It’s Thursday, which means we’ll once again get the best of both worlds with the NFL and NBA each serving must-watch games for us to gladly place some stakes on.
First off, the New Orleans Saints will travel to Carolina to take on the Panthers for a crucial NFC South bout. And about half an hour before that gridiron clash, the Houston Rockets will host the Portland Trail Blazers in a match between two standout teams from the Western Conference.
Read on below as we break down these two games for you to get the upper hand on tonight’s sporting action.
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New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers (8:25 PM ET)
Line: New Orleans Saints (+3.5) at Carolina Panthers (-3.5); total: 52.5 – view all NFL lines
Both New Orleans and Carolina are coming off heartbreaking losses in Week 10. The Saints lost on a blocked point-after attempt that could’ve won the game but was instead returned for a touchdown by the Denver Broncos, while the Panthers squandered a 17-point lead by committing a pair of crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Something’s gotta give, and we believe that Carolina will fall flat in this Thursday Night Football matchup that should see less scoring from both teams given the short week. New Orleans already won in its first encounter with the Panthers in Week 6, 41-38, and Drew Brees (24 touchdowns and just eight yards shy of 3,000 passing yards through nine games) is playing much better than Cam Newton right now. Plus, the Panthers are 0-3 this season against their NFC South rivals (SU/ATS).
Writer’s Prediction
The Saints (+3.5) win another close bout over the Panthers, 25-21.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets (8:00 PM ET)
Line: Portland Trail Blazers (+3.5) at Houston Rockets (-3.5); total: 219.0 – view all NBA lines
Only one win separates the Blazers and the Rockets in the Western Conference standings, and both teams are also coming off brutal losses to the Bulls and Thunder, respectively.
Thursday night’s showdown should set off some fireworks as Houston is the ninth-best scoring team in the league at 107.8 points per game and Portland at 10th with an even 107 points per contest. The X-factor to this matchup, however, is that this is the second game of a back-to-back for the Rockets who are traveling from Oklahoma City, whereas the Blazers are more well-rested with an extra day off coming from their trip to Chicago. The Rockets, by the way, have also lost four of their last six meetings against the Blazers (1-5 ATS).
Writer’s Prediction
The Blazers (+3.5) win a tough one on the road, 118-113.
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