Top 5 NBA Betting Picks for Saturday, August 1st
The NBA is back! We had an exciting six-game slate yesterday, but we’ll be blessed with even more intriguing matchups tonight. We came back to earth after a scorching 5-0 start to open the season, but we’re ready for a new day with some highly intriguing options.
Here are my top NBA betting plays for August 1st, 2020 (Odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook). You can also check out our daily NBA consensus game odds here.
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Bam Adebayo over 9.5 rebounds (-118)
Bam Adebayo is in for an offensive battle against Nikola Jokic. Adebayo has been one of the most improved players this season, and he’s a major part of why the Miami Heat have a legitimate chance to come out of the Eastern Conference. He has averaged 10.5 rebounds per game on the season and has recorded 11 or more rebounds in six of his last nine outings.
He managed 11 rebounds in his lone outing against Denver this season, and he should produce another double-digit rebound performance, as his work on the offensive glass will put him over the number.
Clippers first half moneyline (-189)
The Los Angeles Clippers should be an easy moneyline click for both the full game and the first half. New Orleans has a talented roster, but they’re not ready to grind with championship-level teams like the Clippers. Both teams fought hard on opening day, but the disparity between the two teams was clear. The Clippers, while down a starter and two “bench starters,†took the title favorites in the Lakers down to the wire. On the other hand, New Orleans struggled with a Utah Jazz team that was without one of their top offensive weapons in Bojan Bogdanovic.
Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell’s absence makes the spread too risky of a play. Patrick Beverley should be ready for a larger set of minutes, however and he should help ensure that the Clippers don’t fall behind in the first half. Both New Orleans and Los Angeles have been strong first half teams this season in terms of point production, but New Orleans has been the third-worst in the league in limiting first-half points against (59.8). If you can stomach the juice for more than one unit, do it.
Anthony Davis over 24.5 points (+100)
Anthony Davis should be in for a monster game against the defending champion Toronto Raptors. Although his efficiency has been waning in some games, Davis has now scored 25 or more points in each of his last five contests. The Lakers, and LeBron James specifically, seem to be making an effort to keep Davis involved throughout the game (he was disappearing in the fourth quarter of contests during the first half of the season), and that means good things for his nightly point totals. Davis has averaged 26.8 points per game on the season, and he scored 27 against the Raptors.
However, it’s important to note that Davis’ career averages are good against almost every team except the Raptors. He has averaged just 17 points per game in nine career contests against them, his lowest average output against any team in the league.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 2.5 assists (-152)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assist props are always true gambles. SGA has been playing off-ball for much of his career because he shares the court with other starting-caliber point guards. First, he played with the fiery Patrick Beverley in Los Angeles. Now, he plays with future first-ballot Hall of Famer Chris Paul.
SGA has averaged 3.3 assists per game on the season, a number that doesn’t reflect his true ability as a playmaker. However, with Paul and Dennis Schroeder sharing the backcourt, the sophomore is more valuable as a playmaking, off-ball slasher type. SGA has put up at least three assists in seven of his last nine contests, and he should push for at least three tonight against the Jazz.
SGA averages just two assists per game against Utah this season. He managed just one assist against them in the season opener, but he put three dimes up on the board in their second meeting of the year. The juice is already heavy on the over — this is one of the most attractive props on the board on a day without many high-probability options. SGA has been steadily improving in the assists department as the season progressed, and he has increased his average from 3.2 dimes per game before the All-Star break to 3.9 assists post-break. Tap SGA for a one or two-unit play before the juice climbs any higher at BetMGM.
Donovan Mitchell over 22.5 points (-116)
Donovan Mitchell appears primed for a big game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Mitchell disappointed in the opener by shooting just .429 from the field, but he still managed to put up 20 points. He averages 24.1 points per game, but he’s been even better against OKC. He has averaged 29 points per contest against the Thunder this season, an average that includes a 32-point outburst in the season opener and a 26-point showing in his second game against them this season.
Mitchell has recorded 23 or more points in six of his last 10 contests, but he remains a streaky shooter who requires multiple trips to the line in order to safely hit at least 23 points. The juice is on the over for this prop due to probability, but we’ll keep this to a one-unit play. Oklahoma City has been one of the better defensive teams in the league this season, as they rank in the top 10 for points against and field goal percentage against. The lean would be under if Mitchell hadn’t proved on more than one occasion that he can hit 23 or more points against this Thunder team.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.