Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets
The Pacers are coming off a loss against the Heat on Monday, but they remain very much alive in the race for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with both Miami and the Philadelphia 76ers -- both teams play Wednesday, so winning here is pivotal for Indiana’s chances of ending in a Top 4 spot. The same could be said about the Rockets, however, as they’re also in a race to claim a Top 4 place in the West alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz. Houston lost against the Spurs on Monday, but they’ve gone 5-2 in the Orlando bubble. Meanwhile, Indiana has gone 4-2 in the bubble.
Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers
The Raptors are coming off a huge win over the Milwaukee Bucks the last time out, and they have gone 4-1 in their last five games while posting a 5-1 record in the Orlando bubble -- if anything, Toronto has shown once again they have what it takes to make a deep postseason run to defend last season’s crown. As for the 76ers, they’re coming off a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday and have tried to stay competitive, but they’ve posted a 3-3 record in the bubble while losing each of their past two games. Their main focus right now is to get as many players as healthy as possible considering both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are dealing with nagging injuries.
Miami Heat vs Oklahoma City Thunder
The Heat and the Thunder are both in tight races to earn the fourth seed in their respective Conferences, and both teams will face each other in a pivotal contest Wednesday evening. Miami is coming off a win over the Pacers on Monday and has posted a 3-3 record in the Orlando bubble, while the Thunder are coming off an Aug. 10 defeat against the Suns and have lost three of their last five games, while going 3-3 since the league restarted July 30. Both teams are evenly matched up, but the Heat is carrying the momentum and that could give them the edge in what seems to be an evenly-matched battle. This game features the tightest point spread of the day, currently at +/- 1 with the Heat listed as the favorite. If you are betting this game it may really be a toss up.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
The Clippers and the Nuggets are competing for the second seed in the Western Conference and that has massive implications -- the difference between finishing second and third in the West is to face the Dallas Mavericks or a team like the Utah Jazz or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams are coming off a loss and have posted 3-2 records in their last five games, but the Clippers have a slim edge based on their record, health, and overall season performance. It remains to be seen if they will respond to that favorites tag, or if Denver will pull the upset. The H2H season record reads 1-1, although the Clippers won the most recent meeting between these two franchises. We are keeping our eye on this game for sure as so far the public bets are flooding in on the Nuggets. The Nuggets may not be the darling of the NBA bubble but they are becoming one of the public’s favorite teams to bet.
