Weekend NBA Preview – Bobcats vs. Thunder and Mavericks vs. Nuggets

Christmas Day may be the NBA’s showcase schedule, but NBA betting has a ton of games to choose from this weekend. Here’s a look at the most intriguing matchups on the board:

Charlotte Bobcats at Oklahoma City Thunder

The NBA’s two most recent franchises face off Saturday in Oklahoma City. The Bobcats are one of the most athletic teams in the league, sparking a hard-nosed defense which is allowing just 92 points per game. However, on offense, Charlotte has struggled to keep pace without a true go-to scorer.

Do-it-all forward Gerald Wallace is the closest thing the Bobcats have to a proven scorer, but he’s been dealing with chronic headaches in the past week. He missed last weekend’s game against the Knicks but rebounded with a 29-point, 14-rebound performance in a win over Detroit on Tuesday.

The Thunder are also struggling to put the ball in the basket, ranking 22nd in scoring in the NBA. Oklahoma City is averaging 97 points a night but, unlike Charlotte, have an elite scorer in Kevin Durant. The versatile forward netted 30 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the week and will be coming off a tough matchup with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

The Thunder bolstered their backcourt in a trade with the Utah Jazz this week. Oklahoma City added injured veteran guard Matt Harpring and talented rookie Eric Maynor. He’ll join OKC’s promising backcourt of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Thabo Sefolosha.

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Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets

These Western Conference foes highlight Sunday’s schedule. The Nuggets split home and away contests this week, posting a profitable 8-5 mark against the NBA pointspread inside the Pepsi Center. Denver dropped back-to-back games earlier in the week with starting point guard Chauncey Billups out with a groin injury. His status is up in the air heading into the weekend.

Without Billups, the Nuggets will turn to rookie point guard Ty Lawson. The speedy guard out of North Carolina has performed well in a backup role. Lawson is averaging eight points and 3.4 assists per game. Veteran Anthony Carter will also split time at the point if Billups is ruled out.

The Mavericks got a scare this week when All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki missed time with a cut on his elbow. The sharp-shooting German was back in action Tuesday, scoring 27 points in a loss to the Trail Blazers.

Dallas has been a gold mine on the road this year, posting a 10-4 mark against the spread. The Mavericks host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday before making the trip to the Mile High City. That game starts a four-game road swing for the Mavs, who play five of their upcoming six contests away from home.