My Pre-Game Picks For Today’s Games – 2.8.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball, and we have 8 games on the schedule today. I will be giving my pre-game predictions for every game, and choose a winner.
Houston Rockets vs Charlotte Hornets
The Rockets have slowed down a bit recently, and a lot of that has to do with the loss of Christian Wood, who will be out for a few weeks. The Rockets offense isn’t great, and without Wood they will have to be able to score. They will need Oladipo and Wall to play well and score, otherwise they don’t have much of a chance. Their defense is good, but without an offense, they won’t find much success.
The Hornets dominated the Wizards yesterday without Devonte Graham, who is questionable for this game. Lamelo Ball has been very good as a starter, as he is more of a passer. The Hornets have a lot of talent on the offensive side of things, but sometimes they just start slow. They don’t want that to happen if they want to win.
Final Verdict: I am going with the Hornets here. The Rockets are missing their best player and scorer, and Wood will be dearly missed in this game. The Hornets even without Graham are a good offensive team, and I think they will win this game.
Washington Wizards vs Chicago Bulls
The Wizards got routed by the Hornets yesterday, as they have been reverting back to what they were to start the season. They are the 2nd worst defense in the league, and their offense can be explosive, but they rely heavily on Beal and Westbrook, both of whom have struggled lately. If the Wizards want any chance at winning, they need their backcourt duo to score, a lot.
The Bulls dominated the Magic without two of their better scorers, and they will again be short-handed in this game. Markkanen is out with a shoulder injury and Porter is again out dealing with back issues. But with the Wizards poor defense, the Bulls can score the ball. Zach Lavine has to be aggressive from the start, and he’ll need guys like Coby White and Patrick Williams to score. The Bulls don’t play a whole lot of defense either, so this will likely be a shootout.
Final Verdict: This game will be a lot of offense likely, as both these teams aren’t great offensively. But I am going with the Wizards, as they are healthier even with Westbrook being questionable. The Bulls are missing about 30 points between Markkanen and Porter, and I think that Washington will be able to win this game.
Toronto Raptors vs Memphis Grizzlies
The Raptors defense was the reason their last loss against the Hawks, as they haven’t been the same with OG Anunoby being out. They need to find scoring from their Big 3, otherwise they really can’t win. If they can’t score efficiently and don’t play defense, it becomes very tough for the Raptors to win.
The Grizzlies have been poor since their big win-streak, mainly because their defense hasn’t been as good lately. The Grizzlies defense hasn’t been great, but when their defense is good, the offense doesn’t have to be great. But when the defense allows points, it’s tough for Memphis to keep up. The Grizzlies are short-handed, but they have to get back to their identity. Grit and grind.
Final Verdict: This will be a good game, but I’m going with the Raptors. Even with their poor defense, the Grizzlies offense isn’t too explosive. The Raptors just need a couple guys to get going, and they can win.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks
The T-Wolves defense was terrible in their last loss against OKC, as they haven’t been very good on either end this season. They have some talent, but they aren’t incredibly deep. Karl-Anthony Towns has been injury plagued this season, and the same goes for D’Angelo Russell, who is questionable. The T-Wolves are going to have a tough time against Luka and the Mavs.
The Mavs offense was able to get going in their last win against the Warriors, led by Luka Doncic who was incredible. Luka just needs his supporting cast to score. Kristaps Porzingis has to get shots from everywhere, not just from 3. The Mavs defense hasn’t been great lately, but as they get more comfortable playing with each other, they will be a tough team to stop.
Final Verdict: I’m going with the Mavs in this game. They are healthier and the more talented team. They have Luka, and he just needs a couple of guys to get going. The T-Wolves defense is poor, and they could be missing two of their best players.
Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs
The Warriors defense ran into Luka and the Mavs, as even a Curry explosion couldn’t help them win. The Warriors are still without Wiseman and Looney, and Paschall is questionable, meaning the Warriors are once again going small. They’ll need guys like Wiggins and Oubre to score, otherwise just Curry isn’t enough most of the time.
The Spurs have been quietly pretty good this season, picking up a win against the Rockets on Saturday. They are again without Aldridge or Walker, so they’ll need DeRozan to score. The Spurs are a very deep team, and they can be a good offensive team, as long as they hit their outside shots.
Final Verdict: I am going with the Warriors in this game. They might be small, but they have the more explosive offense with Curry at the helm. If they can get Oubre going, they are tough to stop. The Spurs are also short-handed, and their offensive isn’t nearly as explosive as the Warriors.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Phoenix Suns
The Cavs are going to be missing arguably their best defender in Larry Nance Jr. for a while, which is a big blow. The Cavs offense is almost nonexistent, as they just can’t score unless it’s against poor defenses. The Suns happen to be a top-5 defense, so this will be a struggle for the Cavs,
The Suns beat Boston yesterday, as they’ve won 5 of their last 6 games. They are good on both ends, and if they can get Deandre Ayton the ball more down low, they will be even better. They are a bit short-handed, but that shouldn’t matter against the Cavs.
Final Verdict: This should be an easy win for the Suns. They are the better offense by a mile, and their defense should be able to easily shut down the Cavs offense.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Denver Nuggets
The Bucks have won their last 4 games, and that’s all cool. I don’t like their coach. They are good, and are contenders. I would absolutely love them if they didn’t have Coach Bud. The Bucks are a very talented team, but a change at coach is needed for them to win a title.
The Nuggets back-court has been depleted by injuries. No Gary Harris or PJ Dozier. Murray and Campazzo are questionable. They don’t have the personnel to guard Giannis, and just Jokic isn’t good enough, especially against the Bucks.
Final Verdict: The Bucks should win this because the Nuggets are missing their best backcourt members. The Nuggets defense isn’t great, so this should be a win for the Bucks.
OKC Thunder vs LA Lakers
The Thunder barely beat the T-Wolves thanks to an offensive explosion, but now they face the best team in the league short-handed. No Theo Maledon, no Mike Muscala, no Isaiah Roby. If this game wasn’t already tough enough, the Thunder will likely get crushed. Their only hope is if LA stops trying, which likely won’t happen again.
The worst team in the league record wise took the defending champs to double OT, as LA was terrible for the last stretch of that game. They are known to coast like that, but they are again heavy favorites. They can’t afford to just stop playing and let a team comeback.
Final Verdict: The Lakers should win, as they don’t want a repeat of what happened on Saturday against the Pistons. OKC is short-handed, and LA should win handily. That being said, it’ll be closer than most expect (likely).
Game Of The Day
I think that Warriors vs Spurs will be good. Both teams are evenly matched, and good overall teams.
What Are Your Predictions For The Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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