We have another exciting week of NBA action this week with some big games in both the Eastern and Western Conference. Most of the casual NBA fans start to pay attention around the Christmas day mark, and I suspect they will be pleasantly surprised when they realize how competitive the league is this year.
The Eastern conference has 11 teams within 6 games of the top spot in the conference almost 30 games into the year, and outside of the Suns and Warriors, the rest of the West is equally as competitive. Head over to our
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NBA Power Rankings
Deandre Ayton and the Suns have a great shot to make it back to the Finals
- Phoenix Suns 21-5
- Golden State Warriors 22-5
- Brooklyn Nets 19-8
- Milwaukee Bucks 18-11
- Chicago Bulls 17-10
- Utah Jazz 19-7
The Suns take the top spot this week in the NBA Power Rankings as they look like they have more depth than the Warriors at this point of the season. The Suns are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Clippers and the Warriors dropped a tough road game to the Sixers, so it will be interesting to monitor if both of these teams start to come back to earth some after such hot starts.
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Games to Watch
Warriors vs. Knicks (+5)
Steph Curry is only 2 three-pointers away from breaking Ray Allen’s all-time three-point record and breaking the record in one of the most iconic arenas in the world at Madison Square Garden. Curry likely has 3-4 years left in his prime so by the time he is done playing the three-point record will be so far out of reach it may never be broken. The Knicks have struggled this year after making a run to the playoffs last year and will look to get back on track with a big win over the Warriors at home.
Heat vs. 76ers
The Heat and 76ers are two teams that should be around at the end of the year and face off Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Joel Embiid led the Sixers to a big upset over the Warriors last week and will have another chance at a statement win over one of the top teams in the East. The Heat’s starting 5 is all averaging over 10 points a game and are led by Jimmy Butler (22.8ppg) and Tyler Herro (20.3). While the Nets get most of the attention in the East, the Heat and 76ers have the types of rosters that can make a run to the finals later in the year.
Check out the Heat vs. 76ers latest odds
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76ers vs. Nets
Embiid is healthy and the Sixers are serious contenders in the East
The 76ers have another chance to make a statement in the East on Thursday night on the road against the NBA favorite Brooklyn Nets. The Sixers are finally healthy and this should be a good test for the Nets, who have struggled in recent games to contending teams. The Nets are still without Kyrie Irving and it will be interesting to see if they will be able to trade Irving before the trade deadline and if any team would be willing to bring him in.
Wizards vs. Suns
The Suns host the Wizards on Thursday night in what looks to be a clash of styles that should make for an interesting game. The Wizards like to slow the game down and use their size and length to push teams around, where the Suns run the floor and shoot a high volume of outside shots. The Suns struggled against the Bucks in the Finals last year and this will be a good test for them as they try to improve their toughness.
Finals Odds
The Nets are still the favorites which is surprising considering the quality of teams in the West. The Suns, Bucks, Warriors, and Nets seem like they are a step above the rest of the league, and whichever team can stay the healthiest will likely be the team that makes it to the Finals.
