NBA Thursday Preview

There are three exciting games set for Thursday's NBA betting board. With limited action on tap, basketball bettors must be extra sharp to find the edge during this light schedule. Here's a quick look at all three games:

Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards

The Hawks tumble into Thursday's contest, losing the first two games of this three-game road trip. Atlanta hit a new low with a 99-98 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday, failing to cover the NBA pointspread as a 7-point road favorite. The Hawks must swallow their pride after those two tough losses, coughing up a 12-point lead to the Miami Heat on Saturday and missing two last-second game winners against the Knicks.

The Wizards are also dealing with a losing skid, dropping four straight games heading into Thursday. Washington has had trouble finding the bottom of the basket in recent games, scoring just 83 points a night during this slump and failing to cover in all but one of those contests. Center Andray Blatche and reserve forward Nick Young are leading the lackluster scoring charge, averaging 11.6 and 7.2 points per game respectively.

Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic

The Bulls have been bitten hard by the injury bug this season. Chicago is still reeling from the loss of forward Joakim Noah and now might be without Taj Gibson, Brad Miller, and Luol Deng for Thursday's game against the Magic. All three players missed practice Wednesday and coach Vinny Del Negro isn't sure if his three starters will be able to play or not. The Bulls have dropped five games in a row heading into Thursday.

Orlando maintains its high level of play, picking up its sixth straight win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. The Magic have gotten a lift from veteran point guard Jameer Nelson, who is averaging more than 16 points in the team's past 10 games. Orlando is 8-2 in that span and has covered the NBA pointspreads in six of those outings.

Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors

The Blazers are tightening their grip on a postseason spot with four wins in their past five games. Portland currently sits in the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference heading into Thursday night. The Trail Blazers have been a solid bet on the road this season, going 20-12 against the NBA pointspreads in opposing arenas. However, they have failed to cover in their past two games.

Golden State is weak up front with injuries to key forwards Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf. That leaves the Warriors to lean on rookie center Chris Hunter and a smaller lineup with Anthony Morrow and Corey Maggette on the wings. Golden State is already the worst rebounding team in the league and won't be able to keep the Blazers' big men out of the paint for second-chance buckets Thursday night.