First thing’s first: why are there so few games on Tuesday? Typically, these In-Season Tournament slates have been packed. We had 11 games on Friday, for example, and no fewer than seven on any other In-Season Tournament night. Yet on Tuesday, we have a paltry five-game slate. So, what’s up?
The short answer is Thanksgiving. The NBA, partially in an effort to avoid the NFL’s loaded annual Thanksgiving slate, takes the fourth Thursday of every November off. That means that 28 out of 30 teams are playing on Wednesday, and since the league wants to avoid back-to-backs where tournament games are concerned, we have our lightest night of tournament games yet. That’s OK. On Friday, we return to a 10-game schedule that will go a long way toward determining who advances to the knockout stage. Instead, let’s be thankful for the five games that we do have and pick some winners against the spread.
Get your hardhats ready, because this game is between the NBA’s No. 29 ranked half-court offense (Toronto) and the No. 27 ranked half-court offense (Orlando), so there will be plenty of bricks. Toronto just happens to be healthier at the moment, as Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. are out. Without Fultz, the Magic become fully reliant on forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to orchestrate their offense, and that’s a dangerous place for any team to be when they’re playing against the best group of defensive forwards in the NBA. The Magic just aren’t going to be able to score. The Pick: Raptors +1.5
The Pacers can clinch East Group A with a win in this game, and that’s meaningful motivation for a Pacers team that is probably a year or two away from real championship contention. The Pacers are well on their way to earning a trophy this season. To the Hawks? This is likely just another regular-season game. Having already lost to Philadelphia, the Hawks would need to beat Indiana and Cleveland to give themselves a chance to advance. The Pick: Pacers -4
The Cavs won’t have Donovan Mitchell or Caris LeVert in this game, and that…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-picks-in-season-tournament-best-bets-lakers-and-pacers-in-position-to-clinch-groups-tuesday-night/
Author : Sam Quinn
Publish date : 2023-11-21 14:26:49
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