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The group play of the Emirates NBA Cup is heating up and Tuesday brings us another 5 games, including a TNT double-header. Get our NBA Picks for both of those games, I’ve also sorted out my 3 best bets in the form of an NBA parlay at +840 odds, let’s dive into it!
MIL Bucks ML (+116)
HOU Rockets ML (+130)
PHX Suns -3.5 (-112)
NBA Parlay odds: +840
MIL Bucks ML vs Miami Heat (+116)
A win here for Milwaukee would almost certainly clinch them the Group, as they have a +22 edge in the point differential on the 2nd placed Pistons who they play in the last round. The Bucks have finally woken up from their early season slump winning 4 games in a row and 6 of their last 7. A major reason for that has been their stellar paint protection – they are currently 4th in opponent field goals percentage at the rim. They also do a solid job at defending the mid-range, so Miami could have a hard time scoring here as most of their scoring comes from up close and from the mid-range. Giannis Antetokounmpo also gets extra motivated whenever playing Miami, in his last game at Kaseya Center he recorded 33 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. With momentum clearly on their side and Miami going just 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games, I feel like backing the Bucks is a solid bet here.
HOU Rockets ML vs Minnesota Timberwolves (+130)
The Houston Rockets have had a stellar start to their season so far, despite ranking just 25th in shooting percentage. What does that tell us? That tells us they’ve been doing the dirty work on the defensive end and whenever you have a team that’s giving you effort on that end of the floor you will win a lot of games. Only the OKC Thunder have a better defensive rating this season, Houston allows just 103.7 points per 100 possessions. This team is the best in rebounding in the NBA this season, averaging 59.7 boards a night. All of this might be a bit too much to overcome for a Timberwolves team that’s lost back-to-back games to Toronto and Boston. Veterans Joe Ingles and Mike Conley are both out with injuries, a lack of leadership from Conley is very noticeable as chemistry issues between Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle are starting to surface. With Houston winning 7 of 8 games and covering the spread in 9 of 13 games vs Western Conference teams, I just feel like they are the better bet here.
Read our Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Predictions
PHX Suns -3.5 vs LA Lakers (-112)
We close out the Parlay in Phoenix where the Suns are hoping to defeat the reigning Emirates NBA Cup champions LA Lakers. LA comes into this game after a demoralizing defeat against the Nuggets. Anthony Davis had a really bad game on Saturday, going just 6-for-19 from the field and scoring 14 points. The Lakers were also outrebounded by 16 and they had 10 less assists. All of that needs to be cleaned up in order for them to beat the Suns, they have just 1 victory in their last 8 visits to Phoenix. At 1-1 there is still hope for the Suns to advance to the next round. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal return to the line-up after 2 weeks of absence. KD has had back-to-back 30 point performances against the Lakers already this season, LA simply doesn’t have the wing defenders that can slow him down. LeBron and co. are slowing down a bit after their hot start to the season. They are just 3-4 SU in road games and have covered the spread only once in 6 home games. Phoenix gets their two superstars back, with their impressive 7-1 SU record in the last 8 home games vs the Lakers, I think backing them is the way to go here.
Check out our LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns Predictions