Thursday’s NBA action features the fourth and final meeting of the season between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors.
Could this be the last Steph Curry vs. LeBron James clash in the regular season? It’s possible, but these teams also may match up in the first round of the playoffs, as Curry’s Warriors are the No. 5 seed and James’ Lakers are the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
While that matchup headlines the slate, there are several other playoff contenders battling for a spot, as Memphis, Minnesota, Orlando and Milwaukee are all also in action – and favored – on Thursday.
Here’s how I’m betting on tonight’s action, including my favorite prop for the Warriors-Lakers showdown.
Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Minnesota Timberwolves -13 (-112) vs. Brooklyn Nets – 0.5 unit
The Minnesota Timberwolves have won three games in a row to jump into the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, and they have a very winnable matchup on Thursday night against the tanking Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn has dropped seven of its last 10 games (it has won two in a row), and it’s sitting several players on Thursday, including Cam Thomas (out for the season), Cameron Johnson, Noah Clowney and Day’Ron Sharpe.
Brooklyn is under .500 against the spread as a home underdog this season, and I think it’ll struggle against a Minnesota team that is 20-17 ATS on the road. The Timberwolves are also fifth in the NBA in net rating over their last 10 games – the Nets clock in at just 25th.
With Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo back from suspensions on Thursday, the Wolves should roll in this matchup.
Steph Curry OVER 5.5 Assists (-125) – 0.5 unit
This season, Curry has six or more assists in two of his three matchups with the Lakers, and he scored 37 points in the one game that he failed to clear this line.
Overall, Curry is averaging 6.1 assists on 10.5 potential assists per game, and he’s picked up six or more dimes in four of his last five games.
The Lakers have slipped a bit on defense as of late, ranking 18th in the NBA in defensive rating over their last 10 games. On top of that, Los Angeles is 22nd in the NBA in opponent assists per game.
Curry has been on a scoring heat, dropping 52 points on Tuesday night, knocking down 12 3-pointers in the process. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Lakers do everything they can to get the ball out of the two-time league MVP’s hands in this matchup.
It’s worth noting that Steph still had eight dimes in Tuesday’s contest despite such a high-scoring performance.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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