I like the Grizzlies as underdogs here, currently getting 5 points against Utah. With the overwhelming majority of money coming in on the Jazz, this could easily increase before tip-off.

Despite their poor record in the seeding games thus far, Memphis should still be as motivated as anyone to win here.

They’re just 1.5 games up on Portland for the 8 seed, which they should really covet.

The Jaren Jackson injury is a major blow, but that’s why they’re getting so many points here on a neutral court.

I think Brandon Clarke is a reasonable facsimile for Jackson and shouldn’t have much trouble against Utah’s Power Forwards.

The Jazz don’t really have much to play for in this one. They appear locked into the malaise of rather even teams currently occupying the 3-6 spots.

As such, I don’t expect them to go all out for a win here, potentially testing new lineups for the playoffs.

While I like their starting five, I’ve got very limited confidence in their bench, which has essentially zero consistent options.

With 3 straight losses and an injury to one of their key players, I think Memphis’ value is at its nadir in the market.

This appears to be a good time to get on and back them through the key number of 5.

No team has had more confusing lines through the first few games of the bubble than the Denver Nuggets.

They won outright as 5-point underdogs against OKC last time out, and are now strong 5.5-point favourites against San Antonio.

I think the Spurs are very live underdogs here and should at least keep this one competitive.

They’ve got a big motivational edge here, playing for a shot at the playoffs, while Denver are essentially locked into the #3-6 malaise.

The Nuggets still have a bevy of injuries on the perimeter, with starting wings Gary Harris and Will Barton already ruled out.

Point Guard Jamal Murray is questionable here, but I’d expect him to be very limited if he does play.

This doesn’t exactly bode well for Denver against a Spurs side that has several talented young guards.

They’re playing an exciting and attacking style of ball and are firmly in contention for the play-in tournament.

They’ve got no hope of guarding Jokic here, but we’re getting great value with 5.5 points considering their other advantages.

This line could easily change before tip-off depending on Murray’s status, but I like the 5.5 while you can get it.

I’ve got a slight lean towards Phoenix here, currently listed as 9-point underdogs.

The Suns have been very competitive in these seeding games, comfortably beating Washington and upsetting Dallas.

They’re very much in the hunt for the #9 spot and should be the more motivated team here.

They also appear to be playing much more cohesively of late, with their starting lineup looking particularly dangerous.

Compare that to a Clippers side that looks essentially locked into the #2 seed and doesn’t have a lot to play for.

They’re a mercurial side at the best of times and I don’t really see them getting up for an early afternoon game against Phoenix.

With both Lou and Trez expected to miss this one, their bench continues to look fairly weak and could get outplayed by a strong Suns second unit.

After a big win over New Orleans, I think they’re still a little overvalued in the market.

With 70% of punters on the Clippers at 9, this line could definitely move before tip-off.

I’m expecting a relatively close affair here, with Phoenix able to keep it to single digits.

I’m opting for another underdog here in game 2, this time taking Portland plus 5 points.

The Blazers should be one of the more motivated teams throughout the seeding games and I expect to back them often.

They’ve covered in both of their games so far and are in the driver’s seat to earn the #9 spot.

Houston have looked very good since the return to play, notching wins against both Dallas and Milwaukee.

That said, they’ve played their starters a lot of minutes and I can see these results overvaluing them in the market.

They don’t really have too much to play for here, currently locked in the malaise of teams from #3-6.

With no home court to play for, I’m not sure we see their absolute best effort here, which Portland should be providing.

There are definite matchup advantages here that Portland can exploit.

First and foremost, I can’t see the Houston backcourt stopping Dame and CJ.

The return of Collins and Nurkic also gives Portland a strong interior that could bully Houston on the inside.

Houston definitely have a strong advantage on the wing, but that’s why we’re getting 5 points on a neutral court.

I expect Portland to keep this one very close, with the 5-point handicap potentially proving invaluable late on.

This isn’t a hugely strong play, but I lean to the Heat here, currently getting 2.5 points.

Toronto already seem very entrenched into the #2 spot out East and they won’t have the same urgency as Miami here.

They also had a huge win over the Lakers on Sunday, in what was a primetime game on national tv.

This game doesn’t have the same vibe to it and is the prime recipe for a letdown spot.

Miami also match up fairly well with this Toronto side, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

They have a bevy of wings that they can throw on Siakam and an excellent closing 5 to play during crunch time.

I think they’re also hugely motivated to win here, cementing themselves in the top 4 and potentially climbing to 3.

2.5 points is solid value, but look to see if you can get 3 closer to tip-off.

While they haven’t started well in the bubble, I’m taking the Pelicans -3.5 points here.

They absolutely need to win this game and you could argue that their season rides on it.

They’ve had two games to settle in and should realistically be amping up the minutes for their better players.

This is especially true for Zion, who’s looked good so far in very limited action.

I also like the fact that New Orleans has the rest advantage here.

Memphis are on a back-to-back in this one and I’m interested to see how they play out in the bubble.

The Grizzlies are also 0-2 in their seeding games, but appear resigned to facing a play-in tournament.

Memphis’ 2^nd unit has really struggled in the absence of Jones and Winslow and this is an area where New Orleans excel.

If the starters can do their job, I like bench pieces like Redick, Jackson, and Hart to push the advantage.

3.5 points is a bit of a premium, but that’s what you get with the huge motivational mismatch.

I like the Grizzlies in this one, currently laying 3.5 points against San Antonio.

The Kings were similar priced favourites over the Spurs in their last game and I think Memphis is a much better side.

Memphis also has a huge matchup advantage on the interior, with Jakob Poeltl the Spurs only capable big.

The Grizzlies have a very capable frontcourt and I can see Jaren Jackson, Brandon Clarke, and Valanciunas going off here.

Sacramento scored on the interior against the Spurs with ease and Memphis are equipped to do an even better job.

San Antonio are also facing a myriad of injuries in the backcourt, with Forbes, Belinelli, and Mills unlikely to feature.

I would also peg Memphis as the more motivated side here, desperate to extend their lead over the #9 seed and avoid a play in.

Combine the depth and talent advantage and 3.5 points is pretty cheap for Memphis in this one.

I like the Magic to win and cover here, currently laying 2.5 points against Sacramento.

The Kings have had a very disjointed start to the bubble and I think they’re just making up the numbers at this point.

Compare that to an Orlando side that hasn’t been too disrupted and has a ton still to play for.

They want to lock up an all-important playoff spot in the East and ideally stay in the #7 spot to avoid Milwaukee in round 1.

While the Orlando offence looked red-hot against Brooklyn, the Kings struggled against a pedestrian Spurs side.

The Kings are also down a few important interior pieces in Bagley and Len, making it more difficult to match up with a strong Magic frontcourt.

Combine that with the unceremonious firing of fan-favourite commentator Grant Napear and is there even a reason to watch this Kings team anymore?

Give me the Magic laying a relatively modest 2.5 points here.

The Nuggets enter these seeding games in one of the more precarious situations in the NBA.

They’ve had several players test positive for COVID and have had a very disjointed ‘pre-season’.

They aren’t exactly a deep team after some of their in-season trades and they’ll be without some of their better players here.

Gary Harris and Will Barton have already been ruled out, with Jamal Murray questionable due to hamstring tightness.

Contrast this with a Heat side that appears to have everyone fit and ready to go for this clash.

I think Bam Adebayo is a capable defender on Jokic, with Miami’s deep and versatile wings likely to contain the Nuggets here.

They’ve also got a big advantage in the coaching department, which should prove huge after a long layoff.

Combine that with a deeper and more versatile rotation and I expect them to cover a narrow 1-point spread here.

While Utah started out with a solid win against New Orleans, I don’t expect their winning form to continue here.

I didn’t think they were especially good in that game and they were heavily reliant on the inconsistent Jordan Clarkson.

They also struggled immensely when Gobert was off the floor, which OKC is more equipped to take advantage on.

While I think their starting five is solid, there’s not a single player on that bench that I trust to produce consistently.

OKC has a starting five that is arguably just as good, with solid bench players like Schroder, Nerlens, and Roberson to round things out.

I particularly like their 3-guard lineup, which looks like it could give Utah defensive problems.

They’ve also got a ton of motivation here, with a real chance to move into a more favourable 4-5 matchup with a win.

Should the game get close late, I like their chances in the free throw game with CP3 and SGA to close.

The Raptors look like great value here, currently getting 4 points.

While the Lakers got the job done against the Clippers, I didn’t think they were especially impressive.

It took a lot of things going right for them against a depleted side for them to barely win and not even cover the spread.

Having essentially sewn up the #1 seed in the West, I wonder how motivated they’ll be the rest of the way.

The Raptors have been practicing longer than any team in the NBA and will likely see this as the perfect chance to make a statement.

Coaching should prove huge in the early part of the bubble and the Raptors possess the best coach in the NBA in Nick Nurse.

They’ve also got an incredibly deep rotation, one which should help them get back up to speed without tiring guys out.

Their defense is second to none and they’ve got several options that can credibly guard LeBron.

Their rotation is also as strong as it can be after recovering from injuries, while LA are bedding in a number of new players.

I think they can definitely win this game outright, but I’ll gladly take the +4 currently on offer.

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.

I like Utah here in the first seeding game, currently getting 2.5 points.

The Pelicans put in a decent stretch before the lockdown, but I think it’s led to them becoming overrated in the market.

Despite a solid season of their own, Utah appear to have become undervalued by the market.

I think the loss of Bogdanovic has been overstated for Utah, who can still put some very strong lineups out there.

The media has been talking them down for the last few months and this is the perfect opportunity for them to make a statement.

We’re also unsure of the status of Zion Williamson here, who only just re-joined the bubble and has done some light practice.

I think it’ll take a while for him to get back up to speed and Gobert could have his way with him here.

Especially in a neutral environment, I’ll take what I consider to be the more talented and better-coached team getting 2.5 points.

While no line is currently up for this game, I like the spot for OKC here. Utah have really fallen off of late, covering only twice in their last 10 games.

OKC have been solid both home and away this season, compiling a 20-13 record in front of their home fans. Their recent form has been particularly inspiring, winning 8 of their last 10 games straight up.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander is expected to play here, meaning they’ll have no key injuries to report. They’ve also had a full 2 days of rest in the leadup to this clash, giving them a much-needed rest advantage.

I’d anticipate this line to come out around even, at which point the Thunder are very good value. They’ll be playing very hard for seeding here and I think they’ve got a great shot of taking this one outright.

This is another intriguing battle between two sides with identical records thus far. Although the Kings have been slightly better of late, New Orleans’ greater top-end talent makes me think they win this one.

The Kings just haven’t had a good home court advantage this season, going 14-17 straight up and 12-17-2 ATS. New Orleans have a better road record than they do at home, which has only improved since the return of Zion.

JJ Redick remains the only key injury for the Pelicans, while Sacramento are dealing with a myriad of frontcourt injuries to Holmes, Bagley, and Parker. This should allow Zion to feast and he could easily prove to be the difference here.

I also like the defensive matchup for New Orleans, with Jrue Holiday more than capable of containing De’Aaron Fox. In another game that should have a relatively even line, I’ll take New Orleans for the straight up win.

Portland are laying 4.5 points here against Phoenix and I really like the revenge angle for them. They were soundly beaten by Phoenix this past weekend and I can see them settling that score here.

First and foremost, Portland has a pretty strong advantage on the perimeter. Phoenix just don’t have the bodies to guard Dame and CJ, which could lead to a high-scoring game.

I’d also expect the Blazers to have a much better plan to guard Aron Baynes this time, who inexplicably went off for 37 and 16 in their last matchup. Portland still tend to perform much better at home, compiling a 17-14 record thus far.

In the midst of a 6-game home stand, this is the stretch that likely makes or breaks their season. I think they get back on track with a win here and that they cover the 4.5-point line the majority of the time.

The Clippers are laying 10.5 points away at Golden State and I’d expect this to be a relatively comfortable victory. This play is predicated on the absences of both Steph and Draymond, which look quite likely.

LA have performed well after a loss this season and they took a high-profile loss to their cross-town rivals last time out. They match up incredibly well with Golden State here, especially against their decimated wings.

The Warriors have a historically bad home record this season, having gone just 8-25 straight up. This is the Clippers only game until the weekend, so I can’t see injuries or fatigue really affecting them here.

With the players Golden State will be suiting up here, we’ve got a matchup between arguably the most and least talented teams in the NBA. I think the Clippers control this one from start to finish, comfortably covering the 10.5-point line in the process.