Philadelphia and Memphis get the ball rolling for the Tuesday NBA preview from BetDeluxe.
As always, there is value to be found and money to be made with the idea of starting February off with a bang!
Memphis @ Philadelphia
february 1st 11:00am
MVP candidate Ja Morant and his Memphis Grizzlies will have a fight on their hands when they take their talents on the road to face the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Grizzlies, on the back of what has so far been a brilliant season from Morant, have catapulted themselves into playoff and championship contention.
Morant notched up another huge game with 34 points as he and his mob made light work of Washington on Sunday with a 115-95 win.
The 76ers, meanwhile, are in a purple patch of form themselves having won their last four games with the most recent victory being a nail-biting 103-101 win over Sacramento.
This is going to be one of the many litmus tests the Grizzlies will face from now till end of the regular season.
Dealing with Joel Embiid is going to be of particular importance for the Grizzlies given he is the barometer for the home team.
With their health nearly at full strength, the Sixers are back on top in the Atlantic Division and looking to strengthen their position in the conference as the All-Star break approaches.
Few teams in the NBA have been plagued with holes in their squad due to injuries and COVID-related omissions more than the 76ers, but they have dealt with the mitigating circumstances with great resilience.
It will be hard, even for Morant and the Grizzlies, to halt the winning momentum of the 76ers on their home deck.
Suggested Bet: Philadelphia 76ers -3.5 at $1.92
la clippers @ indiana
february 1st 11:00am
The LA Clippers hit the road as they travel to face the Indiana Pacers on the first day of February.
The Clippers were most recently in action on the road against Charlotte and went to 0.500 with a 26-26 record after recording a big 115-90 win.
Indiana is going to have to deal with a Clippers white-hot bench which provided 62 points in the 25-point triumph.
The Clippers now move their record against Eastern Conference opponents to 13-6 and will carry supreme confidence into this game after managing their roster brilliantly in the win.
Playing without rest looks as though it will not prove to be too big of an issue for the Clippers.
Indiana is going to have to pull something out of the reserve tank given its horrific defensive application in its 132-105 loss to Dallas on Sunday.
Clippers look the value here.
Suggested Bet: LA Clippers head to head at $2.06
miami @ boston
february 1st 11:30am
The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat meet for the second time this season when they go head to head at TD Garden in Boston on Tuesday.
It was the Celtics who got the better of the Heat in their first clash back on November 5 this year, but since then, it has been the Heat squad which has shown the superior form.
Miami heads off the Eastern Conference in first place at the moment with a 32-18 record, while the Celtics sit ninth at 26-25.
Despite losing their last game to the Toronto Raptors, the Heat has won 7 of their last 10 games and is one game clear from the Chicago Bulls, who are in second spot.
The Eastern Conference is the most cluttered we have seen for years and the gap between the two teams with regards to table position is not a true reflection of how close this game is likely to be.
Surprisingly, Miami come into this game as the underdogs.
This season, the Heat actually boast the best record against the spread with a 9-3 winning record ATS when starting underdogs on the road.
The Heat will definitely fancy themselves with Jimmy Butler back in the fold and showing no signs of any injury concerns that plagued his start to the season.
He missed the loss against Boston and his inclusion this time around is what will likely prove the difference in what we predict will be a tight game.
Suggested Bet: Miami Heat +3.5 at $1.88
portland @ oklahoma
february 1st 12:00pm
Portland will try to reverse the result of a heavy loss over Chicago when it faces the struggling Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday afternoon at Moda Center.
The Trail Blazers battled hard against the Bulls but were simply outclassed in what ended up being a 130-116 loss as they fell further behind the guaranteed playoff spots in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, continued its poor run of form after going down 113-110 in overtime against Indiana.
The result made it seven losses in a row for the Thunder as they struggle to maintain the wind in their sails with such a young roster.
The positive for the Thunder is the form of Australian rookie Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous Alexander.
But Alexander is set to miss this game with an ankle injury sustained in the loss to Indiana and that opens up a huge opportunity for Portland to dominate this contest.
The Thunder look out on their feet.
Suggested Bet: Portland Trail Blazers -2.5 at $1.90
