Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic
10:10am, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
No real surprise to find the Cavs at very short odds as the only unbeaten team remaining in the East.
The Cavs have enjoyed a nice break after downing the Lakers by double digits on Thursday, while things haven’t been quite so comfortable for the Magic with Paolo Banchero set to miss 4-6 weeks with a torn oblique.
Thursday’s blown loss to the Bulls adds further insult to injury, and it’s worth noting Orlando’s overall defensive rating dropped by 7.4 points whenever Banchero wasn’t on the court last season.
There is a chance the Cavs might have their sights set on Sunday’s game in Milwaukee, but with Orlando’s second-best scorer, Franz Wagner, averaging only 18 points on the year, this shapes as a tough night for the visitors.
Tip: Back the Cavs to Cover the Line (-7.5 Points) @ $1.90
Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls
10:40am, Barclays Center
Fun matchup here between two sides that could be in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race for most of the year.
The Bulls have been kind to us over the last week with two come-from-behind wins over the Grizzlies and Magic, so we’ll continue to play on Chicago at the line.
To their credit, the Nets have been one of the more surprising teams to start the season, but their numbers in the second half of games could make this a big challenge down the stretch against a Bulls side that has shown real resiliency when they fall behind.
The Nets are among the Top 5 best scoring sides in the first half, but they fall to 15th in the laegue in the second half in terms of points-per-game.
Chicago is the opposite, so with a slight head start and both Coby White and Zach LaVine cashing in on their chances, let’s take the Bulls to cover.
Tip: Back the Bulls to Cover the Line (+2 Points) @ $1.90