NBA Multi tips and betting specials for Thursday, December 29

THE NBA is back in full swing after the festive season with a full book of 10 games to give punters plenty of choice in their multis this Thursday.

Two games kick off the day at 11am AEDT with the Indiana Pacers visiting the Washington Wizards and the Orlando Magic playing host to the Charlotte Hornets.

Half an hour later at 11.30am, the New York Knicks tip off at the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks head to Detroit for a date with the Pistons.

Noon yields the beginning of another two games, with the Brooklyn Nets visiting the Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Pelicans playing host to the banged up Los Angeles Clippers.

The Phoenix Suns take one of the worst trips in basketball when they face the San Antonio Spurs at 12.30pm, before two young, disappointing teams in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets battle for which team can fulfil its considerable potential.

At 2pm, the Sacramento Kings visit the Portland Trailblazers and then the game of the day features the top of the west Golden State Warriors receiving a visit from one of the east’s finest teams in the Toronto Raptors.

So many great games, so many possible multis.

But here is one we prepared earlier.

Not really, but we have ran our eyes over the odds and come up with a quintet of parlay legs that should hopefully role into each and produce a big punting windfall.

Give it a try.

Suggested multi for NBA Thursday, December 29:

New York Knicks to defeat the Atlanta Hawks at $2.31

San Antonio Spurs to defeat the Phoenix Suns at $1.04

Denver Nuggets to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves at $1.62

Sacramento Kings to defeat the Portland Trailblazers at $1.83

Golden State Warriors to defeat the Toronto Raptors at $1.18

Five leg multi pays $8.40 with Sportsbet.com.au

New York Knicks to defeat the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are absolutely cherry ripe for the picking here by an up and down New York Knicks team which has the ability to please and disappoint. But the Hawks have been hurt by injury and have completely forgotten how to win games on their home floor – for so long a fortress. The Hawks have lost six of their last seven games on their home floor and, with big man Dwight Howard laid up, they have struggled to contain teams on their home deck. We reckon scoring machine Carmelo Anthony and burgeoning star big man Kristaps Porzingis will be far too good, even on the road.

San Antonio Spurs to defeat the Phoenix Suns

If you have watched any of the San Antonio Spurs over the past couple of weeks, you will know why Gregg Popovic’s mob is such a remarkable good team. They have won seven of their past eight games and 20 of 23, absolutely dismantled the Chicago Bulls on Boxing Day. LaMarcus Aldridge put on a sweet shooting big man clinic in the 119-100 win with a season high 36 points on 15 for 20 shooting – the Suns have no one who can stop him. Matter of fact, the Suns have no one who can stop anyone, given they are second last in the league for points allowed at 113.6 per game. Double digit win for the Spurs here.

Denver Nuggets to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves

Here is where it gets a little tough. Both of these young teams have been very Jekyll and Hyde this season. On paper, the Minnesota Timberwolves look absolutely stacked with talent. But the paperwork never tells the story and, unfortunately, the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins have not been able to put it together. The Nuggets have been a basket case, with guys like Danilo Gallinari stopping the ball and Emmanuel Mudiay struggling, but big man Nikola Jokic has been a big positive, as has the sweet shooting of rookie Jamal Murray. They win this, purely because it is in the Mile High City.

Sacramento Kings to defeat the Portland Trailblazers

Again, the Kings will be outsiders in this one, but if you saw the monstrosity that is Boogie Cousins the last time these two teams met, you would be placing this bet with absolute confidence. DeMarcus was incensed only a week ago when he was ejected from the stadium, then brought back, and he absolutely made the Blazers pay, dropping 55 points to go with 14 rebounds and three blocks in a 126-121 win. The game does shift to Portland, but the Kings have won three straight and will be riding high. While Damien Lillard and CJ McCollum will dominate in the back court, this game is in Cousins’ hands. He fires, they win.

Golden State Warriors to defeat the Toronto Raptors

What a ripper this one is shaping up to be. The Warriors some how lost again to the reigning champions Cleveland after leading by 14 points early in the last term of their Christmas Day Finals rematch. They failed the test again and you can bet they will be out for some retribution when they welcome the second best team in the east to Oracle Arena. The Raptors are a very, very good team, but they just haven’t been able to hang with the Warriors. The likes of Kyle Lowry and DeMarr DeRozan are wonderful players, but Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and off season signing Kevin Durant have been far too good and should be able to take this one out on their home floor.