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The Portland Trail Blazers don’t look like a No. 8 seed. Portland has been one of the better teams in Orlando since the season restarted. They are 4-2 in the bubble headed into Tuesday night’s game with the Dallas Mavericks, and they are currently one of four teams competing for the Western Conference’s play-in game along with Memphis, San Antonio, and Dallas. Damian Lillard and the Blazers currently control their own destiny, and a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, August 13, at 9 p.m. ET... 

Should the Denver Nuggets take care of business against what’s proven to be a disinterested Los Angeles Lakers squad on Monday night, this Wednesday night’s tilt against the Los Angeles Clippers could have huge playoff ramifications with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference on the line. So long as the Clippers get the job done against the Nets on Sunday, it will become a reality. Each of these teams have posted winning 3-2 SU marks at online sportsbooks in the bubble, but the Clippers have c... 

Without question Nikola Jokic’s All-Star emergence has made the Nuggets a thing again in Denver. A team that was once ignored or bet against is now getting respect at the wagering window. Best of all Denver’s prospects of being an upset sleeper for the playoffs are taken seriously. Counter to that is the massive marquee brand of the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, we all know that the public expects LA to win the NBA every season. Even when such expectations aren’t realistic. This season the cham... 

Ever since taking over as coach of the San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich has been synonymous with greatness. Under Popovich, San Antonio has made the post season every year since 1997-98. However, that string is likely to end at the NBA Bubble. Father time and the salary cap have combined to tax the Spurs of betting value and playoff viability. Of course, Popovich has won a total of five NBA world championships and boasts a consecutive playoff season streak that is not likely to be equaled again. On the other hand, the New Orleans Pelicans are a team of tomorrow. 2019 NBA overall number one draft pick Zion Williamson has already made an impact. Despite missing the first 44 games of the year Williamson put the Pelicans into the post season bubble. ... 

As controversial as he may be that’s what makes Mavericks owner Mark Cuban so notorious. Cuban transformed the Mavericks from being ignored into a valued Dallas brand. As well as a world champion. Not many owners in any sport have made such a difference. The same turnaround story can be found in what Giannis Antetokounmpo has done for the Bucks. For decades Milwaukee wallowed as an NBA afterthought. Giannis powered them into a coveted and profitable team with the NBA Lines. Gamblers have faith in the Bucks as a reliable value that has consistently made profits for two straight seasons. Beyond that Milwaukee boasts the best record in the NBA. ... 

As of Wednesday night, there are only three undefeated teams currently playing in the bubble since the NBA restart. One of those teams just so happens to be an Indiana Pacers squad that isn’t playing at full strength. Even with Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis ailing, Nate McMillan’s troops continue to pass each and every one of their tests with flying colors. Before taking the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, they’ll put their unblemished mark on the line versus the also undefeated Pho... 

Atlantic Division rivals will close Friday night’s slate out when the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics lock horns for the fourth time this season. This however will be the first time the teams will have run up against each other since way back at the end of December. But before they do, each will have to play another game first with the Dinos set to square off against the Orlando Magic while the C’s get to run with a Brooklyn Nets team that just pulled off one of the biggest upsets against the... 

They can no longer earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but the Los Angeles Clippers would love to earn the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. That would ensure they avoid their city rivals until at least the Western Conference Finals, boosting their chances at becoming the preeminent team in both the city and the NBA. The Clippers bounced back with their loss to the Lakers on Thursday by thrashing New Orleans on Saturday night, and they want to keep that momentum going against Dallas on Thursday ev... 

The Los Angeles Lakers have wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, so they don’t have much to play for during the last few games of the regular season. This team won’t take its foot off the gas pedal entirely given the long layoff, but the Lakers likely won’t have the same sense of urgency they did in their first few games in Orlando. That could bode well for the Houston Rockets, as the Rockets are looking to move their way up the Western Conference ladder prior to the sta... 

The Oklahoma City Thunder were considered an also-ran coming into the 2019-20 season. After getting demolished by Portland in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, Paul George and Russell Westbrook left for greener pastures over the summer. That left Billy Donovan to rebuild around the pieces acquired from the loss of those two players, but somehow the Thunder were still one of the best teams in the conference. Donovan was subsequently named co-NBA Coach of the Year alongside Mike ... 

Last year’s NBA champions will face the favorites to win it all this year per the NBA betting odds on Saturday night. The Toronto Raptors have outperformed all expectations without Kawhi Leonard and are looking to defend their crown, but the Los Angeles Lakers have other plans in mind this season. LeBron James didn’t make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in eight years last season, and he i... 

What a brutal beginning to the restart of the NBA betting season for the Miami Heat! Erik Spoelstra’s troops return to the hardwood to play the Denver Nuggets. That game’s followed up with a tilt against the defending champion Toronto Raptors. Then it’s this skirmish on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics. Immediately after, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are up. Again, brutal! However, the Heat couldn’t ask for a better scenario than the one they currently find themselves in... 

Tough spot for the Utah Jazz on Monday night with the team coming off a crucial game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with whom their fighting tooth and nail with to secure the 4th seed in the Western Conference. Entering the bubble, Utah held a slim 1-game lead over OKC for the No. 4 slot and needed to win that game on Saturday to breathe a bit easier knowing they split with their Northwest Division rival earlier in the regular season. As for the current front runners of the Western Conference... 

Neither the Milwaukee Bucks nor the Houston Rockets invade Orlando with their playoff future in doubt. The former is a lock to secure the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, while the latter is already in the playoffs but can improve upon its seeding dependent upon how it performs over the next eight games before the playoffs kick into high gear. This will be the second game in Orlando for both squads after the Bucks took on the Celtics on Friday, while the Rockets ran with Luka Doncic and the Mave... 

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference will square off on Friday night in Orlando when the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Boston Celtics. Milwaukee has essentially locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference throughout the playoffs, as the Bucks have a 6.5-game lead on Toronto, but they want to be able to shake off the rust before the postseason gets underway. As for the Celtics, they would love to grab the No. 2 seed since that would mean they play Brooklyn or Orlando instead of a much more talented team like Indiana or Philadelphia. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on July 31, 2020, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN. ... 

Homecourt advantage might not count for anything anymore since the rest of the season will be played in Orlando, but the Los Angeles Lakers want to grab the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference Playoffs. That would theoretically give the Lakers the most favorable draw in their bid to return to the NBA Finals. However, the Los Angeles Clippers are one of the teams standing in their way. The Clippers have the best chance to catch the Lakers as they are 5.5 games behind them, so a Lakers’ victory w... 

The 2020 NBA season is set to resume on July 30, but only 22 of the league’s 30 teams will be playing in Florida. Due to the coronavirus, the NBA paused the regular season in March and is almost going right to the playoffs, although there are a some games to decide the last playoff spot in each conference. All of the remaining games, regular season and playoffs, will take place in the NBA bubble a... 

The NBA’s restart is scheduled for July 30 with a pair of games on the docket pitting the Utah Jazz up against the New Orleans Pelicans and Kawhi and the Clippers squaring off against LeBron and the Lakers in Orlando’s version of the Battle of Los Angeles. Six more games go the next day followed by five more to open up the month of August. All these games will decide who actually qualifies for the postseason. Some middle of the road teams are already locked into the postseason like the Indiana P... 

Suddenly, there is a real debate in the race for the NBA MVP. Giannis Antetokuonmpo was a -700 favorite to defend his crown just last week, but LeBron James’ performances against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers have led to many calling for the four-time MVP to win the award once more this season. James is having an incredible year, averaging 25.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 10.6 APG, and that has led to LeBron’s MVP betting odds dropping significantly from where they were last week. He will have the opportunity to shine again on Thursday night when his Lakers take on former MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets. ... 

Life without Giannis Antetokuonmpo has not been easy for Milwaukee. The Bucks have lost three straight games without the reigning NBA MVP, and they were blasted by Phoenix and Denver in the last two games of their road trip. The Suns dropped 47 points on the Bucks in the first quarter in a 140-131 victory, and the Nuggets used a 39-point first quarter to upend Milwaukee on Monday night... 

The Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans are the teams most likely to catch the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They are both four games behind the Grizzlies in the race for the No. 8 seed, but they have both been better than Memphis since the All-Star Break. New Orleans has relied on Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Jrue Holiday to win five of its nine games since the break, while Sacramento is 7-3 in its last 10... 

There’s no longer any doubt that the Dallas Mavericks will be making their return to the postseason in 2020. Dallas has yet to officially clinch a spot in the postseason, but the Mavs have an 11.5-game lead with 18 games left to play, so it is just a formality at this point. Now, Dallas has its sights set on something more than just a playoff berth. The Mavericks would love to host a first-round series, and they are currently just 2.5 games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz. They have won seven of their last ten games, and they have a manageable schedule the rest of the way. Meanwhile, their opponents on Tuesday night, the San Antonio Spurs, are just hoping to get back to the postseason, but the odds are stacked against them. ... 

Lights out! Guerilla radio! Turn that sound up! This Battle of Los Angeles doesn’t need to be hyped by Rage Against the Machine, as everyone will be excited to see the Clippers and Lakers face off on Sunday afternoon. These are the top two teams in the Western Conference standings after the Clippers big win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, and most analysts believe these teams will meet in the Western Conference Finals. They have nearly the same odds to win the NBA Finals at online sportsbooks. ... 

If you have plans for Friday night, cancel them. One of the most anticipated regular season games will take place when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Milwaukee Bucks in a potential NBA Finals preview. The Lakers and Bucks are both closing in on the No. 1 seed in their respective conference, and these teams are the favorites to win the title per the NBA betting odds. Los Angeles has a ... 

The Houston Rockets are on a roll. Houston defied conventional wisdom with its decision to deal Clint Capela at the trade deadline and go without a big man for the rest of the season. Many observers (including myself) didn’t think this decision made sense, as it seemed like the Rockets were setting themselves up for failure. However, the Rockets have been much better with Robert Covington on the wing, and their decision to move P.J. Tucker to center has paid immense dividends. Houston has won si...