Russell Westbrook found himself in Utah after the dust settled at the NBA trade deadline, and he has sat down with the team’s management to talk about their plans for him. CEO Danny Ainge, GM Justin Zanik, and coach Will Hardy have said that they look forward to seeing Westbrook report, but they also said that they are giving priority to their younger talent and will not guarantee a particular role or number of minutes to Westbrook. One possibility is a buyout of the rest of his $47 million salary, which would let him become a free agent. Teams like the Clippers, Heat, and Bulls have indicated interest, and he could join a playoff roster if he agrees to a buyout by March 1. Looking ahead, we have a couple of quality NBA betting picks that include Utah’s visit to Indiana and a South Beach clash between Denver and the Heat.
NBA News: Top Betting Picks for Week 18
Utah Jazz (-1.5) at Indiana Pacers (O/U 237.5)
When: Monday, February 13, 2023
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Time: 7:00 pm ET
TV: NBA TV
Utah (28-30) is not doing well on this East Coast road swing, having dropped four of their last five. They last played on Saturday in New York, where they lost to the Knicks by six. Between mid-January and early February, Utah won five of seven before entering their current slide. They lost to Atlanta, Dallas and Minnesota before bouncing back to win in Toronto on Friday, but they fell to the Knicks on the second night of that back-to-back. Now the Jazz are a half-game out of the last play-in spot in the Western Conference. In that loss to the Knicks, Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 29 points, and Jordan Clarkson added 24, while Talen Horton-Tucker came off the bench to score 23. Markkanen has led the Jazz in points (24.8) and rebounds (8.5) per game, and when the Jazz win, their offense is cooking – they’re fourth in the NBA with 117.6 points per game.
Indiana (25-33) started the season 23-18 but has gone 2-15 since. One reason for the skid has been the extended absence of Tyrese Haliburton; while was out, they dropped nine of ten, but they have also dropped five of six since he came back, including a 127-113 loss in Washington on Saturday – a game when the Pacers permitted 80 points in the first half alone. During the first three quarters, Indiana allowed the Wizards to shoot 70%, so even though Haliburton put up 21 points, and Myles Turner chipped in 20, the Pacers could not keep up. George Hill and Jordan Nwora came to Indiana at the trade deadline, but they are questionable for Monday’s game, as center Daniel Theis is also a game-time decision. Jazz to win and cover.
Denver Nuggets (-1.5) at Miami Heat (O/U 219.5)
When: Monday, February 13, 2023
Where: FTX Arena
Time: 7:30 pm ET
TV: NBA TV
Denver (39-18) beat Miami at home back on December 30, 124-119, after entering as a four-point favorite at home. The Nuggets were one of several Western Conference teams to boost their rosters ahead of the trade deadline, adding Reggie Jackson to give them some depth. The Nuggets hae posted just a 13-14 record away from the Mile High City (11-16 against the spread). They did win in Charlotte on Saturday, 119-105, covering as nine-point favorites. Nikola Jokic put up 30 points, 16 boards and 10 assists, his 20th triple-double of the season, and the Nuggets have won 24 straight games in which Jokic had a triple-double.
Miami (32-25) comes in on a three-game winning streak after taking down Orlando, 107-103, in overtime on Saturday. Miami erased a 10-point deficit in the last seven minutes of regulation to force overtime, and Tyler Herro led the Heat with 23 points. Jimmy Butler contributed 22, and Bam Adebayo had 13 points and 17 boards. The Heat have won seven of their last ten, but no win has come by more than five points. Heat to cover.
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