Xam’s Daily Gems:
Suns Money Line -148
The Suns have been one of the most disappointing teams in the entire league since the season began. After they acquired SG Bradley Beal, they were a favorite to make it out of the Western Conference and compete for a championship. Needless to say, it hasn’t worked out that way. The Suns are somehow 14-15 on the year, and have lost 3 straight. This is the type of game they need their superstar, Kevin Durant, to step up in. The Rockets have been one of the biggest overachievers in the entire league. They have talent, but the Suns should be able to get the job done tonight. Durant is averaging over 32 points on the road, and Booker is a proven scorer as well. The issue for the Suns is their defense. They’ve given up 114 or more points in 5 of their last 7 games. The Rockets are 5th in the league in rebounding, so Nurkic and the Suns will need to be ready to attack the glass and not give the Rockets multiple chances on the offensive end. The Rockets have given up 123 or more points in 4 of their last 6 games, so the Suns should be able to produce offensively.
Mavericks Money Line -148
The Mavericks are currently 5th in the West, thanks in large part to superstar Luka Doncic. Luka is 2nd in the league in scoring in the month of December, and he’s averaging 39 points over his last 6 games. He’s continuing to prove he’s one of the best scorers in the entire league. Dereck Lively, Derrick Jones, and Tim Hardaway are proving themselves to be capable role players as well. The Cavaliers have been up and down for much of the year. Donovan Mitchell is his usual dominant self, but he hasn’t had much help. This has been especially true since Darius Garland has gone down with a fractured jaw. The Cavs will likely need to score a bunch of points in this one to win. The Mavericks are averaging about 120 points per game. The Cavs, however, are only averaging about 112 or so. The Mavericks have shown their versatility, given the amount of injuries they’ve dealt with. Role players have stepped up. Donovan Mitchell is also still recovering from an illness. There’s a chance he sits out, and even if he does play, he may not be 100% healthy.