2016-17 NBA Betting Tips – Thursday, February 2nd

The 2016-17 NBA season continues this week and there are two games televised in Australia on ESPN on Thursday, February 2. We take a look at the Timberwolves vs Cavaliers and Bulls vs Thunder games and two other matches for our Preview and Betting Tips.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Cleveland Cavaliers (Thursday 11am AEDT)

What has happened to the Cavaliers? The champions are in disarray and Lebron James is in the media for all the wrong reasons. He has been dissing his team and reportedly demanding the team get a better back up point guard for Kyrie Irving. The team has lost six of its last 10 matches and it was the first losing month James has had since 2006. Kevin Love has been on the sidelines for the past week with back spasms and the side is definitely vulnerable at the moment after getting dominated by the Mavericks on their home court in their last start.

However, they are facing the Timberwolves who are just 7-15 on the road and despite improving on home soil, that haven’t been able to find the right consistency. They are an up and coming side and have a lot of strong youth in their side, but they won’t be able to upset the champions in this one. Karl Anthony Towns will have a big match against Tristan Thompson but it won’t be enough to see them earn the win.

TIP: Cavaliers at the margin (1-10) – $2.39 at Sportsbet

Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder (Thursday 1.30pm AEDT)

If there is a team that is in a worse condition than the Cavaliers, it is the Bulls. They may be sitting in the 7th spot in the East but the front office has begun shopping their star players around due to their lack of chemistry. Dwayne Wade and Jimmy Butler called out the rest of their team for not caring enough and the side hasn’t responded in the way in which they hoped. The team lacks the threat from the three point line required to clear the lane for Butler and Wade and while Rajon Rondo is back playing, he doesn’t play well alongside players that aren’t jump shooters.

Meanwhile the Thunder will play their second of a back-to-back after a tough loss against the Spurs on the road. They will be glad they are returning home but unfortunately for the side they suffered a big injury to Enes Kanter earlier in the week. Their 6th man took his frustration out on a chair and he came off second best as he broke his wrist. It has put added pressure on Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams but if there is one thing Westbrook likes, it is a challenge. Coming off a loss he will be fired up to earn the victory.

TIP: Thunder at the line (-3.5) – $1.90 at CrownBet

Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics (Thursday 11.30am AEDT)

The Raptors will enter this match on the back of a tight overtime win against the Pelicans. They will be exhausted, especially since DeMar Derozan is on the sidelines with an ankle injury. It has put a lot of pressure on Kyle Lowry to perform at a high level and take a lot of the offensive responsibility. In the second of a back-to-back this will prove the difference as the side will tire in the second half.

The Celtics and Raptors have almost the same record and while the Celtics haven’t been overly dominant on home soil, it is a massive edge for them in this game. Isaiah Thomas has been selected as an All-Star and has been a massive reason behind the sides surge to the top three in the Eastern Conference. Expect him to drop a huge score in this game.

TIP: Celtics at the line (-6) – $1.91 at Sportsbet

Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat (Thursday 11.30am AEDT)

Easily the most inconsistent team in the league is the Hawks. They have gone on hot and cold stretches throughout the season where they have won seven straight before losing seven straight. They enter this game after narrowly escaping with a win in a 4OT game against the Knicks. They will benefit from the extra rest but the Heat are well rested too.

It looked as if the Heat’s season was over but an eight game winning streak has turned things around for them. Dion Waiters has excelled in his current role and has been dropping monster stat lines while Goran Dragic has finally found his best form since joining the Heat two seasons ago. Meanwhile Hassan Whiteside continues to be a dominant force in the middle of the court. It will be a great match up between him and Dwight Howard and we are sticking with the in form side and the young legs of Whiteside.

TIP: Heat to win at the margin (1-10) – $3.00 at William Hill

NOTE: TIPS IN THIS ARTICLE ARE SIMPLY THE AUTHOR’S OPINION. ALWAYS GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY