Undefeated Pistons and Raptors favoured in midweek matches
Published:
Daniel Coyle, American Sports Correspondent | November 3, 2015
Detroit Pistons will be gunning for a fourth straight win to start their NBA season when they hit the hard court on Tuesday night against Indiana Pacers as 5.5-point favourites in basketball betting with Coral.
The Pistons posted three straight upset victories in four nights last week, including a 98-94 defeat of Chicago Bulls on Friday to join Toronto Raptors as the only Eastern Conference teams to remain undefeated in the early going.
Detroit’s hot start builds on the team’s strong play at the end of last season, in which they won eight of their last 14, 10-4 ATS, to finish at 32-50.
Conversely, Indiana heads into Tuesday night’s Pacers v Pistons match-up still searching for their first win of the campaign, both SU and ATS, and are coming off a brutal 97-76 loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday, their second straight loss by double-digits.
However, the Pacers have enjoyed recent success against Detroit, picking up the win in their last two meetings, and going 5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS, in their last six visits to the Motor City.
Toronto target fourth win down in Dallas
The Raptors will also look to improve to 4-0 on Tuesday when they visit Dallas Mavericks as 1.5-point road favourites.
Toronto have averaged 108.3 points per game in their three, and are coming off a dominating 106-87 win over Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.
Punters may have noticed how strong the Raptors have been in the fourth-quarter, averaging over 29 points in the final frame en route to their first 3-0 start in six years.
But Toronto face a Mavericks squad that will be hungry for a win in their home-opener, returning to American Airlines Center after kicking off the campaign with three road contests, picking up a pair of SU and ATS wins.
Dallas have also dominated the Raptors on their own floor, going 13-2 SU in their last 15 home dates with the Canadian outfit. However, Toronto have held the edge, going 3-2 ATS in their last five visits to Big D.
Pelicans need Magic win
New Orleans Pelicans entered the new NBA season with much promise, but enter Tuesday night’s action still searching for their first win of the season.
The Pelicans will once again have their hands full, taking on the feisty Orlando Magic as 3.5-point home favourites in A. New Orleans struggled with defense during the first week of the season, surrendering 119 PPG in three defeats, including a pair of losses to Golden State Warriors, falling by an average margin of 16 points per game.
The Magic are also searching for their first SU win, but have been perfect at Coral’s online sportsbook, easily covering in each of their three games, including a heartbreaking last-second loss to the Washington Wizards, and a double-overtime loss to Oklahoma City Thunder.
Warriors and Clippers collide
Golden State’s explosive start has yet to boost their NBA Championship odds at Coral. At 4/1, the defending champs continue to trail Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, who sit at 5/2 and 7/2, respectively.
Both the Cavs and Spurs sit with strong 3-1 SU records following the first week of the NBA regular season, but Golden State have struck fear into the rest of the NBA with four lopsided wins, outscoring opponents by 100 total points over their first four contests.
However, the Warriors will face their toughest challenge so far when they play host to Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, who currently join GSW as the NBA’s only other 4-0 squad.
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