My Pre-Game Predictions For Today’s Games – 2.26.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball and we have 9 games on the schedule today. I will be going over all my pre-game predictions for each game and choose a winner.
Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics
The Pacers have been up and down recently but after starting the season off very well they are back down to a 0.500 record. They have talent but sometimes they just don’t play well on either end. They need Sabonis to control Boston down low and for Brogdon to score. Both benches are weak although Indiana’s is better so they should win that battle. The Pacers just have to play their game and they can win.
Boston has been very disappointing this season, due to a lot of reasons. No Marcus Smart and a weak interior have meant their defense is inconsistent. Kemba Walker has struggled and they aren’t very deep. The Celtics are only good when everybody has things going and that doesn’t happen more often than not. So for the time being the Celtics need their Big 3 to score a lot in order for them to win games.
Final Verdict: The Pacers should win this game. The Celtics interior will be getting dominated and Myles Turner will show them why Boston should have traded for him. Both teams are really inconsistent but I trust Indiana more to get the job done.
Houston Rockets vs Toronto Raptors
The Rockets have have lost 9 straight since the Christian Wood injury and have plummeted in the West. They have dealt with injuries but both their offense and defense has fallen to pieces. Not a great time for the Rockets.
The Raptors have been playing better but their last two losses hurt. The Raptors can be very good on both ends and I don’t think Kyle Lowry fits with this team. Yes he’s good but the Raptors are 6-1 without him. It’s not like he’s the whole team anymore, they can win without him. Lucky for the Raptors the Rockets don’t have a frontcourt anymore, but I would trade Lowry for some frontcourt depth.
Final Verdict: The Raptors should win this one easily.
Sacramento Kings vs Detroit Pistons
The Kings have all this young talent and yet they just waste it with this defense. Anybody can score against them as they just don’t try to be honest.
The Pistons aren’t known for offense as they are 24th in the league. However the Kings can make anybody look good on offense and with Jerami Grant returning the Pistons should have no problem scoring. The key is their defense and if they can hold down the Kings offense.
Final Verdict: The Pistons should win this game. The Kings are just miserable and it might be time for some changes (start Haliburton). They need defense and they aren’t getting it with Luke Walton and this current core. The Pistons should be getting the win here.
Utah Jazz vs Miami Heat
The Jazz simply cannot be stopped. Their 3-PT shooting is so deadly as it seems everybody on their roster can shoot. They play very well on both ends and are clearly playing the best basketball in the league right now. They decimated Miami the first time these two teams played, and with Miami not being great at defending against the 3-PT line the Jazz might have themselves another win.
The Heat have won their last 4 but that will likely end in this game. They allow teams to make 15 3’s per game which is 28th in the league. They allow teams to shot about 37% from 3, which is average in the NBA. The Heat can’t stop the 3-point line and that is the Jazz’s greatest strength. Toss in Bam Adebayo is questionable and might not play and this will be a nightmare for Miami.
Final Verdict: The Jazz should win this game handily. The Heat can’t defend the 3-PT line and they might be losing Bam Adebayo which would be a huge loss on both ends. Utah should get this win rather easily.
Phoenix Suns vs Chicago Bulls
The Suns had a very poor performance against the Hornets as their usually very good defense got torched. But they are still a very good team. Their backcourt of Booker and Paul are lethal scorers and Paul is of course a great passer. The Suns have a very solid supporting cast and they do almost everything well. They are very good all-around and have a chance to bounce-back against a surging Chicago team.
The Bulls have won 5 of their last 6 games with the return of Wendell Carter Jr, and they’ve been doing that without Lauri Markkanen. The Bulls offense is led by Zach Lavine and a strong bench but their wildcard is Coby White. If White is able to knock down some 3’s he can be a nice secondary scorer but sometimes he’s just nonexistent. The Bulls need him to get going to win this game.
Final Verdict: The Suns should win this game. They are healthy and very good on both ends. The Bulls have been playing well but no Markkanen hurts them a lot and I don’t think they can contend with the balanced Suns.
LA Clippers vs Memphis Grizzlies
The Clippers were embarrassed yesterday by Memphis as their defense was awful. I don’t know if PG is playing or not with it being the second night of a back-to-back, but LA better play better than they did yesterday. I am not worried about the offense, but their defense has to be better down low and force the Grizzlies who are not known for making 3’s to make them.
The Grizzlies offense came to life yesterday, but they’ll likely have to do that again in order to win this game. I don’t think they can rely on LA’s offense being cold two nights in a row so they will have to score to have a chance to win.
Final Verdict: I am going with the Clippers in this game. I not only doubt that LA will be cold on offense for two straight games, I also doubt that the Grizzlies cam repeat their offensive efforts from yesterday. Both teams can prove me wrong.
Atlanta Hawks vs OKC Thunder
The Hawks offense exploded against the Celtics as they showed us what they can do despite being short-handed. Trae Young has to go to the rim and try and hit some shots other than free throws. Young puts so much pressure on a defense, and he can easily set up teammates. The Hawks need scoring from Reddish, Huerter, and Gallinari off the bench to win this game.
No matter how much OKC is at a disadvantage, why do I get the feeling OKC might win this game.
Final Verdict: The Hawks should win this game because even though they are short-handed they are the better team. They just have to score, something that they are very capable of doing. But why do I get the feeling OKC will win?
Charlotte Hornets vs Golden State Warriors
The last time these two teams played it was crazy. But the Hornets have been playing well. Their offense has been incredibly good with Lamelo Ball in the starting lineup. They aren’t great defensively but the offense is good at least. Still no Devonte Graham which be a good thing considering the Hornets defense is very bad when he starts alongside Rozier and Ball. The Hornets just need to pray that the Warriors don’t shoot well and they can win.
The Warriors defense has been winning them games as their offense isn’t great. Curry has been struggling lately but that likely won’t last long. The Warriors need more from Oubre and Wiggins as they open things up. Paschall, Bazemore, and Wiseman have been good off the bench, but their main goal should be trying to slow down Malik Monk. The Warriors can win, but they’ll have to score in order to do-so.
Final Verdict: The Warriors should win this game. Their defense is good and should be able to slow down the Hornets a bit. They have to shoot better from 3 and give Curry some scoring relief. This will likely be a high-scoring game but the Warriors should win.
Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers
The Blazers injury problems have been catching up to them a bit as they have lost their last 3. Yet they still remain the 5th seed in the West. Portland’s offense is very good and with no AD the paint is as open as ever. The Blazers need guys like Simons and Trent to shoot well and give Dame some relief. No AD is such a positive for Portland, and they have bodies for James. All they have to do is contain Lebron and stop his teammates from getting hot and they can win.
The Lakers have been losing because both Schroder and AD have been out. Lucky for the Lakers Schroder is likely to return, giving Lebron a sidekick on the perimeter. Schroder will have a tough task coming back from Covid, trying to hound Dame as well as be the 2nd option. But this gives LA some much needed offense. They need their defense to be ok otherwise they will be in trouble.
Final Verdict: The Blazers should be able to win this game. They are short-handed but the Lakers defense isn’t as good without AD down low. Schroder might not be at 100% after missing the last few games. This should be a very good game, but I have Portland winning.
Game Of The Day
Lakers vs Blazers should be very good. Both teams are short-handed and not at 100% but they are still evenly matched and this should be a good game.
Other good games today are Celtics vs Pacers and Warriors vs Hornets.
What Are Your Predictions For The 9 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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