NBA betting tips: Houston Rockets to gain revenge, San Antonio Spurs to struggle without Wembanyama
It is set to be another blockbuster weekend in the NBA, with the second half of the season now well under way and play-off contenders starting to pull clear of the chasing pack.
Friday night sees some big match-ups as the table-topping Cleveland Cavaliers host the New York Knicks and the Memphis Grizzlies travel to the Orlando Magic.
Saturday then has the Knicks heading to the high-flying Boston Celtics before the Cavaliers clash with the Grizzlies in a much-anticipated showdown on Sunday.
Sports News Blitz tipster George Dempsey offers his best betting tips ahead of the action.
Detroit Pistons at San Antonio Spurs
The Detroit Pistons find themselves in the unfamiliar role of road favourites on Friday when they travel to Austin to take on a San Antonio Spurs side playing a back-to-back set.
De’Aaron Fox led the way with 26 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in Thursday’s win over the Phoenix Suns after the Spurs made a red-hot start to both halves.
Despite the crushing news that Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the season, the Spurs rallied together to dominate in the paint without the big man and ended up forcing twice as many turnovers as the visitors.
It was a disappointing showing from a Suns side with a losing record and a point to prove, but it sets up a perfect situation to bet against the Spurs this evening.
Teams often rally and defy the odds after a setback, but it is harder to replicate a gritty victorious result for a second consecutive night.
To add to that, the Spurs have lost 13 of their previous 19 matches, while the Pistons possess one of the best records in the NBA since the Christmas period.
Due to the 2025 All-Star Championship break, Detroit enjoyed a nine-day rest and will be the more energised of the two teams.
Despite this, we're taking a small risk betting on them as the break may have halted their momentum.
With all that said, though, they are a young and hungry side that should be full of excitement upon their return. That should be enough to carry them past a leggier Spurs side.
Suggested bet: Detroit Pistons -4
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Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets
Two winning teams clash in Houston this evening as the 34-21 Rockets play host to the 31-25 Minnesota Timberwolves, who beat them 127-114 just two weeks ago.
The Rockets, slight favourites at home, will want revenge on Friday.
They'll be especially motivated to rebound after a poor offensive performance against the Golden State Warriors before the All-Star break.
Ime Udoka’s side turned in one of their worst performances of the season, scoring 98 points on 40.9% shooting from the field. They only made 12 of 36 from beyond the arc and 10 of 18 from the line.
To be fair, they have responded well to home losses this season, going 6-3 in the following games thus far.
This is also more than your typical revenge spot as the Timberwolves have won the two most recent meetings.
Speaking of the Timberwolves, the visitors find themselves in the peculiar position of this contest being sandwiched between a trio of meetings with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Minnesota’s 116-101 win against the 44-10 Thunder was the biggest result of their season to date.
It’s only natural to expect them to take their eye off the ball here then.
They’re also contending with several injury problems ahead of Friday’s game. Julius Randle is confirmed as out, while Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gobert are questionable.
As a result, it is worth jumping on the early line as the spread will rocket if those guys are confirmed as out.
Suggested bet: Houston Rockets -3
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