The most awaited part of the 2019/20 NBA season has gone underway here in Disneyland as the final 16 teams vie for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Last night featured a four-game slate to where the Nuggets, Clippers, Celtics, and Raptors drew first blood against their respective counterparts.
More exciting games await for us tomorrow to where we will feature two teams who have the best records in the league – the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Meanwhile, the Rockets and the Thunder will meet in the first round anew, while the rivalry between the Heat and Pacers will have a brand new chapter.
SBOBET brings you the action of the 2019/20 postseason.
Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks
The NBA 2020 odds back Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. to win the championship, but their recent form suggests that their road to the promise land might be harder than usual.
In the eight seeding games in Orlando, Milwaukee finished 3-5 – which includes some shocking losses against the Grizzlies and the Nets.
It’s a good thing for them, however, that they’ll face the eight-seeded Magic in the first round. The Bucks dominated them in the regular season by going undefeated in all of their four meetings.
Looking at the Magic’s roster, there aren’t enough bodies who are capable of slowing down Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jonathan Isaac tore his ACL earlier this month, while Mo Bamba left the bubble for post-coronavirus health evaluation. Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon is listed as an injury doubt due to a hamstring concern.
“We are the underdogs. It doesn’t mean we’re not going to fight as hard as we can to win and do damage,” said Magic guard Evan Fournier.
The Steve Clifford-mentored squad will have to throw everything but the kitchen sink to give themselves a chance against the best team in the East. However, being undermanned may be too much to bear.
Betting tip: Milwaukee Bucks Asian Handicap -12.50 @ 1.93
Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers
The Jimmy Butler-TJ Warren rivalry continues in Orlando as the Heat and Pacers face off in the first round.
The Heat and the Pacers split their meetings here in the bubble. Miami got the best of Indiana with a dominant win last Monday, but the latter got their revenge few days later.
TJ Warren was included in the All-Bubble team with his exemplary performance. The six-year forward posted a scoring norm of 31.0 points per game after the eight seeding games.
However, he seem to always struggle when facing the Heat. In all of their meetings this campaign, Warren was held to a paltry 10.3 points per game while shooting only 35-per cent from the field.
On the other hand, Myles Turner and Bam Adebayo will also be a featured matchup in this series.
Turner has taken on a bigger role with Domantas Sabonis out while Adebayo is one of the leading candidates for Most Improved Player for good reason.
Betting tip: Miami Heat Asian Handicap -3.50 @ 1.78
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets
Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook were the centerpieces of a major trade last summer that would’ve meant rebuilding for the Thunder while boosting the Rocket’s title hopes.
But fast forward to today, they find themselves in a collision course in the first round.
OKC have been the biggest surprise this season. Despite the unfavourable odds of making it this far, the Billy Donovan-coach squad finished as the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
Along with Chris Paul, the Thunder are also led by the young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steven Adams, Dennis Schroder, and Darius Bazley.
Meanwhile, the small-ball Rockets are to be led by James Harden, who continues to spoil us with NBA 2020 highlights.
The Beard will carry much of the offensive load given that his backcourt mate in Russell Westbrook is suffering from a strained quadriceps.
Betting tip: Oklahoma City Thunder Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 1.84
Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Lakers
It was a long and winding road for the Blazers, and finally they get a date with the best team in the West.
Portland have been one of the hottest teams in the bubble and they believe that they can spring an upset against Los Angeles.
Damian Lillard was named the bubble MVP and his high-scoring ways will be needed more than ever. He will be backstopped by CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, and Gary Trent Jr.
However, history suggests that the Lakers are the prohibitive favourites to win.
For starters, LeBron James is undefeated in the first round and the Lakers are 9-2 against the Blazers in the postseason.
Although they aren’t in their peak form as of the moment, no one can deny the partnership between LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers are expected to win in this series. However, expect the Blazers to push them to the limit.
Betting tip: Los Angeles Lakers Asian Handicap -6.50 @ 2.04
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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