My Pre-Game Picks For Today’s Games – 1.24.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball, and we have 7 games on the schedule today. I will be giving my pre-game predictions for every single game today, and predict a winner.
Toronto Raptors vs Indiana Pacers
The Raptors have been getting more consistent on both ends, as they have recovered from their slow start to the season. Even without Kyle Lowry their offense was good against the Heat, and they get the All-Star guard back for this game. The Raptors defense has been getting better, and they need to be strong down low against a physical Indiana interior featuring Sabonis and Turner. They have to hit their outside shots, as Myles Turner is a menace down low. And the Raptors are the 10th best 3-point shooting team, so they can knock it down from deep.
The Pacers won a thriller against the Magic, as they sit near the top of the Eastern Conference. The Pacers have one of the best offenses in the league, led by Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon, both of whom have been playing like All-Stars. Myles Turner has been an elite shot-blocker this season, as he makes it incredibly difficult for teams to score down low. The Pacers defense on the perimeter hasn’t been great, and they can be vulnerable.
Final Verdict: This will be a good game between two games, but I think that Indiana will win. Guys like Pascal Siakam will find it tough to score down low with Myles Turner in the paint, and the Raptors don’t really have a defensive center to stop Domantas Sabonis.
OKC Thunder vs LA Clippers
The Thunder have been pretty good this season with a very young roster, but they just can’t compete with the best teams in the league. They were dominated by the Clippers last time out, as they have no answer for Kawhi or PG. They are young, and they play hard, but I doubt it’ll yield any results against this Clippers team.
The Clippers have come out with a vengeance this season, as they have been cruising through this season. LA has one of the best shooting offenses in the league, and they are led by the best duo in the league at the moment, Kawhi and PG. Both of these guys have been very efficient, and they have been playmaking for than ever. Add in scorers Marcus Morris and Lou Williams off the bench, LA has one of the best offenses in the league, and they should just power through this young OKC team.
Final Verdict: I really don’t see how the result of this game will be any different than how things ended in the first game. LA’s offense is just too good, and they should just steamroll this OKC team.
Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic
The Hornets have been up and down this season, and they are currently on a down, as they have lost their last 4 games. They have some real talent, with Hayward, Rozier and Graham in the backcourt, and PJ Washington. I still want to see Lamelo Ball starting, as he’s shown real promise and I think he deserves the starting job. The Hornets might have talent, but their offense has struggled at times. They have talent, they just need to hit their shots.
The Magic have one of the worst offenses in the league, as they just can’t shoot. They have some guys that can score like Vucevic, Gordon, Ross, and Fournier, but they don’t have a lot of depth. The loss of Markelle Fultz can’t be understated, and Cole Anthony has struggled shooting this season. They need their offense to get going, otherwise they just can’t win.
Final Verdict: Both these teams have struggled on offense thus far this season, but I think that the Hornets have more talent, and more depth. This game will likely be not too high-scoring, but the Hornets just have more weapons, and I think they’ll win this game.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics
The Cleveland Cavaliers lackluster offense torched the Brooklyn Nets for two games in a row, as they gained new life. Their defense was excellent, with guys like Larry Nance Jr. in the passing lanes, and Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen down low. They have some guys who can score like Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, but they need their offense to score to win.
The Celtics have been without Jayson Tatum for a while, and it’s meant that Jaylen Brown has had to do most of the scoring. The Celtics interior defense is poor, as they were dominated by Joel Embiid. The good news is Kemba Walker has looked really good since returning, as he provides some relief for Brown. Rookie Payton Pritchard will miss two weeks with a knee injury, so they need Jeff Teague to score more. Tatum remains out, so they’ll need a heavy dosage of Walker and Brown.
Final Verdict: The Celtics have a good chance to win this game. If the Cavs can’t slow down Brown or Walker, they will have problems. The Cavs have had problems on offense, but Jarrett Allen and Andre Drummond will be a problem down low because of the Celtics terrible interior defense. This game will be close, but I think that Cleveland will win.
Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks
The Hawks offense has been getting back together as of late, as Trae Young has gotten his mojo back after a cold stretch. They need Young to be aggressive and draw fouls, as he does so much for their offense. Young will be guarded by Jrue Holiday, and the Hawks need him to attack, against a very good Bucks defense. If Young can get things going and set up Collins and Capela down low among others, the Hawks have a chance. If not, different story.
The Bucks have lost their last two games, against two of the best teams in the league, but they can be better. Giannis has to attack the basket, but be smarter. The Bucks need to Giannis differently, like post him up or put him on the baseline. I doubt that the Hawks can build a wall on Giannis, but they shouldn’t just put him at the top. Jrue Holiday needs to get touches, and he needs to be aggressive, when he has it going alongside Middleton on the perimeter, the Bucks are tough to stop. Holiday has to lock down Trae Young, which he’s capable of doing.
Final Verdict: I expect the Bucks to get back on track in this game. The Hawks have some bodies for Giannis, but I highly doubt they can build a very good wall for him. The Bucks need to use Giannis differently, as well as use Jrue Holiday more. The Hawks need Trae Young to dominate his matchup against Jrue Holiday for them to win, something I doubt will happen.
Washington Wizards vs San Antonio Spurs
The Wizards have had their last 6 games postponed due to Covid, and they haven’t played in 13 days. They last played with one of the worst defenses in the league, and clearly a long way from being a playoff team. Bradley Beal will be basically on his own, without Bertans, Hachimura, Avdija, Bryant (ACL Tear), and Russell Westbrook is questionable.
The Spurs struggled to contain Luka Doncic, and they fell to the Mavs last time out. But I really doubt they lose this game to the rusty, short-handed, and terrible defensive Wizards team. Dejounte Murray is out after injuring his ankle, although he should be back soon. Expect a lot of easy scores for the Spurs, even though they don’t have a great offenses.
Final Verdict: The Wizards are rusty, poor defensively, and very short-handed. They have Bradley Beal, and maybe Russell Westbrook, and that’s about it. The Spurs might be missing Dejounte Murray and their offense isn’t incredible, but they should handily win this game.
New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers
The Knicks collapsed in the 2nd half against the Kings, as their offense once again failed them. Outside of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, the Knicks have struggled to find consistent offense. They need Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley to score off the bench. They are without Reggie Bullock and Austin Rivers. The Knicks need to contain Damian Lillard if they want any chances to win this game.
Portland has unfortunately once again been ravaged by injuries, as they are without CJ and Nurkic for the foreseeable future. So that means Damian Lillard will have to activate god-mode for this Portland team to win. They need scoring from guys like Rodney Hood, Trent Jr, Kanter, and Carmelo Anthony to win. The Blazers poor defense cannot allow the Knicks to get going, otherwise it becomes a very uphill battle.
Final Verdict: An explosive offense against a poor offense. An elite defense against a poor defense. So many interesting ways that this game can go, but I’m giving the edge to the Blazers. Yes they are short-handed, but they have a top-10 player in Damian Lillard. The Blazers defense just has to contain Randle and Barrett, and force a weak Knicks supporting cast to score.
Game Of The Day
There are a lot of interesting games today, but I think that Raptors vs Pacers will be good. Both these teams have been good this season, with the Raptors offense being very explosive. The Pacers have a couple of All-Stars, and this game will be good between two competitive teams.
Another game I consider to be good is Knicks vs Blazers. A team with horrible offense and great defense against a team with an explosive offense and poor defense. Very interesting matchup to say the least.
What Are Your Predictions For The 7 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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