My Pre-Game Predictions For Today’s Games – 2.25.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball and we have 6 games on the schedule today. I will be giving all my pre-game predictions and choose a winner for each game.
Dallas Mavericks vs Philadelphia 76ers
The Mavs offense has been coming back strong as they are looking more like they did last year. They have been led by Luka who has been playing out of his mind but for the Mavs to be successful they need others to step up. Guys like Tim Hardaway Jr, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Richardson all play key parts if Dallas wants to win. If they get Porzingis back he’ll have to battle with Embiid down low. Philly’s size might be a problem for Dallas, but if they make 3’s they can combat that problem.
The 76ers are good but their high-end talent hides some of their flaws. The 76ers have the worst bench in the league in terms of scoring as teams just take advantage of them when their All-Stars aren’t on the floor. The 76ers also don’t make a lot of 3’s. So if teams can outscore their bench (not hard to do) and if they also make more 3’s than Philly (also not hard to do) Philly loses more often than not.
Final Verdict: The 76ers should win just because of their size. Ben Simmons should be able to at the very least hold his own against Luka, and Joel Embiid will dominate down low against the smaller Mavs. But if the Mavs get a lot of bench scoring and hit 3’s, the 76ers likely won’t win.
Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets
The Magic offense has been getting better but they still have games like their last one against Detroit where they just can’t score. But now scoring is more important than ever against the best offense in the league. The Nets don’t have a great defense, but if the Magic can’t score at similar rates to the Nets it’s game over.
The Nets still don’t have KD and guys like Jeff Green, Landry Shamet, and TLC are questionable. So Brooklyn is short-handed but the Harden/Irving duo is still lethal. The Magic aren’t great defensively and all the Nets have to do is play decent defense and they can win. Others will have to step up, but just Irving and Harden should be enough.
Final Verdict: The Nets should win this game if they play ok defense. They are short-handed like Orlando but they have two of the most dynamic scorers in the league and that should be enough to take on the Magic.
Sacramento Kings vs New York Knicks
The Kings have lost their last 8 games as they just haven’t been able to fix their defense. The Kings are healthy again and their offense should be up and rolling. But with that defense no matter how good the Kings offense is it really won’t matter. I am now definitely leaning towards Tyrese Haliburton starting over Buddy Hield because Haliburton rebounds, passes, and scores but if he doesn’t score he’s still valuable. The same cannot be said about Buddy Hield as 73% of his shots are 3-pointers. If the 3’s aren’t dropping Buddy is a non-factor on the court.
The Knicks have to score to win. Their defense has been very good this season but most of their losses come because they can’t score. Lucky for them they play by far the worst defense in the league. So the Knicks scoring troubles should go away, and all they have to do is play their usual amount of defense to win this game.
Final Verdict: The Knicks should win this easily. The Kings are sliding because of very bad defense and the Knicks shouldn’t have any problem scoring in this game. The Kings are a mess, and the Knicks should easily win this game.
LA Clippers vs Memphis Grizzlies
The Clippers have been quietly one of the best teams in the league, as their duo of Kawhi and PG is just unstoppable. They have a very strong bench that ranks 2nd in the league in scoring. The Clippers are the best 3-PT shooting team in the league and they are just a very good team all-around. They are a lot better than they were last year, and they are a threat in the West.
The Grizzlies have been sliding lately mainly because their defense hasn’t been able to stop people. Their offense is average at best and nothing close to explosive. They do have a very good bench but they just don’t score a lot. Their defense went from top-3 to average and now they are struggling. The Grizzlies best hope is to try and stop LA’s high-powered offense and just hope they can score. But hope usually doesn’t get you far against one of the best teams in the league.
Final Verdict: The Clippers should win this game easily. They have one of the best offenses in the league led by two of the most dynamic wings in the league. The Grizzlies have been losing more because their defense has been poor and their offense is flat. LA should handle business in this game.
Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets
The Wizards got destroyed by LA but now they face a Denver team they have beaten before. Washington needs big games from Westbrook and Beal, as when those two get going it’s hard to stop them. Washington has to play with energy on both ends and they can beat a lot of good teams like Denver. The Nuggets remain short-handed so this is a prime opportunity for a win.
The key for Denver is this period where they are dealing with lots of injuries is Jamal Murray and MPJ. But mostly Murray. When Nikola Jokic is scoring 40+ points, it’s not a good thing. Jokic is better as a secondary option and pass-first type of guy. But with Denver being as limited as they are, Denver has to give Murray and MPJ shots and they have to be aggressive in turn. Since February 12th Murray had scored 7 straight games with 20+ points, including 3 30-point games. He’s capable of scoring, Denver just has to unlock him.
Final Verdict: This game will be close, but I am going with Washington. The Wizards have been playing better and they are pretty healthy. Denver is not healthy and if MPJ and Murray don’t show up it’s basically curtains closed.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks
The Pelicans know how to win, it’s just that sometimes they don’t do it. The key for New Orleans is playing with energy on defense and hitting 3’s. Now I think that New Orleans shouldn’t be shooting 30+ 3’s, and instead 20-30. If they give Zion and Ingram some help offensively the Pelicans are a scary team.
The Bucks have won their last 3, but they are very flawed. Jrue Holiday remains out so Milwaukee loses their best playmaker. They misuse Giannis and they allow teams to shoot and make a lot of 3’s. Luckily for them the Pelicans aren’t great shooters and I doubt they can take advantage of this. But I really won’t take this team seriously with Mike Budenholzer as coach.
Final Verdict: The Bucks should win this game because the Pelicans have bodies for Giannis, but they don’t make 3’s and New Orleans allowed teams to make the most 3’s in the league and shoot over 40%. The Bucks should win this one easily, but I still don’t like them.
Game Of The Day
Mavs vs 76ers should be good. Both teams are good but flawed and there are two MVP candidates playing and a lot of star-power on display in this game.
What Are Your Predictions For The 6 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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