Russell Westbrook should maintain his stunning start to the season, while the Celtics are equipped to upset Cleveland...
Oklahoma City Thunder (+8.5) v Golden State Warriors – {ODDS:118832345:27/20}
The most anticipated game of the season so far pits Kevin Durant of the Warriors against the team he left as a free agent this summer.
Golden State are this year’s title favourites, but it is the Thunder that are currently unbeaten.
In Durant’s absence, Russell Westbrook has been exceptional as Oklahoma City’s undisputed leader.
He is averaging a staggering 37.8 points – the highest in the NBA – as well as 10.8 rebounds and 10 assists per game.
Golden State’s weakness has been their shot-blocking, which doesn’t bode well for them considering only the Milwaukee Bucks take more shots around the rim than Oklahoma.
Westbrook might ultimately come up short against a great Warriors team, but he and the Thunder should be able to keep the score close.
Orlando Magic to beat Sacramento Kings – {ODDS:118831513:5/6}
After failing to win their first three games of the season, the Magic eked out a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday to end a three-game road trip.
Back in Orlando tonight, they should pick up another against a Sacramento team that has lost two in a row.
Fatigue will be an issue for the Kings, with this is their third consecutive fixture on the other side of the country as part of a punishing five-game run away from the west coast.
Sacramento have been average defensively this season, but are likely to regress having conceded more points in the 2015/16 campaign than any other side.
The Magic have also given them problems in recent years, with Orlando winning three of their past four meetings.
Boston Celtics (+6.5) @ Cleveland Cavaliers – {ODDS:118831816:7/5}
The NBA champions face perhaps their biggest test of the new season in the rapidly improving Celtics.
Boston beat Cleveland away from home last season on the way to 48 wins – the third-highest total in the Eastern Conference.
This season, meanwhile, they have lost just once in their first four games, all of which have been decided by seven points or fewer.
The Cavaliers are undefeated so far, but have only faced one team from last season’s playoffs – the Toronto Raptors – who they beat by just three points.
The Celtics are also the best defensive team to come up against Cleveland this year – only two teams have held their opponents to a lower shooting percentage than Boston’s mark of 41.8 per cent.
Minnesota Timberwolves to beat Denver Nuggets – {ODDS:118831919:5/9}
The Timberwolves, another exciting young team, have been very impressive defensively so far this season.
They have allowed just 96 points per game – ranking joint-fifth among all teams – and their opponents’ field goal percentage of 42.7 per cent is also the NBA’s seventh-lowest mark.
That they rank fourth in points per 100 possessions is also indicative of how well-rounded they are.
While the Timberwolves were beaten in their opening two fixtures, they cruised to a 36-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night in their first game in Minnesota.
That home advantage should prove the difference against a Nuggets team that has lost each of its last two games, and currently ranks among the bottom three teams in field goal percentage.
