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Following a busy Wednesday night slate in the NBA, only two games take center stage on the Thursday card. The Bulls will be one of the last teams to take the court, while the Spurs, Nuggets, and Blazers already have one game under their belt.
Spurs at Bulls - 8:00 PM EST
Chicago made headlines during last season's playoffs, taking Boston to seven games in the first round before getting ousted. The Bulls were led by Rookie of the Year winner Derrick Rose, but last year's top pick is nursing an ankle injury, placing his status up in the air against the Spurs.
San Antonio is coming off a home victory against New Orleans, as the Spurs are in a money-burning spot Thursday. Gregg Popovich's squad was 5-14-1 ATS last season following a division contest, including a 1-6-1 ATS road mark. The Spurs have been a strong 'over' play the last three years on the road with no rest in November, finishing 'over' the total eight of ten times.
The Bulls held their own against the Western Conference last season at home, especially as underdogs. Chicago compiled a 5-3 SU/ATS mark, including victories over Dallas, Utah, Denver, and New Orleans.
The Spurs are 4-1 SU/ATS the last five meetings at the United Center, while covering seven of the last eight in Chicago. Five of the last six matchups have gone 'under' the total, with none of the previous four games accumulating more than 186 points.
Sportsbook.com has installed the Spurs as a 3 ½-point road favorite, with the total set at 193.
Nuggets at Blazers - 10:30 PM EST
These two Northwest division rivals split four meetings last season, with the home favorite winning and covering each time. Portland will try to unseat Denver as the division champions this season, despite both teams finishing with identical 54-28 marks.
The Blazers owned the Northwest last season at the Rose Garden, finishing 8-0 SU and 6-2 ATS against division foes. Portland is coming off a home victory over short-handed Houston on Tuesday, which sets up for a nice spot Thursday. Nate McMillan's team put together a 16-9 ATS and 20-5 SU mark last season at home with one day off.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, are off a ten-point home win over the Jazz. Denver possesses a solid ATS mark coming off a division game, going 10-5-1 ATS after playing a Northwest division squad, while flying 'over' the total 11 times. George Karl's club is not accustomed to play high-scoring games with no rest on the road, finishing 'under' the total in 10 of 14 games last season.
The Blazers are listed as a seven-point home favorite, while the total sits at 198 ½, according to Sportsbook.com.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
Even though it has been only two nights into the NBA season and there is a long way to go, I have some early observations:
-- The Sixers were looking to avenge last season's first-round loss to the Magic on Wednesday, but instead got blown out of Amway Arena. Philadelphia was outscored 41-20 in the second quarter, as Orlando shot lights out from beyond the arc (16-29).
-- The Cavs are 0-2 out of the gate. Time to panic? Not really, but there should be a bit of concern, especially falling at Toronto. It is a tough spot on a back-to-back for LeBron James and the Cavs, but we've seen teams struggle out of the gate and still get it together.
-- On the flip side, the Celtics look rejuvenated after dismantling the Bobcats at home to improve to 2-0. How bad was it for Charlotte? In the third quarter, the C's went on a 21-2 run, while the Bobcats had made only 13 field goals through the first 32 minutes of the game. Ouch!
-- The Celtics are one of two clubs owning 2-0 ATS marks so far. The other...the Clippers, who have covered in defeats to the Lakers and Suns.
You can reach Kevin Rogers via e-mail at rogers@vegasinsider.com
