The 2020 NBA season restart continues on Saturday with a massive six game slate. The wonderful thing about the NBA bubble and the reduced number of teams in the competition means that every game is super important both for the teams looking to improve their seeding within the playoff picture as well as the teams fighting to force a play-in! We have a full preview and betting tips for the key games on Saturday, the 1st of August below.
We’ll be bringing you three articles a week for the rest of the regular season, which will span just 15 days before the playoffs get underway straight after! Make sure you continue to check out our dedicated NBA Betting Tips page for regular updates.
NBA Betting Tips Saturday 1st August
Memphis Grizzlies vs Portland Trail Blazers
6am (AEST)
There aren’t a lot of teams which would be grateful for the season being suspended but the Blazers might be one of them. They look primed to make a big move when the season restarts. The break gave their big men Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins time to recover and get back into the line-up, which strengthens what was already a really dangerous team.
They currently sit just 3.5 games behind the Grizzlies, so a win here will be massive if they wish to possible jump Memphis or at least force the two game play-in at the conclusion of the regular season.
This is without doubt the most important game of the day in terms of seedings and the playoff picture as a whole, and without having a lot to go off in terms of form, you have to say Portland have the stronger looking roster on paper here. Back them to win this one.
Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks
8.30am (AEST)
With a seven game lead over their nearest rivals in Toronto, and the Raptors having just eight games to play in the rest of the regular season, there is little chance that the Bucks will squander their No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They will likely be in cruise control to begin the restart and look to ramp things up and hit their peak at the right time later in August.
There is still plenty of room for movement for the Celtics, who sit three games behind the Raptors and 3.5 ahead of the heat. They’ll want to stay inside the top three to avoid the Bucks for as long as possible in the postseason, so look for them to have plenty of interest in these early games.
The Bucks start as 4.5 point favourites on Saturday morning, which is a little too much given their probable lack of interest in these opening games and the complete unknown circumstances we enter this restart under. Back the Celtics to cover here.
Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks
11am (AEST)
The Rockets could be one of the most dangerous teams entering this restart. After all, they have two former MVP’s on their roster and are rested and primed to make a possible title run. All roads lead through LA for the Rockets though, and they’ll need to get past either the Lakers or the Clippers if they want to compete for a title.
The Mavericks currently sit in the 7th seed the Western Conference but with so few games sepearting the pack, there’s a real chance for them to move up to as high as fourth if they have a good two weeks here. All of the Mavs hopes will rest on young superstar Luka Doncic, who has the potential to lead them to a series victory against any West team outside of the LA sides.
Like the look of the Rockets as underdogs here. Outside of Kristaps Porzingus, who plays predominantly on the perimeter, the Mavs don’t have a lot of size that will worry the Rockets when they opt to play that small ball style that has been successful for them this season. Back the Rockets to win a close one.
