The early game in Thursday night’s doubleheader features a potential playoff match-up in the West as the Los Angeles Clippers face the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers, winners of five of their last six, will look to take control of the season series with the Thunder, who they defeated last week in LA.
Over at Top Bet, OKC is getting 67% of the action ATS at -5.5, while 86% of the action is on the OVER.
TNT NBA Double Header Betting Preview
LA Clippers vs. OKC Thunder — 8:00 PM ET
Players to Watch:
The Clippers are currently the highest scoring team in the NBA, averaging a scorching 109.3 points/game. Not surprisingly, the All-Star duo of Blake Griffin (22.9 points, 10.9 rebounds) and Chris Paul (19.5 points, 12.6 assists) are doing most of the heavy lifting. [sc:NBA240banner ]
Summer acquisition JJ Redick (16.6 points) has emerged as a solid third option with explosive sixth man Jamal Crawford (15.8 points), but Griffin and Paul still run Lob City. Griffin has scored over 20 points in eight successive games, while Paul has already exploded for a 42-point game, tied for the second highest total this season.
Paul is tied with tonight’s opponent, Kevin Durant, whose 42 points on opening night contributed to his NBA-best average of 29.6 points. He’s a slightly better scorer at home (31.8 points) where the Thunder are an undefeated 4-0.
Durant has topped 30 points in more than half of the Thunder’s games, while his running mate Russell Westbrook (22.8 points) is now rounding into shape after two 30-point performances in his last three games. Meanwhile, the uber-athletic Serge Ibaka (14 points, 10.5 rebounds) will hold down the paint for OKC.
Trends:
– The total has gone OVER in eight of the last nine games between these two teams.
– The Clippers are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 at OKC.
– The Thunder are 4-1 SU in their last five home games against the Clippers.
Chicago Bulls vs. Denver Nuggets — 10:30 PM ET
In the late game, the streaking Chicago Bulls travel to the Mile High city, home of the Denver Nuggets. The Bulls are currently on a five-game winning streak, which includes a win against the previously undefeated Pacers. The Nuggets, meanwhile, have now dropped their last two after a three-game win streak.
At Top Bet, 92% of the action is on Chicago ATS at -1.5 while 78% is with the OVER.
Players to Watch:
The Bulls defense is once again one of the stingiest in the NBA (89 points allowed/game), but the offense (94 points/game) is lagging behind. Chicago’s superstar Derrick Rose (15 points, 4.5 assists) is off to a slow start after his year-long absence. The former MVP is shooting only 34 percent from the field with 3.5 turnovers a game.
In the wake of Rose’s struggles, Luol Deng (16.9 points, 6.4 rebounds) and Carlos Boozer (16.3 points, 9 rebounds) have been the team’s most dependable sources of offense; one of them has been the Bulls’ top scorer in all but one of their nine games so far. But with Jimmy Butler set to miss time with a toe injury, Rose will be badly needed.
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One point guard who has stepped up is Denver’s Ty Lawson. The former Tar Heel is enjoying life as the focal point on head coach Brian Shaw’s offense; Lawson’s season averages of 22 points, 8.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds are all career highs.
But while the Denver offense (104.4 points) is still as potent as ever, there is a lack of consistent scoring after Lawson in the line-up. Forwards Wilson Chandler (13.3 points) and Kenneth Faried (10.3 points) are the only other players averaging double figures. Similar to last year, it’s been scoring by committee for the Nuggets, with 12 players averaging 6 or more points.
Trends:
– Chicago is 5-0 SU in their last five.
– Denver is 5-0 SU in their last five at home against the Bulls.
– The total has gone OVER in ten of the last 14 games between these two teams.
