PM ET)
Line: New Orleans Pelicans at Dallas Mavericks – view these lines
The New Orleans Pelicans are missing their top three scorers in Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday. But that hasn’t stopped them from winning five in a row. The Pelicans have been in good hands with Tyreke Evans and Alexis Ajinca picking up the scoring load, averaging 16.4 points and 13.6 points, respectively, over the five-game win streak.
The Mavericks haven’t been as fortunate. They missed leading rebounder Tyson Chandler in back-to-back losses. The Mavs may also be without Chandler Parsons as he continues to sit out with a sprained left ankle. Dallas has averaged 93 points without Parsons, 12.3 points less than their season average. Still, the Mavs have won four in a row against the Pelicans in Dallas. They’ve also won 21 of 24 home matchups all-time, including the post season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Mavericks break out of their two-game slide, but the Pelicans hang tight. Take New Orleans to cover.
