There are now only five days of NBA regular season action to go before the playoffs begin! Here, we take a look at the upcoming Tuesday slate, where there are some very juicy matchups among the five games. As usual, we have a full preview and betting tips for some of our favourite plays below!
We’ll be bringing you frequent previews and betting tips for the rest of the NBA regular season, as well as the playoffs! Make sure you continue to check out our dedicated NBA Betting Tips page for regular updates.
NBA Betting Tips Tuesday 11th August
OKC Thunder vs Phoenix Suns
4.40am (AEST)
The Thunder are 3-2 in the bubble and are coming off an easy 121-103 win against the Wizards on Monday. They opted to rest a couple of their key players in the Monday game and with the quick backup on Tuesday; you can expect some similar rotational changes.
The Suns have been the surprise packet of the restart and come into this with a 5-0 record in Orlando. They’re the only undefeated team since play resumed and are playing with an unparalleled sense of urgency. Phoenix still has it all to do if they’re to push for the 8 seed, but they’re certainly on the right track.
We mentioned it above – we expect OKC to field a starting unit that is far from their full strength. They have little to gain in the standings and are easing their guys back into basketball shape. On the other hand, every game is a must-win for the Suns at the moment, so we expect them to be the more desperate team here. Suns at the line looks really solid value to kick off your Tuesday morning.
Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat
10.10am (AEST)
The Pacers have hit the ground running in the bubble and have saluted in four of their five games to date. TJ Warren has been the name on everyone’s lips and for good reason. He’s put up 32+ points in all four of their wins, including a career-high 53 point performance against the 76ers.
Miami have had to deal with a couple of injury concerns to key players in Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic, but the word is they’ll be good to go come playoffs. The rest of their squad has done a fairly good job in their absence to get them 2/5 wins so far.
This should be a great battle and perhaps preview for a playoff series in a couple of weeks. No one is quite sure what type of starting five Miami will roll out in this one, which can make it tricky for predictions; however, the Pacers have been taking care of business and have a couple of guys shooting the absolute lights out at the moment, so they look the value here.
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers
6.10am (AEST)
The Nuggets are yet to really see what their full strength looks like post-hiatus, but they’ve still been able to churn out three wins from five games. One huge positive has been the play of second year guy Michael Porter Jr who has been putting up huge numbers in Jamal Murray’s absence.
The Lakers have also rotated their squad frequented in the bubble and are yet to hit top gear, which was to be expected. They’re the clear 1 seed in the West and will continue to rest their players so they’re fresh and ready to fire in the playoffs.
Defence hasn’t been a high priority for either of these teams in the playoffs. The Nuggets last five games have all seen 230+ points, while the Lakers have given up 105+ points in each of their five games. It’s hard to predict a winner her, but we expect it to be a free-flowing affair with plenty of buckets.
