I like Portland here, currently laying 2.5 points to Memphis
Few teams have benefited more from the 4.5-month hiatus than the Blazers.
Not only did they get some of their better players back from injury, they also have a much better chance of making the playoffs through the play-in tournament.
That said, it is absolutely imperative that they get off to a positive start here.
A loss in this one would put them behind both Sacramento and New Orleans, while also increasing the gap between them and Memphis to over 4 games.
I’d argue they’ve got bigger stakes in their first game than any other team here and we should see a great effort as a result.
The returns of Nurkic and Collins will do wonders for their frontcourt, an area where they’ve struggled all season.
Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow are two big misses for Memphis, who’ve had a strong second unit.
I think teams with good coaching staffs should perform well out of the gate here and Portland definitely qualifies.
Should this game be close late, I also like their chances in the free-throw game with Dame and CJ on their side.
I like the underdog Celtics here, currently getting a rather generous 5.5 points.
They are the team with more motivation here, still battling for playoff seeding in a competitive East.
They also enter this clash exceptionally healthy, with no new rotation players expected to miss this one.
Contrast that with Milwaukee, who are down at least 3 rotation pieces in Eric Bledsoe, Pat Connaughton, and Marvin Williams.
I made the point earlier that teams with good coaches should start fast in this bubble.
This is definitely the case for the Celtics, who have one of the best coaches in the NBA in Brad Stevens.
I also think they match up rather well with Milwaukee, especially considering the abundance of capable wing players they have.
The Bucks don’t have any huge incentive to rush Giannis back and I wouldn’t expect more than 30 minutes from him here.
I’d also expect scores to be somewhat lower than they were prior to lockdown, which also places extra value on a generous 5.5-point spread.
Overall, I think Boston has a decent chance to win here, but will gladly take the 5.5-points currently on offer as insurance.