The second week of the 2019-20 NBA season goes on with three games on Tuesday night. We will see some very interesting matchups. Dallas heads to Denver, Atlanta visits Miami, while the LA Lakers host Memphis.
The action starts at American Airlines Arena in Miami where Jimmy Butler will have a debut in the Heat uniform. Butler missed the first three games of the season due to the birth of a daughter. Miami went 2-1 SU and 2-0-1 ATS in that span including a surprising victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on the road.
Butler will be keen to put on a strong performance in his first game in front of the home fans. The head coach Erik Spoelstra stated he won’t take Butler easy back into things, so consider betting on the over of Jimmy’s points total.
The Hawks will play back-to-back after a 105-103 home loss to the 76ers. They snapped a two-game winning streak, while the Hawks surprisingly played good defense. Atlanta’s defensive rating is the 9th-best in the NBA with 100.1 points allowed per 100 possessions.
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Miami is only 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS in its last four meetings with Atlanta. However, the Heat scored at least 113 points in three of those four encounters. Likewise, the Heat’s pace is the fastest in the NBA at the moment with 109.2 possessions per 48 minutes.
Therefore, I don’t expect to see a low-scoring affair. In Butler’s absence, rookie Kendrick Nunn led the Heat with 22.3 points per game, while Justise Winslow and Goran Dragic averaged 19.0 points per contest each.
Another interesting pick is Nikola Jokic in the over on his points total. Joker played just 28 minutes last night and scored nine points in the Nuggets’ 101-94 victory at the Sacramento Kings. He will be fresh and highly motivated to dominate the Mavericks tonight.
Jokic opened the season with 20 points in 24 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers. He posted a triple-double in an overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns, accounting for 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists.
In his other two outings, Jokic made only four dimes in the total. Hereof, you can consider taking him in the over on the assists total, too. The Mavericks allow 23.0 assists per game (15th in the NBA), while their defensive rating is 17th in the league with 107.2 points allowed per 100 possessions.
The Nuggets play at the slowest pace in the NBA, tallying only 97.4 possessions per 48 minutes. The Mavs will try to speed up the tempo, and that is an opportunity for Jokic to make some dishes tonight. Also, keep in mind that he will have to deal with Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber.
Finally, tonight’s action wraps up at Staples Center where the Los Angeles Lakers are huge favorites to beat the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers (2-1; 2-1 ATS) will search for their third straight victory, while the Grizzlies (1-2; 1-2 ATS) are coming off a 134-133 overtime win to the Brooklyn Nets.
Anthony Davis is leading the way for the Lakers, averaging 25.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. He should dominate the Grizzlies tonight, considering Memphis’ slow frontcourt. LeBron James is posting 23.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per contest, but I would avoid betting on him due to load management.
Keep in mind that the Grizzlies are not that grit-and-grind team they were over the last ten years. Their pace is the 4th-fastest in the NBA with 107.8 possessions per 48 minutes, while the Grizzlies are the second-youngest team in the league.
Hereof, the Grizzlies should struggle defensively this season. I don’t see who can slow down Anthony Davis tonight. Jonas Valanciunas is too slow, while sophomore Jaren Jackson Jr. lacks the experience to deal with the Brow.
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