There are only two games on the NBA schedule on Thursday, but it'll be the Brooklyn Nets visiting the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets hosting the Golden State Warriors. It should be a night that features a ton of drama, but we'll also be treated to some great basketball. Here are our best bets for the TNT doubleheader:
1. Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers - 7:30 p.m. ET
The Nets are 13-24 against the spread when facing teams that average at least 23.0 assists per game this season, and they now face a Sixers team that is 26-14 against the spread when facing teams that average 7.0 or fewer steals per game since the start of last year. That's a pretty bad combination of trends for Brooklyn, as Philly is going to be moving the basketball a lot and there's not much that can be done to stop it. Also, while James Harden will be on the floor for the Nets in this game, the guy he was traded for, Ben Simmons, will simply be sitting on the bench. And not only that, his presence in the arena will create one of the most insane atmospheres in NBA history tonight. The Sixers fans are really going to be fired up and letting Brooklyn have it, and Joel Embiid and Co. are going to feed off that energy and play a great game. The Sixers also happen to be 12-4 against the spread when the total is 220 or higher this season. Meanwhile, the Nets are 0-8 against the spread when coming off a road win by 10 or more this year.
The Over is also 38-22 when Brooklyn is playing on the road for a second game in a row over the last three seasons. It's hard to see that changing in a game like this, as there's going to be an absurd amount of offensive talent on the floor. The Sixers are going to play at a pretty high pace and they should be able to generate a ton of clean looks against this lousy Nets defense. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both playing for Brooklyn, which means they'll do their share of the work for Over bettors.
THE PICKS: Sixers -4.5 AND Over 234
2. Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets - 10:00 p.m. ET
The Nuggets are 3-0 straight-up and 2-1 against the spread when facing the Warriors this year and they now get another crack at a Golden State team that remains without Draymond Green. As long as Green is out, this matchup is a nightmare for the Warriors. Nikola Jokic thinks the game at a higher level than anybody in the league on the offensive end, so he'll just continue to pick apart a struggling Golden State defense. The Nuggets also have the luxury of sticking Aaron Gordon on one of the Warriors' wings, and Gordon is capable of shutting down pretty much anyone. If Steph Curry doesn't have an insane game tonight, it's just hard to see how Golden State gets the job done here. The Nuggets are 12-2 in their last 14 games and they're 8-5-1 against the spread in those contests. This is just a very good basketball team right now.
THE PICK: Nuggets +2
