NBA on TNT picks: Clippers vs. Rockets, Raptors vs. Warriors

The NBA returns to TNT on Thursday night with a sizzling doubleheader. The fun begins at 8:00 p.m. with a Clippers-Rockets shootout in Houston, and continues at 10:30 p.m. with an NBA Finals rematch between the Raptors and Warriors in San Francisco. We have odds and picks for both games below.  

The Rockets and Clippers will resume one of the NBA’s most entertaining regular season series tonight when they clash at the Toyota Center. Houston has won two of the three matchups this year, but all three games have been tightly contested affairs decided by an average of five points.

The last time these two clubs met on Dec. 19, Houston came away with a narrow 122-117 win thanks to a 40-point outburst from Russell Westbrook. The nine-time All-Star scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to help the Rockets overcome a 16-point deficit in the second half.

Both teams have undergone makeovers since that dust-up. The Clippers have added Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson to bolster one of the league’s deepest rosters, while Houston has added Robert Covington and Jeff Green to provide Mike D’Antoni with more spacing. The biggest change of all, however, has been stylistic, as the Rockets have fully embraced small ball. Houston is 10-3 since rolling out its Lilliputian lineups and should continue to push the pace tonight.

Expect a high-scoring affair and a narrow Clippers victory this evening as L.A. knots up this season series and extends their five-game win streak.  

NBA free pick: Los Angeles moneyline and +1 spread and Over 235.5

The wait is finally over. Steph Curry will make his eagerly anticipated return to the hardwood tonight when he suits up against the Raptors in San Francisco. The two-time MVP has been on the sidelines since Oct. 30 after breaking his left hand in a loss to the Phoenix Suns, and has been positively champing at the bit to return to action.

This isn’t the first time that Curry has returned from a lengthy absence, so what can we expect this evening? The Warriors guard had 28 points in his first game back after missing 17 contests in 2017-18, and finished with 27 points after missing 11 games in 2018-19. Even if he doesn’t eclipse those numbers tonight, Curry’s offense will be a huge boon to a sputtering Golden State squad which ranks 27th or worse in field-goal percentage, three-point percentage, offensive rating, and net rating.

Although Curry will surely help, his presence alone won’t be enough. The Warriors were just 1-3 even with Curry in the lineup this year, and lost their first two games by a combined 47 points. They’ll be facing a rock-solid Raptors team that won 15 straight games prior to the All-Star break and is fresh off a 123-114 dismantling of the Phoenix Suns.

Curry isn’t the only star expected to return to the court tonight. Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Fred VanVleet should also be back in the lineup after lengthy absences. If they return, as anticipated, the Raptors will win by double digits. Take Toronto and the spread tonight.

NBA free pick: Toronto moneyline and -8 spread 

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