After a one-week break from regular NBA games, we are back with seven games Thursday night. Injuries remain a storyline here as several favorites, on the road, will be missing key players. The BetUS online sportsbook still posts these teams as likely winners as six of the seven visitors are chalk on the betting lines.
NBA Games for February 24
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons (7:10 p.m. ET)
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be shorthanded visiting the Detroit Pistons with star guard Darius Garland and Caris LeVert out. Cleveland is 6-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last eight games against Detroit but is just 5-5-1 ATS as a road favorite this season. Detroit is similarly 50 percent as a home underdog: 12-12 ATS.
Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets (7:30 p.m. ET)
A feature matchup pits teams battling for Atlantic Division supremacy. The surging Boston Celtics take on the Brooklyn Nets who will still be without all three of their star players. The Celtics blew out Brooklyn in their own arena in their last meeting. Boston has only lost twice in its last 13 games while Brooklyn has only won twice in its last 14.
Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls (8:10 p.m. ET)
The NBA betting lines have this one as the second-highest scoring game of the evening. The Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls are top-four offenses that score over 112 points a game, each. The total has also gone over in seven of each team’s last 10 games as well as both of their meetings this season.
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder (8:10 p.m. ET)
The Phoenix Suns are the biggest favorites visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder without Chris Paul. Phoenix has a 61.9% cover rate (13-8) as a visiting favorite but the Thunder aren’t too shabby as underdog hosts: 14-8-4 for a 63.6% cover rate, the fifth-best in this condition. Phoenix is just 6-7 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more points.
It was just announced on TNT that Chris Paul has a right thumb avulsion fracture and will be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks. The regular season ends seven weeks from today.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 21, 2022
Memphis Grizzlies at Minnesota Timberwolves (8:10 p.m. ET)
The Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves meet in what is looked at as the highest-scoring game of the evening per the totals. Over 60% of Memphis’s road games have gone over (17-11-2) but only 43% of Minnesota’s home games (12-16) have. The Wolves have the third-best defensive rating when playing at Target Center.
Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers (10:10 p.m. ET)
In what should be a blowout in favor of the Golden State Warriors, folks should be weary betting online too hastily. Golden State is the second-largest favorite despite being just 1-4 in its last five games and 0-5 ATS. The Blazers are riddled with injuries but have won and covered four straight games, all as underdogs.
Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings (10:10 p.m. ET)
The Denver Nuggets go for a fourth straight win as they visit the Sacramento Kings as favorites. Denver is 5-7 ATS as a road favorite and the total has gone under in seven of these games. Sacramento is just above break-even as an underdog host: 10-9 ATS at a 52.6% cover rate.
