NBA Action Resumes on Friday with Playoff Teams in the Spotlight
Published December 25, 2020 by Florin P
Milwaukee and Miami try to reverse their fortunes after a disappointing pre-season, as they have home pitch advantage in the second match of the season.
The strongest and most popular basketball league in the world resumed this week and the second matches are scheduled for Friday evening. Milwaukee and Miami will play at home and try to return to their winning ways after a disappointing performance in preseason. Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans will start with a second chance, but are expected to put up quite a fight on the road.
Milwaukee are Desperate to End Losing Streak
Last year was spectacular for Milwaukee, who dominated the regular season and easily secured first spot before the playoffs begin. Things took a turn for the worse in postseason, when they were sent out of the race by Miami Heat in five games. The team had plenty of time to recover and return to its winning ways, but was unable to do so during preseason matches, which were all lost. Now they have home pitch advantage and a team at full strength, which explains the odds of 1/4 offered by 888 Sport on them to win.
The Golden State Warriors were last season’s greatest train wreck and nothing more than a shadow of the team that dominated the NBA a few years ago. Even so, they were able to defeat Milwaukee twice on the road, with no team winning at home in the last five matches. With Green and Thompson out of the picture, their victory is priced at 7/2 which is tempting given Milwaukee’s awful form.
2020 Finalists try to improve against New Orleans
Miami were nothing short of impressive throughout the playoffs and deservedly qualified for the finals. Granted they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Heat put up an amazing fight and pushed the series to six games. They should have an easier task against the New Orleans Pelicans, as they play at home and have their best athletes fit to play. The odds of 1/2 offered by bet365 Sports confirm their favorite status.
The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t qualify for the playoffs last year, largely because of the poor season start. They will try to avoid a similar outcome in 2021 and in order to do that, they need to start the new campaign in a strong fashion. Victory on the road against the Miami Heat would qualify for this target, but if they are to achieve it, they will have to do it without Gabriel and Magnay. The odds are stacked against them and currently stand at 17/10, but they won the last two head to head games against Miami.
Disclaimer:
The odds mentioned here were accurate at the featured bookmakers at the hour the article was written, respectively on Thursday, December 24 at 8 am UK time.
