Los Angeles Lakers will look to return to winning ways against the struggling New York Knicks in order to strengthen their grip at the top of the Western Conference. The Lakers suffered a heavy defeat at the Boston Celtics last time out but will fancy their chances at Madison Square Garden.
The Los Angeles Lakers are sitting pretty at the top of the Western Conference but face a tough test tonight when they head to Boston. The Celtics are fourth in the East with only five home defeats and the Lakers are starting as only slight favourites.
San Francisco seem to be holding all the aces ahead of Sunday’s NFC Championship clash with Green Bay, having won 37-8 when these teams met here two months ago. However, the Packers have since secured six straight wins and have a wealth of play-offs experience, so this could be much closer.
The Eastern Conference leaders pit their wits against their third-placed rivals as the 2019-20 NBA season enters the second half of the campaign. Milwaukee Bucks sit seven games clear at the top of the table, with Miami Heat’s young stars their closest rivals and Boston Celtics not far behind.
Kansas City have a point to prove when entertaining Tennessee in Sunday’s AFC Championship game and are tipped to sparkle at Arrowhead Stadium. The Titans edged out the Chiefs 35-32 on home turf during the regular season and prevailed 22-21 in a wild-card clash here a couple of years ago.
Conor McGregor returns to the octagon after over 15 months on the sidelines when taking on Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 and sparks are set to fly. The Notorious will be determined to get back to winning ways after losing his grudge match with Khabib Nurmagomedov via a fourth-round submission.
Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets look pretty evenly matched heading into their showdown at American Airlines Center and a tight tussle is expected. The visitors have won two more matches than their opponents in assembling a 25-11 record, but that is largely down to their impressive home form.
Dallas superstar Luka Doncic will again be missing when Boston visit American Airlines Center but we still feel the Mavericks are a value pick at home. The Celtics are coming off back-to-back losses to Philadelphia and Indiana, which left their record on the road this season at a moderate 7-6.
There is a tasty tradition in the NBA world. Christmas time doesn’t merely mean Santa Claus, wrapped gifts, and tree decorations, but also clashes between the strongest competitors. In the land where spectacle reigns supreme, it’s not surprising to find the NBA offering special surprises to its fans.
Miami put their perfect home record to the test when hosting Western Conference leaders Los Angeles Lakers at the AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat have been imperious at this venue with their 11-0 record, but come up against a formidable LA side who have only tasted one defeat from 13 away matches.
Anthony Joshua has questions to answer in his rematch with Andy Ruiz but remains the best all-round boxer in the heavyweight division in our book. The manner of Joshua’s seventh-round defeat at Madison Square Garden had alarm bells ringing, yet he deserves the chance to put the record straight.
The West was impossible to win for a long while with Golden State winning the Conference Finals five years in a row. The new season though also signifies the end of the superteam era, paving the way for a new challenger to claim the throne in the West.
Boston will aim to continue their flawless home record when they host fellow high-flyers Denver in a highly-anticipated clash at TD Garden. The Celtics have seen off some of the bigger hitters already at this venue, defeating defending champions Toronto, Milwaukee and, most recently, Miami.
Punters have the rare chance to back the Los Angeles Lakers as underdogs when they face the Utah Jazz tonight. The Lakers have the joint-best record in the NBA this season and are comfortably leading the way in the Western Conference.