Clouds hover around some key players and big-name teams taking the court this Tuesday. BetDeluxe analyses the form in four key games.
Wizards vs. 76ers
1st November 10:00AM
This is a market to watch closely as tip-off approaches with star Philadelphia centre Joel Embiid in doubt with illness. As an early favourite for the MVP, Embiid’s absence could mean a considerable shift to the Wizards, who have been impressive in the season so far.
Washington fell short against a rampaging Boston team on Monday, but their new-look team will provide plenty of upsets this season. Kristaps Porzingis is settling in well with his third team but is struggling to have any impact from outside three-point range, while Kyle Kuzma has also been wayward in shooting.
A Philadelphia team without Embiid still poses a threat. James Harden may relish having the team all to himself and could post some big numbers, while P.J. Tucker can make up the difference when it comes to cleaning up rebounds.
Suggested Bet: Washington +4.5 at $1.92
Raptors vs. Hawks
1st November 12:00PM
Atlanta has been one of the hotter teams in the season’s infancy and could be thereabouts when it comes to playoff time. Trae Young continues his steady improvement while Dejounte Murray is a strong scoring threat, having posted 21 points against the Bucks in their most recent game.
Toronto finds itself in the middle of the road and a heavy loss to Philadelphia may leave some scars for a little while. Most concerning is the form drop-off from Fred VanVleet who can not buy a bucket at the moment. If he can start to turn his form around, he will provide ample support to Pascal Siakam who continues to be the Raptors’ strongest asset.
Suggested Bet: Atlanta +4.5 $1.85
Jazz vs. Grizzlies
28th October 1:00pm
The off-season loss of Rudy Gobert was tipped to hurt Utah, but for now, they have barely skipped a beat. It has been an even contribution from the Jazz players, making them a hard match-up on any given night. Even with key players sitting out the rotation, Utah is bringing a solid offensive game, with Kelly Olynyk relishing his new responsibilities as their leading big man.
It is a different set-up at Memphis, with Ja Morant a vital part of the Grizzly’s side. The young sensation sat out the first of the back-to-back games between these teams on Monday, and Memphis will be sweating on his availability. Jake LaRavia has shown value in his rookie season and may be set for more minutes. But the Monday loss will be a factor here, and even though the Jazz only won by a point, it does give them the edge in the return bout.
Suggested Bet: Utah to win at $2.40
Nets vs. Pacers
28th October 1:00PM
Another back-to-back match-up occurs here with a volatile Brooklyn keen to atone for losing to a lowly-rated Pacers outfit. Nets coach Steve Nash wasn’t shy in describing his team’s defensive approach as a disaster, with the frustration showing on star Kevin Durant.
The highly-scrutinised Ben Simmons is yet to make any impact with Brooklyn and his hesitancy to shoot is as evident as ever.
Rookie Bennedict Mathurin did as he pleased with the ball for the Pacers, while Buddy Hield has also been providing the scoring power. The big-name Nets are the favourites here, but there is some value in the giant-killer Pacers team.
Suggested Bet: Indiana win at $3.73
