What to Watch for in NBA Week 19

With the all-star break in the rearview, the NBA season is really starting to heat up. Here’s a look at some of the key storylines to watch for in Week 19.

top games of the week

This week in the NBA includes some can’t-miss matchups. On Tuesday, the Houston Rockets will take on the Golden State Warriors This will be a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, which the Warriors won in seven games. The Rockets will be looking to prove that they are a legitimate title contender this year. On Thursday, the Boston Celtics will travel to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers These two teams have been the top two teams in the Eastern Conference all season, and this will be their fourth and final meeting of the season. The Celtics have won two of the three previous meetings, but the Cavaliers will be looking to even the series.

Players to watch

With the All-Star break behind us, the NBA season is in Full Swing once again. After a week of action, there are a few players who have emerged as must-see TV. Here are three players to keep an eye on in Week 19 of the NBA season

Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves
Butler has been on a tear lately, averaging 28.2 points, 5.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game over his last ten games. He’s also shooting an impressive 50.5 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range over that stretch. The Timberwolves have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA this season and Butler has been a big reason why. Catch him in action this week against the Toronto Raptors Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
James is always must-see TV, but he’s especially worth watching this week as he looks to lead the Cavaliers to a Win Streak after losing eight of their last eleven games. James has averaged 27.7 points, 8.0 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game over his last ten games and will be looking to keep things going against the Indiana Pacers Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets this week.

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
Walker has been on fire lately, averaging 30 points per game over his last five contests while shooting an impressive 52 percent from the field and 46 percent from three-point range. The Hornets have won four of their last five games and will be looking to continue their momentum this week against the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics

Storylines to follow

With the All-Star game in the rearview mirror, the NBA season is entering its final stretch. The playoff race is heating up and there are plenty of storylines to follow in Week 19. Here are a few things to keep an eye on:

The Golden State Warriors are still the team to beat in the Western Conference but they will have their hands full this week with games against the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. Both of those teams are right behind the Warriors in the standings and they will be looking to make a statement.

In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to struggle without Lebron James They have lost four out of their last five games and they are now just 3-7 since he went down with an injury. The Cavs will try to get back on track this week with games against the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets

The Boston Celtics are also dealing with some injuries, but they have been able to stay afloat thanks to strong play from their bench players The Celtics will face two tough teams this week in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder so we will see if their depth can continue to carry them.

Finally, keep an eye on the playoff races in both conferences. There are a number of teams separation by just a few games, so every game is important at this point in the season.

Can’t-miss moments

The NBA regular season is winding down, and there are only a few weeks left before the playoffs begin. Here are some can’t-miss moments from Week 19 of the NBA season

Monday, March 18:
-The Houston Rockets take on the Minnesota Timberwolves This could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup.
-The Los Angeles Clippers face off against the Denver Nuggets The Clippers are trying to hold onto the fourth seed in the Western Conference while the Nuggets are fighting for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Tuesday, March 19:
-The Boston Celtics take on the Toronto Raptors This is a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals which the Raptors won in seven games.
-The Houston Rockets take on the Golden State Warriors The Rockets are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, and they’ll be looking to make a statement against the two-time defending champions.

Wednesday, March 20:
-The Milwaukee Bucks take on the Philadelphia 76ers. These two teams are vying for first place in the Eastern Conference standings.
-The Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Portland Trail Blazers The Trail Blazers are fighting for their playoff lives, and they’ll need to get a win against one of the best teams in the West to keep their hopes alive.

Thursday, March 21:
-The Houston Rockets take on the Minnesota Timberwolves This could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup. -The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Los Angeles Clippers These two teams met earlier this season with neither team getting a victory. It’ll be interesting to see how they fare against each other with both teams being near full strength now.

Predictions

The penultimate week of the NBA season is upon us and there are still plenty of things to be decided. Here are our predictions for what to watch out for in Week 19:

The Miami Heat are on the brink of clinching the Southeast Division title and they will look to continue their push towards the playoffs when they take on the Indiana Pacers who are currently clinging onto the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference

In the West, the Golden State Warriors are still trying to secure the top seed in the conference and they will have a tough test ahead of them when they take on the Houston Rockets who are just half a game behind them in the standings.

The San Antonio Spurs are also in contention for a top seed in the West and they will take on the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder who are currently second in the conference. This should be a great matchup between two of the best teams in the NBA.

Finally, we have a clash between two teams fighting for their playoff lives as the Denver Nuggets take on the Minnesota Timberwolves The winner of this game will move up to eighth place in the West while the loser will drop down to ninth.

Best bets

The penultimate week of the NBA season is here, and with most teams having just four games on their schedules, it’s a shortened week. That said, there are still plenty of betting opportunities to be had. Here are our best bets for Week 19 of the NBA season

The first game of the week is a matchup between two playoff contenders, as the Houston Rockets visit the Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference while the Rockets are in fifth. Both teams are battling for better positioning in the playoffs, and this should be a great game The Lakers are currently favored by 3.5 points, and we like them to cover that spread.

Another great game to bet on this week is the match up between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets The Blazers are currently third in the West, while the Nuggets are second. This game could have huge implications for playoff seeding, and we think it will be a close one. The Nuggets are currently favored by 1.5 points, and we like them to win by at least three points.

Finally, we really like the Boston Celtics to beat the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. The Celtics are currently second in the East, while the Heat are fifth. The Heat have been playing well lately, but we think the Celtics will be too much for them in this one. The Celtics are favored by 5.5 points, and we think they’ll win by at least seven points

Fantasy advice

With just a few weeks left in the NBA regular season every game takes on new meaning as teams jockey for playoff positioning. For fantasy basketball owners, this is the time of year when every stat matters. Here are a few things to keep an eye on in Week 19 of the NBA season

1. Injuries: With the postseason looming, many teams will be resting players who are nursing injuries. Be sure to check the injury reports before setting your lineup each week.

2. Matchups: Some teams have nothing to play for at this point in the season, while others are fighting for their playoff lives. Keep an eye on which teams re Playing well and which ones are struggling as you set your lineup each week.

3. Stats: As the season winds down, pay close attention to your players’ statistical production. This is the time of year when even the slightest uptick in statistics can make a big difference in your fantasy standings.

Injuries to monitor

The second half of the NBA Season is in full swing and there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on. Here are four things to watch for in Week 19:

Injuries to monitor: The health of some of the league’s biggest stars will be a major story line in the second half of the season. Kawhi Leonard (load management), Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Anthony Davis (Achilles), Zion Williamson (knee) and Kemba Walker (neck) are all nursing injuries and their teams will be carefully monitoring their minutes.

Will the Warriors make a push for the playoffs?: After losing Kevin Durant to Free agency and Klay Thompson to injury, many wrote off the Warriors’ chances of making the playoffs But Steph Curry has been spectacular this season, leading Golden State to a 28-27 record and sixth place in the Western Conference With Thompson set to return next season, the Warriors could be a force to be reckoned with once again.

Can any team catch the Bucks?: Milwaukee has been the class of the NBA this season, boasting a league-best 45-7 record. The Bucks have a comfortable 7.5-game lead over second-place Toronto in the East and it looks like they’re on their way to securing homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

What will happen at the trade deadline?: The trade deadline is always one of the most exciting times of the year and this year should be no different.several big names, including Andre Drummond Bradley Beal Kevin Love and Jrue Holiday have been mentioned as potential trade targets It should be a busy few weeks leading up to Feb. 6.

DFS plays

Week 19 of the NBA season is here, and there are plenty of intriguing matchups on the slate. Here are some players to keep an eye on as you build your DFS lineup this week.

--James Harden Houston Rockets The reigning MVP is putting up video-game numbers lately, averaging 43.6 points, 8.8 assists and 6.8 rebounds over his last 10 games. He’s also hitting an absurd 42.2 percent of his three-pointers during that stretch. Oh, and he’s facing a Golden State Warriors team that has been extremely generous to opposing Shooting Guards all season long Harden is always expensive, but he’s worth every penny in this matchup.

--Trae Young Atlanta Hawks Young has been on a tear lately, averaging 28.8 points and 9.0 assists over his last eight games while shooting an impressive 46.2 percent from three-point range. He’s got a great matchup this week against a Sacramento Kings team that has been struggling to contain opposing point guards all season long.

-Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors Siakam has been one of the most improved players in the league this season and is coming off a career-best 44-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets last week. He’s got another solid matchup this week against a Philadelphia 76ers team that has struggled to defend power forwards all season long. Siakam is expensive but he should be worth every penny in this one.

Betting lines

When it comes to betting lines the most important thing to keep an eye on is the point spread The point spread is the number of points that the oddsmakers believe will separate the two teams when the final buzzer sounds. For example, if the Los Angeles Lakers are playing the Miami Heat and the point spread is 5.5, that means that oddsmakers believe that the Lakers will win by at least 5 points but no more than 7 points.