Always tough at the start of an NBA season to tip winners so we can’t blame our good friend SmitsTips for hitting on just 1/3 bets on Wednesday. We’ll look to improve on that as we preview some of the key games in the NBA this Saturday, the 21st of October including an exciting ESPN double header.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks (10am AEST ESPN)
Both the Bucks and the Cavs opened their seasons with wins over the Boston Celtics but Milwaukee will get their home opener in a massive game against Cleveland here. Star SF Giannis Antetokounmpo was huge in the Bucks season opener, scoring 37 points and adding 13 rebounds in the 108-100 win. Giannis is a massive chance for MVP this season and is arguably one of the best foils on defence for LeBron James, he also has some quality role players around him in the likes of Khris Middleton, John Henson, Malcolm Brogdon and Greg Monroe.
The one issue that I think could be their downfall against Cleveland is their depth. After the Bucks starting five, their talent gets a little thin. Cleveland on the other hand play all the way down to their last man which was huge for them in their first game against the Celtics. Their role players in Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder, JR Smith and Jeff Green all played valuable minutes on Wednesday to help guide them to a 3 point win.
Tough game to call here especially in Milwaukee where the Bucks usually play so well. Chance for a Giannis coming out party on national tv against LeBron here but we think the Cavs just have too much depth and experience, and judging by their opening game it looks like LeBron is on a mission.
TIP: Cleveland Cavaliers -2 - $1.91 at Sportsbet
Golden State Warriors at New Orleans Pelicans (12.30pm AEST ESPN)
The second game of the ESPN double header sees Golden State facing off against the Pelicans in New Orleans. The Warriors went down to Houston in their season opener as a last second shot by Kevin Durant to win the game was waved off. Draymond Green suffered an injury in the game and is listed as probable for Saturday’s clash against the Pels.
He’ll be crucial in defending the twin towers of New Orleans in Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins who combined for 61 points and 28 rebounds in the Pelicans loss to Memphis on Wednesday. The Pelicans lack a quality guard with the ability to both defend and score as Jrue Holiday was disappointing on Wednesday with just 4 points.
The Davis/Cousins experiment was always going to be a massive risk and to this point it’s been more hit than miss. The Warriors might have went down in their first game but they still put up a mammoth 121 points in the loss and should have way too much scoring power for the Pelicans here.
TIP: Golden State Warriors -8 - $1.91 at Ladbrokes
Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers (10am AEST)
The Celtics have had a really rough start to the season. Not only have they had to play two of the better teams in the East in Cleveland and Milwaukee, but in the opening minutes of their first game, star recruit Gordon Hayward was lost for the entire season after suffering a broken leg.
It puts a massive damper on the Celtics season which showed so much promise leading into the year after some great off season moves. Although they went down by five points to the Wizards, the 76ers looked great in their opening game, with debutant Ben Simmons and young gun Joel Embiid both having great games. Embiid is still on a minutes restriction which could hinder the 76ers ability to stay competitive through the middle of games.
Boston can’t afford to slip to 0-3 here. It’s a long season but if they still have any aspirations of making the playoffs without Gordon Hayward then they’ll need to figure out how their offence is going to run without him. Kyrie Irving only had 17 points against the Bucks on Thursday but put up 25 shots, don’t expect him to be cold for too long. If he’s putting up that amount of shots with Hayward out of the line-up then we expect him to be big here.
TIP: Kyrie Irving OVER 25.5 points - $1.80 at Sportsbet
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