Another day, another exciting slate of NBA action. 9 intriguing games from all over the country await us on this Tuesday card. This detailed preview will cover our 3 best bets of the day, as well as a big 5-fold daily multi.
Boston Celtics
The 2-1 Celtics return home after a narrow road victory over the Knicks on Sunday. Jayson Tatum led the way with an impressive 24 points and 14 rebounds in the absence of Gordon Hayward. Conversely, Point Guard Kyrie Irving has struggled mightily so far in his return from injury. He’s averaging just 14 points on 34% from the field and 14% from 3 in a truly dismal campaign. Buoyed by the return of Hayward today, I expect the strong Celtics starters and second unit to cruise to victory here.
Orlando Magic
The 1-2 Magic travel to Boston after a heart-breaking 1-point loss to the 76ers on Sunday. Center Nik Vucevic led the way with an efficient triple double. The Montenegrin big man put up an outstanding 27 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists on just 10-15 shooting, all the while being matched up against Joel Embiid. Shooting Guard Evan ‘Don’t Google Me’ Fournier added a strong 31 points, whilst Power Forward Aaron Gordon had a 20-point double-double. Travelling to Boston, Orlando will need an even better performance to have a chance in this one.
Prediction: Under 212.5
There’s been some good recent success with backing the under of the lowest total on the day’s slate. Despite a strong display on Sunday, the Magic offense has largely struggled this season. I expect the suffocating Celtics defence to contain them in a total that ends around 200.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves enter this one after a disappointing road loss to the Mavericks, where they allowed an obscene 140 points. Karl Anthony Towns continued his strong start to the season, notching 31 points and 5 rebounds in Jimmy Butler’s absence. Former MVP Derrick Rose showed what he is capable of, enjoying a well-rounded stat line of 28 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. It was defensively where the Wolves really blew this one. They allowed the Mavs to shoot 50% from the field and get up 50 3-point attempts in a 140-point onslaught. Against a Pacers team with a diverse offensive attack, this simply has to improve here.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers travel to Minnesota 2-1 after a resounding 20-point win over the Nets on Sunday. Shooting Guard Victor Oladipo led the way with 25 points and 7 rebounds, whilst the rest of the starting lineup each contributed double figures. The Pacers bench continues to be one of the strongest in the entire league, with 4 more players adding double digit scoring. Sometimes thought of as a flat track bully, the Pacers have proven they can handle the bottom teams in the NBA with ease. In what appears to be a difficult road trip, this game will give us a stronger insight into what Indiana is capable of in 2018/19.
Prediction: Pacers +3
For me, the Pacers are the better team here. The Timberwolves have started the season 1-2 against 3 teams who are unlikely to make the playoffs. They’ve been through a tough off-season off the court and I’m not sure they’ll be ready for the Pacers’ energy and versatility in this one. Indiana has every chance of winning this outright, but the 3 points makes this a strong play for me.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers enjoy their third straight home game here off the back of consecutive wins over the Lakers and Spurs. Point Guard Damian Lillard unsurprisingly led the way against San Antonio, dropping 29 points and 9 assists in a controlled performance. The Blazers had a great shooting night as a team, shooting over 53% from the field and an impressive 46% from three. Shooting Guard CJ McCollum has also gotten off to a fast start to the season, shooting 54% from deep on 6.5 attempts per game. As the most heavily backed team of the night, part of me feels as though the public is overvaluing Portland based on this two-game sample.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards travel to Portland off the back of consecutive home losses to the Heat and Raptors. Bradley Beal has started the season strongly, averaging 26 points and 4 assists on over 51% shooting from the field. Similarly, Point Guard John Wall has impressed since his return from injury, averaging 25.5 points and 7.5 assists on the campaign so far. This is where the bright spots for Washington start and end. The rest of the team has struggled immensely so far, and this isn’t helped by the absence of free-agent acquisition Dwight Howard. Nevertheless, the Wizards have been competitive in their opening 2 games and seem somewhat undervalued at this line.
Prediction: Wizards +5.5
I’m continuing with one of my favourite trends of betting against the most heavily bet team on the night. Through the key number of 5, I think there is strong line value on Washington in this one. These are two relatively evenly matched teams and I expect Wall and Beal to keep the Wizards close here. Sprinkling a bit extra on the Wizards moneyline at $2.65 is also a value play.
5-leg multis are never easy but this one does feature 5 double-digit home favourites. Any of these sides losing today would represent a big upset. These are all teams expected to compete for home court in their respective conferences and these are the games you can’t afford to lose in that position. Adding the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL at $1.50 is a great way to beef this price up further.