NBA ThanksgivingWith Americans spending time with their loved ones, eating turkey or planning on hitting the sales, Thanksgiving Thursday ensures that there is no NBA action to look forward to today. This will come as a blow to fans looking for some basketball betting action, but it is only one day, so there isn’t too long to wait for fans to get back into the swing of things.

The Hornets slipped to a home defeat by the Trail Blazers, the score finishing 97-105. The Warriors bagged a big win on the road, defeating the Magic by a score of 96-111. The Mavericks held firm at home to the Knicks, winning by 109-102. The Clippers were triumphant in Detroit, defeating the Pistons by a score of 98-104.

The 76ers suffered yet another defeat, the Nets winning in Philadelphia by a score of 91-99. The Cavaliers were dominant once again, defeating the Wizards by a score of 113-87. The Hawks scored plenty of points at home but they still lost out to the Raptors, that game ending 115-126 and the Thunder overcame the Jazz by a score of 97-82.

One of the teams that grabbed an away win was the Milwaukee Bucks, defeating the Timberwolves by a score of 86-103. That is a tremendous score line to grab on the road and the Bucks fans were definitely giving thanks to their team on Wednesday night.

Another team to win on the road were the Grizzlies, who gave the Lakers another terrible time in Los Angeles. The final score finished 93-99 and the turkey may taste a bit dry for the Lakers fans today.

The Spurs continued their improving form with a 106-100 win against the Pacers while the Rockets dismantled the Kings by a score of 102-89. There was also a win for the Suns who defeated the Nuggets by a score of 120-112.

While there is no NBA action on Thursday the 27th of November, there is nothing to stop us looking forward to Friday the 28th of November, so here are a couple of previews that will help to get your weekend basketball betting off to a flying start.

Chicago Bulls @ Boston Celtics

At certain times in NBA history, this would have been the match-up of the season with both of these teams having a glorious history, littered with success and some of the biggest names in basketball. Of course, this isn’t quite the case today as their records would indicate. The Bulls are sitting with a 9-6 record, albeit with a very impressive 7-3 record away from home, while the Celtics have a 4-8 record, which sadly contains a 2-5 record.

Chicago Bulls LogoWith so many players out injured, the Bulls have had to dig deep and the performance of Jimmy Butler, who grabbed a career high of 32 points, in the loss to the Nuggets would have been pleasing. If Butler can maintain this form until more of his team-mates are ready for action, the Bulls will stay in contention.

Given that the only game the Celtics have won in their last six came against the winless 76ers, this is a very bad time for the Boston side. Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger both picked up 19 points in the recent loss against Portland but there is a need for more players to step up.

The current form alone indicates that the away team is looking far stronger for this match and this is something that you should bear in mind. The spread bet means that there is always something of interest in any basketball game, and while the spread options haven’t yet been released for the game, you should be looking at the Bulls by a good few points. Both teams also have injury concerns to worry about going into this match. It is likely that Boston will be without Marcus Smart and James Young is being monitored on a daily basis. For the Bulls, it is believed that Pau Gasol and Kirk Hinrich will be out of this game. Chicago are also monitoring the fitness and availability of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson on a day to day basis.

Golden State Warriors @ Charlotte Hornets

Much like the Bulls and Celtics match, you would think that this game is one that the away team should be able to take care of quite convincingly. The Warriors hold a 12-2 record, including a 7-1 status on the road while the Hornets hold a 3-14 record, with a 3-5 record at home. If you are looking for contrasting fortunes both teams are on a streak of 7, the only difference being that the Warriors have won 7 games in a row while the Hornets have lost 7 matches in a row.

Golden State Warriors LogoThis means that you expect both teams to be on a streak of 8 before Saturday morning rolls around, and the issue may be how many points the Warriors win by. The spread betting odds are not yet available but depending on the value on offer, taking Golden State by a good few points is likely to provide a decent return.

The Warriors won by a score of 96-111 in Orlando with Stephen Curry being the leading scorer with 28 points. However, the Warriors had 7 players in double figures, so the points were being spread around on Wednesday. The Hornets have been on a losing streak which started the last time they faced the Warriors and they would love to stop the rot against the same team. Kemba Walker is the player the Hornets will be pinning their hopes on, but he has been misfiring in recent games.

Both teams have a number of injury concerns. The Warriors are likely to be without David Lee while Andrew Bogut and Leandro Barbosa are being monitored on a day to day basis. The Hornets are likely to be without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist while PJ Hairston and Gary Neal are causing some concern to the team.