Filip Tomic
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Group play in the Emirates NBA Cup is heating up and Tuesday brings us another 5 games, including a TNT doubleheader starting with Bucks vs Heat and concluding with Lakers vs Suns. You can find out our NBA picks for tonight’s biggest matchups, while I’ve also pieced together my 3 best bets on the slate in the form of an NBA parlay at +840 odds. Let’s dive in!
Bucks ML (+116)
Rockets ML (+130)
Suns -3.5 (-112)
NBA parlay odds: +840
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Milwaukee Bucks ML over Miami Heat (+116)
A win here for Milwaukee would almost certainly clinch them top spot in their 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-goal 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 typically gets extra motivated whenever playing Miami and 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 believe there’s value in taking the Bucks on the money line to start our NBA parlay picks.
Houston Rockets ML over 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? 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 typically win a lot of games. Only the Thunder have a better defensive rating this season, as Houston allows just 103.7 points per 100 possessions. The Rockets are 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 against Western Conference teams, I believe they’re the better bet in this game at plus-money odds.
Read our full Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves predictions
Phoenix Suns -3.5 over LA Lakers (-112)
We close out our NBA parlay picks in Phoenix where the Suns are hoping to defeat the reigning 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 fewer assists. All of that needs to be cleaned up in order for them to beat the Suns and 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 lineup after a 2-week 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 company are slowing down a bit after their hot start to the season. They are just 3-4 in road games and have covered the spread only once in 6 home games. Phoenix gets their 2 superstars back and with their impressive 7-1 record in the last 8 home games vs the Lakers, I’m backing them to cover.
Check out our full LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns predictions
