Trent Reinsmith
The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors entered Week 9 of the NBA season as the top two teams in the league. They will head into Week 10 of the season in the same spot. But how the teams end the week might depend on who wins the third matchup between the two clubs, which takes place on Christmas Day in Phoenix.
Before we break down the game between Phoenix and Golden State and the other best matchups of Week 10 of the NBA schedule, check out the best NBA betting sites and our betting guide for the 2022 NBA Finals.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Utah Jazz
- Date & Location: Monday, December 20 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, UT
- Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ATTSN-RM, BSSE-CHA, NBA League Pass
The Utah Jazz are mired in their third two-game losing skid of the season. The Jazz lost back-to-back games to the San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards on Friday and Saturday. Those losses were by a combined eight points. Utah has not lost three straight games this season. The two-game skid ended an eight-game winning streak for the Jazz.
I don’t expect Utah to drop three games in a row even though the Hornets got LaMelo Ball back on the court late last week after six games on the sidelines.
Pick Utah to win.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks
- Date & Location: Tuesday, December 21 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Bally Sports-SW-DAL, Bally Sports North NBA League Pass
The Minnesota Timberwolves had a rough first 10 days of December. Minnesota went 0-5 over that stretch, but rebounded with three straight victories during Week 9 of the NBA season, including a 110-92 win over the LA Lakers and a 124-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets. The team will have a great deal of momentum when it meets the Dallas Mavericks in a home-and-home on Sunday and Tuesday.
Like the Timberwolves, the Mavericks have had their difficulties in December. The club is 4-5 heading into Sunday’s matchup in Minnesota.
Pick Minnesota to win.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Sacramento Kings
- Date & Location: Wednesday, December 22 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Bally Sports-SW-DAL, Bally Sports North, NBA League Pass
The Sacramento Kings have gone 1-4 since December 10. The Los Angeles Clippers are 2-2 during that same timeframe. Both teams have seen players enter the NBA COVID-19 protocols over the past week and when you couple that with the way the Kings have faltered as of late, I would say the Clippers, who have the better record (16-14 to 12-18) are the pick in this matchup.
Pick Los Angeles to win.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- Date & Location: Thursday, December 23 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Spectrum SportsNet, KENS, NBA League Pass
The Los Angeles Lakers have not been consistent this season. The team’s longest winning streak is three games, which they have only accomplished twice. Last week the club lost Anthony Davis, who leads the team in most offensive categories, to an MCL sprain. That’s bad news.
The San Antonio Spurs have not played well this season either. San Antonio’s best run was a single four-game winning streak in late November into early December.
The positive for San Antonio is that the team got a win over the highly ranked Utah Jazz in Week 9 and that could be a confidence builder.
Pick San Antonio to win.
Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns
- Date & Location: Saturday, December 25 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
- Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ABC
The third meeting between the two best teams in the NBA takes place on Christmas day as the Golden State Warriors who have the second best record in the NBA travel to Phoenix to meet the Suns, who sit atop the league standings.
These teams split their first two meetings. Phoenix won at home 104-96 on November 30 and Golden State won their home game 118-96 on December 3. Expect this third matchup to be an exciting one, but go with the home team in this one.
Pick Phoenix to win.
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