NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions for Wednesday, Aug. 12
There are three more days of regular season action before the NBA playoffs begin. With many playoff spots locked, including practically the entire Eastern Conference, predicting how teams will play in these final days has turned into a guessing game for both bettors and oddsmakers. Here’s an early look at NBA odds, picks, and predictions for Wednesday, August 12, 2020, at online sportsbooks.
NBA Odds for Wednesday, August 12
Indiana Pacers vs. Houston Rockets (4PM ET, NBATV)
Opened: Rockets -8.5
The Pacers are still within a game of the Miami Heat for the 4-seed, while the Houston Rockets play the second end of a back-to-back after losing to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.
Houston’s’ loss came as the Rockets were short-handed with James Harden, Danuel House Jr., and Eric Gordon sidelined. Today it’ll be Westbrook who is given rest.
If we’re wondering how much time on the court Harden will see, looking at how head coach Mike D’antoni used Westbrook on Tuesday might be a good place to start.
Even though the Rockets were playing with a shortened bench, Westbrook played only 28 minutes — his shortest stint yet inside the bubble. Is Harden in store for a similar role on Thursday?
The Pacers won’t be without missing pieces of their own. This game gets only harder to predict with questionable statuses for both Malcolm Brogdon and Victor Oladipo as of early Wednesday morning. The Pacers are already missing arguably the biggest star of the bubble, T.J Warren, who is out with a sore right foot. Warren has led the NBA in points since play resumed two weeks ago.
Both teams can potentially move up or down in the standings, but given the statuses of some of their star players, winning doesn’t appear to be a priority at the moment.
I’m wary of backing either team against the spread considering the star players that are already out and others that could be ruled out by tip-off.
We’re still waiting for a total on this game at the time of this writing, but I’m preparing to bet the Under if it’s 227 or higher as soon as it opens.
Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers (6:30PM ET, ESPN)
Opened: Raptors -5.5
Like the Rockets, the Philadelphia 76ers also return to the court for the second day in a row. A depleted Sixers team fell short against a hungry Phoenix Suns team vying for a playoff spot, but all things considered, the Sixers performance wasn’t bad, though not quite good enough to cover the 8-point spread for Sixers backers.
On Tuesday, Philadelphia, who was already missing Ben Simmons due to an unfortunate injury that will sit him out for the remainder of the season and playoffs, were also missing Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Al Horford.
The trio remains questionable heading into Wednesday with minor injuries, and we can expect the Sixers to proceed cautiously as they try to avoid additional casualties before the playoffs begin this weekend. At the very least, I’m betting on this game as if Embiid is out until proven otherwise.
The Eastern Conference is locked, so there’s no reason to put out any vulnerable players for either squad. Here’s what the Eastern conference playoff seeding looks like:
(1) Bucks vs. (8) Magic
(2) Raptors vs. (7) Nets
(3) Celtics vs. (6) Sixers
(4/5) Heat vs. (5/4) Pacers
This is another game where I want to target a side on the total but rather stay away from the spread with so much unknown regarding active players, minutes for those suiting up, and how each team will approach the game overall.
Each of the last two Sixers games with Simmons and Embiid out of the lineup have gone Over with ease. The Sixers are playing at a faster pace and their defense has suffered without their two best players in the lineup. I’m betting on the trend to continue. I’ll bet Over 224 or lower in this spot.
Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (8PM ET)
Opened: Heat -4
There’s a storyline here that is going underlooked: the Thunder need to finish outside of the top 10 in the NBA to retain their upcoming first round pick, otherwise it will be sent to the Sixers.
Sitting 9th in the NBA at the conclusion of Tuesday’s games, Oklahoma City’s quest to keep their first round pick in the 2020 NBA draft requires them to lose Wednesday night plus help from the Pacers and Jazz who must finish strong to jump ahead of the Thunder.
Whether the Heat win or lose, they’re playing the Pacers in the playoffs. Inside the bubble, it makes no difference who the 4-seed and 5-seed are between the two teams, so there’s no extra motivation on behalf of Miami.
My guess at the moment is that the Thunder will continue to rest players or keep their stars somewhat restricted. That could be the case with the Heat, too, but I’m willing to take the points given the uncertainty.
Additionally, I really like Under 218 or higher here. The Heat love to shoot the three-ball, and the Thunder are one of the best teams at defending it. The Thunder defense is even better now that they’re easing Andre Roberson, one of the league’s best defenders, into action after sitting out the entire season pre-bubble with a knee injury.
NBA Betting Picks: Heat -4 (Waiting on Under 218 or higher)
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets (9PM ET, ESPN)
Opened: Clippers -5.5
Wednesday concludes, quite fittingly, with the best game of the day, featuring the current 2-seed and 3-seeds in the Western Conference. Out of four games, this is the only one where both teams might have enough incentive to treat this like something more than an exhibition.
A win for the Clippers would lock in the 2-seed while a loss would give the Nuggets an opportunity to swap spots with the Clippers.
Los Angeles is only 3-3 since stepping foot inside the bubble, and head coach Doc Rivers has vented about the team’s inconsistency. If Rivers and the Clippers truly want the 2-seed, then Wednesday night is a great opportunity to get back on track at full strength, something they have yet to do in Orlando.
On the other hand, depending on what they think of the potential playoff matchups, there’s a chance the Clippers have little preference for the 2-seed. After all, whoever ends up with the 2-seed will be matched up against a dangerous Dallas Mavericks team led by Luka Donci. The 3-seed will either get the Jazz or Thunder.
My guess is that the Clippers will treat this game like a playoff game and give players rest as needed during their final regular season game on Friday.
Image Credit: USA Today Sports Images