Jayson Tatum had 48 points going into the last minute of Boston’s Monday matinee in Charlotte. The Celtics were up, 127-118, so Tatum thought about backing the ball out and letting the clock run down. Then he thought about breaking the 50-point barrier and launched a three-ball with 38 seconds remaining. He nailed it, and that gave him 51 points, a season high and the fifth 50-point contest of his career. Derrick White chipped in 19 points and eight assists, and Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points as Boston now has a seven-game winning streak and a 33-12 record, tops in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. As we look ahead, don’t miss two of our primo NBA betting picks for Tuesday night’s action.
NBA News: Top Betting Picks for Week 14
→ Tuesday, January 17
Portland Trail Blazers (+6.5) at Denver Nuggets (O/U 238.5) (9:00 pm ET)
Portland (21-22) heads to Denver after scoring 276 points combined in a two-game home sweep of the Dallas Mavericks. In the last game, they knocked down 50.6% of their shots in a 140-123 win, and they are currently in ninth place in the West. As a team, they rank 17th in scoring (113.3 points per game) and 10th in shooting percentage (47.9%). Damian Lillard is the top scorer with 28.8 points per game, and as a team, the Blazers are seventh in three-point shooting (37.3%). On defense, the Blazers are 18th in fewest points permitted (112.6 per game).
Denver (30-13) currently leads the West standings by a half-game over Memphis. They score 117 points per game (seventh overall) and shoot 50.9% overall, leading the league. Nikola Jokic leads the team with 24.7 points and 9.8 assists per game. As a team, the Nuggets lead the NBA in three-point shooting percentage (39.9%), although their free-throw percentage (74.9%) is just 26th. On defense, the Nuggets give up 48% shooting (24th overall), and it is their perimeter defense that has saved them as they permit just 35.1% shooting from downtown. Given the struggle that visiting teams have in the thin air of Denver and the defensive issues that Portland has overall, give me Denver to win and cover.
Philadelphia 76ers (+1.5) at L.A. Clippers (O/U 222.5) (10:00 pm ET)
Philadelphia (27-16) beat the Clippers, 119-114, in December as 3 ½-point favorites at home, and they visit the Clippers having won two in a row and four of five. They won the first two games on their West Coast swing by a point apiece, edging Utah, 118-117, and the Lakers, 113-112, to round out a back-to-back. The 76ers were dominated in the paint by the Lakers, who scored 70 points in the lane despite a 35-11 night from Joel Embiid. It was the outside shooting that lifted Philadelphia, as they nailed six more three-pointers than the Lakers did. James Harden contributed 24 points and 13 assists in the win. Overall, they are ninth in the NBA in three-point makes per game (12.8).
The Clippers (23-22) have won two out of three, sandwiching a 12-point win over Dallas and a 21-point win over Houston around a 12-point loss to Denver. On Sunday, the Clippers ran away in the fourth quarter against the Rockets, posting a 30-10 advantage. For the game, the Clippers made 52.3% of their shots, behind 31 points from Terance Mann, 30 from Kawhi Leonard and 18 from Norman Powell. The team is hopeful that Paul George’s hamstring has recovered enough for him to play. He did practice on Monday, so he could return, and the Clippers’ offense will benefit from the return of its leading scorer. Even so… Philadelphia to cover.
NBA Betting Odds
Love betting NBA basketball? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NBA lines
