NBA Multi bet of the Weekend | Dec 21

It’s an intriguing little three-game slate in the NBA on Saturday. The first of them will see the Sixers host the Hornets in the least interesting game of the day, but after the the Bucks head to Cleveland to take on the Cavs fresh off their NBA Cup victory, before the Heat host the team Milwaukee beat in the Cup Final in the OKC Thunder. We’ve got one tip from each of those games making up our three-leg weekend multi – check out all of the details below.

Saturday 21st of December, 11.05am AEDT, Wells Fargo Center

The Hornets are really struggling at the moment. They have won exactly one of their last 12 games, and hit what you could easily argue is rock bottom in the NBA by losing to the Wizards (!), the worst team in the league. Lamelo Ball is back, which makes them a little more exciting to watch, but the 11-32 he shot in that game against the Wizards and the 5-15 he managed in the game prior, his first back from a layoff, are not exactly contributing positively to the Hornets’ fortunes. The Hornets last five losses have been pretty hefty, too, coming by at least nine points each and by an average of 14.8 points – including a 13-point loss to the Sixers in Charlotte. Now they head to Philadelphia to take on the Sixers again, and the 9.5-point handicap they have been given by betting sites does not look likely to be enough. Joel Embiid’s status is up in the air, but whether he plays or not the Sixers should be expecting to secure a double figure victory. Both with and without Embiid they have been starting to play some decent basketball of late – no surprises now that Tyrese Maxey and Paul George have found a bit of continuity. They have won three of their last four games and five of their last seven, and up against a Hornets team which is pretty bad at the best of times and even worse on the road, it will be a huge surprise if they don’t make it six from eight. To start off our multi we could easily play it safe and just bet on the Sixers win, but the odds are not particularly juicy. Given the Hornets have been losing by ten points or more most games, the Sixers should be able to get to that numbers on their home court.

Saturday 21st of December, 11.35am AEDT, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

This is an intriguing matchup between two teams with high hopes in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers, of course, have established themselves as a genuine contender with a barnstorming start to the year which sees them currently sitting atop the East with the best record in the league. Things have been a little bumpier for the Bucks, but they have begun to find their mojo in recent times, and enter this game on the back of four consecutive wins, the latest of which saw every player on their roster earn a cool $500,000 courtesy of victory in the second ever NBA Cup. Unfortunately, Damian Lillard will be forced to sit out of this one with a calf injury, which will clearly have a big impact on the Bucks’ fortunes. But despite his absence, the 8.5-point line set by NBA betting sites looks a little too high for this one. A quick disclaimer; Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as probable, and if he is out as well as Lillard then this bet is no longer a goer and the line will likely blow out even more. If the Greek Freak does suit up, however, then I’m backing the Bucks to be able to cushion the loss of Lillard and keep this one close. There is no denying that he is a key player for them and has been in really good form of late, but the supporting cast has also come on in leaps and bounds in recent times, while Giannis remains their most important player by some margin. Were Lillard playing this would loom as a really tight game, and though his absence certainly swings the needle significantly in the Cavaliers favour, the Bucks are riding high at the moment and can give this one a good shake and cover the line in the process.

Saturday 21st of December, 12.05pm AEDT, Kaseya Center

While most teams in the NBA have enjoyed a pretty cruisy week courtesy of the NBA Cup Final, it’s been the exact opposite for the Thunder. They, of course, played in that final, meaning that while the rest of the league was putting their feet up, they were battling it out – unsuccessfully – in Las Vegas against the Bucks for $500,000 for each player. They subsequently had just a day’s rest before their next game in Orlando, which was the first leg of a back to back – the second of which will see them head to Miami to take on the Heat. The Heat, meanwhile, haven’t played a single game since Tuesday Australia time, and have played just a couple of times in the past week and a half. They will be a hell of a lot more well-rested than the Thunder, and clearly betting agencies have cottoned on to that. The Thunder are a far better side than Miami – they are the runaway second favourite for the championship, while the Heat are likely to be a lower seed playoff team in a significantly inferior Eastern Conference. But despite that, the Thunder are only very slight favourites here. It’s certainly understandable why and many people would see this as a ‘schedule loss’ for the Thunder, but in my eyes the odds have been tilted too far in the Heat’s favour. The Thunder are one of the most consistent teams in the league, and while they are on the second leg of a back to back, it’s not exactly a big trip from Orlando to Miami. And despite being so damn good, they are also extremely young and should be better equipped to deal with a heavy schedule as a result. Were all things equal they would be pretty comfortable favourites in this game, so even after a busy week, the two points that they need to win by to cover the line looks pretty achievable. The Heat have been decent of late but are coming off a loss to the Pistons in their latest game, a reminder that they are not exactly world beaters. For a championship favourite like the Thunder, this should be a win.