Betting tips and multi specials for NBA Thursday, December 22

OK ballers.

Here’s the deal.

The NBA kicks off on Thursday with eight games set for us to multi up into something special.

It’s round two for Aussie boy Matthew Dellavedova as his Bucks take on his former team and reigning champions the Cleveland Cavaliers fro 11am AEDT.

At 11.30am, the young, talented, and very disappointing Minnesota Timberwolves head to Atlanta to take on the almost as disappointing Hawks, while the Detroit Pistons host the rolling Memphis Grizzlies.

Two games kick off at noon, with John Wall taking his Washington Wizards to Chicago for a date with the Bulls and the New Orleans Anthony Davis’s hosting the Oklahoma Russell Westbrooks.

The Sacramento Kings then head to Utah to take on the Jazz, while James Harden’s rolling Houston Rockets face off against the Phoenix Suns, with both games at 1pm.

The matinee at 2.30pm pits the Dallas Mavericks against the Portland Trailblazers in the last game of the day.

Eight games dishing out more than six hours of the best NBA action.

Who will be victorious? Let’s hope, for punter’s sake, it is our picks.

We’ve gone safe today with four favourites that should be able to do the business against a quartet of poorer teams.

Suggested multi for NBA Thursday:

Cleveland Cavaliers to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks at $1.25

Utah Jazz to defeat the Sacramento Kings at $1.25

Houston Rockets to defeat the Phoenix Suns at $1.44

Portland Trailblazers to defeat the Dallas Mavericks at $1.30

Four leg multi pays $2.92 with Sportsbet.com.au

Cleveland Cavaliers to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks stunned the NBA champions in their first meeting this season, but couldn’t get over the line in an overtime thriller on Wednesday where they lost 108-114 at home. Could they go seven points better 24 hours later, away from home? The up and down Bucks have mixed superb form – re: their 118-101 win over the Cavs – with ordinary efforts – like a pair of three game losing streaks. Gianni’s Antetokounmpo has been a one man wrecking ball for the Bucks, leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, making him the only player to top his ball club in all five categories. He has some great help from athletic beast Jabari Parker, but the Bucks are up against it going into LeBron James’ house and trying to come away with a win. The real news around this one is cult hero Dellavedova’s return to the Quicken Loans Arena after being part of the Cavs’ side that won last year’s NBA title. Dellavedova was a fan favourite in Cleveland and you can expect him to get a rousing reception when he is presented with his NBA championship ring before the game. The Cavs have won seven of their past eight and have what it takes to keep the sprightly Bucks at bay.

Utah Jazz to defeat the Sacramento Kings

The Utah Jazz are among the hottest teams in the NBA right now, and that is with two of their best players either out of action or on minutes restrictions. The Jazz have won 11 of their past 13 games, with vastly improved point guard George Hill on the pine with injury and their monster power forward Derrick Favors missing most of the run, or being restricted. That says a lot about the depth of a club, led by star Gordon Hayward and the Stifle Tower, French shot blocking machine Rudy Gobert. The Kings are, well, the Kings, going nowhere fast. And they now have to deal with the fall out of star DeMarcus Cousins’ foul mouthed tirade at a journalist. This one should be easy pickings for the Jazz.

Houston Rockets to defeat the Phoenix Suns

If you didn’t think James Harden was an absolute monster last season, he has again, taken his game to a new level. Running the point in Mike D’Antoni’s high powered run and gun offence, Harden has been surrounded with some serious offensive talent and is using that to his advantage, leading the league in assists at nearly 12 per game. But it doesn’t stop there. He is the current Western Conference Player of the Week, an honour he scored for the second time this season after posting a pair of triple doubles on his way to 27.0 points, 12.8 assists, and 9.8 rebounds. The Suns are one of the ugliest sides in the NBA, relying on the corpse of Tyson Chandler in the middle, high volume second year shooter Devin Booker and a pair of point guards in Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight who do more harm than good to each others’ game. We can’t see them hanging with Harden and the Rockets, even if it is at the absurdly named Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Portland Trailblazers to defeat the Dallas Mavericks

What has happened to the Portland Trailblazers? They have lost six of their past seven games (going into the clash with Sacramento Tuesday) and have begun to slip out of the playoff picture for the time being. But it is road woe that has claimed them. The only home game they played in that stretch was a blow out win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. They will be pleased to return home, and even more pleased that they have an easy one against the lowly Dallas Mavericks. It has been all sorts of ugly in Texas this season, with the Mavericks sporting one of the worst records in the entire league, at 7-20, despite the quietly good work of off season recruit Harrison Barnes. While Damien Lillard, CJ McCollum and company can be hit and miss for the Trailblazers, given their lack of genuine front court talent, the Mavs don’t appear to have the class to go onto their home court and take away the win.