The NBA and NHL continue to ramp up as we move through the year’s first half. With a few big games scheduled, let’s look at how we think three matches will play out.

Denver Nuggets (-2.5) over Oklahoma City Thunder

Nikola Jokic is off the injury report and back in action for the Denver Nuggets. However, two other players have been ruled out for this game. Both Jeff Green and Ish Smith won’t be taking the court this evening. That shouldn’t be much of a problem, however, since Jokic is back. They’re coming off a tough loss to the Pistons and will look to bounce back tonight.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a 7-10 record this season and are 4-4 at home. Leading the team is Shae Gilegeous-Alexander, who averages 31.1 points per game. The problem that we see for the Thunder is they don’t have anyone to stop Jokic. Take the Nuggets at -2.5 over the Thunder tonight.

Dallas Stars (-303) over Chicago Blackhawks

This season hasn’t started well for the Chicago Blackhawks. At the moment, they have a 6-9-3 record and are 2-4-2 on the road. Over their last five games, the Blackhawks have lost four in a row. They average just 2.44 goals per game and are rated as one of the worst offenses in the league. It doesn’t help that their defense is giving up 3.39 goals per game this season.

The Dallas Stars are 11-5-3 with a 5-2-1 record at home. In our opinion, this one is a pretty clear-cut pick. The Colorado Avalanche did find a way to beat them a few days ago though. Averaging 3.84 goals per game, the Stars are our pick to win this game at home. We’d also recommend taking the under in this one.

LA Clippers (+8.5) over Golden State Warriors

The Los Angeles Clippers are in a very unfortunate position heading into this game. Sure, they’re coming off a 121-114 win over the Utah Jazz but the injury bug has struck. Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been ruled out for tonight’s game. However, you have to keep in mind that they’ve won their last three games this season.

Although the Warriors are a good team, they just lost 128-83 to the New Orleans Pelicans. They’ve gone 3-2 over their last five games but have a 7-1 record at home. Although we think the Warriors will win this game, we’ll take the Clippers to cover the spread.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.