By: Harry Gagnon
Harry’s NBA Future Plays and NBA Bubble Betting Predictions
Major League Baseball has been back for a week now, the National Hockey League is back on Saturday and the National Basketball Association starts today! (July 30). The NBA has done it right with COVID testing and everyone has passed which means we will have a basketball season after all.
Before we think about playoffs, we have an eight-game season with some over/under games won by teams plus other possible props. Remember, the Bucks are currently the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Lakers are the same in the West. Here are a few of my best plays for the rest of the regular season and for when the playoffs actually become reality and start.
NBA Bubble Betting: NBA Over/Under Team Wins
NBA Over/Under on Teams Wins
-145 Orlando Magic Over Wins: 3
Aaron Gordon is more than just a great dunker and he has really rounded into a better NBA player throughout the season. The Magic do get the extremely depleted Brooklyn Nets not once but twice during this eight-game stretch.
The Magic also get a Sacramento Kings team that doesn’t have a lot to play for either, so if Orlando pulls out those three games you get a free roll to win just one game in five attempts. They can do it.
Harry’s Magic Over/Under Wins: Over
-105 Philadelphia 76ers Under: 5
The Philadelphia 76ers were a disappointing 10-24 on the road this season. In fact, the Sixers have the largest difference between home and road win percentage since the 1967-68 season. The real question is can Joel Embiid step it up during the playoffs and maybe he can, but not during these games that don’t matter a lot to Philadelphia.
76ers Over/Under Win from the Bubble: Under
-135 Utah Jazz Over 3.5
Donovan Mitchell is a star and averages 24 points a game. He will have to get along with Rudy Gobert and both will have to produce for the Jazz to make a deep run in the playoffs. The Jazz get the Spurs twice in their eight games so win those and all you would need is two more in six games. I’ll take those chances with a very talented team.
Jazz Over/Under Wins from the NBA Bubble: Over
-125 Toronto Raptors Over 4.5
Let’s not forget that the Raptors are the defending champs and that they are still top dogs until the Bucks “buck” them from the playoffs. Even with the departure of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors actually have a better winning percentage than the season before.
Kyle Lowry is the straw that stirs the milk for the Raptors, averaging 20 points a game and eight assists. Toronto also has a better scoring margin (+6.5) per game average than they did in their title run.
Raptors Over/Under Wins Pick: Over
-115 Indiana Pacers Under 4
The Pacers are a good squad, but this might be a spot where playing a tough schedule and having a questionable situation with the return of Victor Oladipo might be too much for them. The Pacers have to play the Heat twice and they also have the Lakers, Sixers, and the Rockets on their schedule.
Indiana Pacers Over/Under Wins Pick: Over
NBA Bubble Betting: NBA Conference Futures Bets and NBA Title Future Betting Prediction
+700 Toronto Raptors Eastern Conference Champs
+200 Los Angeles Clippers Western Conference Champs
+325 Clippers NBA Champions
The Raptors were the first team to make it to Florida and they have a heck of a chance now that they won’t have to beat Milwaukee on the road where the Bucks were 28-3 at home. Pascal Siakam is averaging 24 points a game and the Raptors still have long range weapon in Fred VanVleet. The Raptors are the champs until they get knocked off and playing on a neutral court favors them the most.
When the Clippers are fully healthy no one has a better team and that includes the Lakers. The Clippers have led the NBA is bench scoring in each of the last two seasons. Leonard and Paul George are superstar scorers, but it is really their bench that is their secret and the main reason why they will be the champions of “Bubble Ball 2020.”
