Don’t look now, but the Toronto Raptors have now won 11 games in a row to move into second place in the Eastern Conference. They are still 6 ½ games behind Milwaukee (winners of nine of their last ten), but the defending champions are showing that they are still an elite team even after the departure of Kawhi Leonard. The coldest teams right now in the East are the Orlando Magic, on a five-game skid, and Charlotte and Cleveland, losers of nine of ten. In the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers have won four in a row and are creeping closer to the top eight, just 1 ½ games behind Memphis. The Minnesota Timberwolves have fallen off the table, losers of eleven straight. The Clippers are sneaking up on the Lakers, now just 3 ½ games behind their Staples Center roommates atop the conference standings. As you consider your sports betting for the week, don’t miss our top two NBA betting picks.
Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – February 3rd Edition
NBA power rankings: Has Damian Lillard’s hot stretch changed Portland’s deadline thinking?https://t.co/ekw9pwhZnX pic.twitter.com/SFFMGsC71O
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) February 3, 2020
Monday, February 3rd
San Antonio at L.A. Clippers (10:30 pm ET, NBA TV)
The San Antonio Spurs just ended a three-game skid by taking down the Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Hornets, both at home. That victory over the Hornets featured a comeback from a 19-point deficit in the third quarter, behind 24 points from DeMar DeRozan. After a 63-point first half, Charlotte would only put up 27 in the third and fourth quarters combined, while San Antonio would score 64 after the intermission. Jakob Poeltl put up 17 points and seven boards for a Spurs team heading out for an eight-game road trip.
Their first stop will be in the Staples Center against the Clippers. They have won three out of four, beating Orlando and Miami on the road before losing to Sacramento and then beating Minnesota on Saturday. In that win over the Timberwolves, the Clippers got 31 points from Kawhi Leonard (his ninth straight game with at least that many points) and five other players in double figures. Paul George continues to play well in his return from a hamstring injury, scoring 21 points in 26 minutes, and Lou Williams chipped in 17. The Clippers are finally all healthy and could be poised to make a run at the Lakers.
NBA Betting Prediction: Clippers 115, Spurs 103
Tuesday, February 4th
Portland at Denver (9:00 pm ET)
Since losing at home to Dallas, the Trail Blazers have run off four wins in a row, taking down the Pacers, Rockets, Lakers and Jazz, with that win over the Lakers coming on the road. They beat Utah by 17 points at home on Saturday behind 51 points from Damian Lillard, who has averaged 48.8 points per game over his last six games. He drained nine three-pointers and also dished out a dozen assists. He has an NBA record now with six straight games with at least three makes from downtown. Hassan Whiteside posted 17 points and 21 boards.
Next for the Trail Blazers is a trip to Denver to face the Nuggets. Denver has split their last four games, losing in Memphis before beating Utah and Milwaukee…and then going to Detroit and dropping a game on Sunday. In that setback, Detroit came back to win in overtime in a game that they at one point trailed by 21 points. Nikola Jokic had a triple-double for the Nuggest, putting up 39 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He made a three-pointer with 29.4 seconds left in overtime to draw the Nuggets within three, but they did not complete the comeback. It was Denver’s third game in four days, and the start time was 12:30 pm Eastern time, giving them additional fatigue, perhaps an explanation for losing a game that they led by 31-10 at one point. Can they rebound to take on the Trail Blazers at home? NBA Betting Prediction: Nuggets 128, Trail Blazers 124