It seems like the Milwaukee Bucks just beat the Phoenix Suns for the 2020-21 NBA championship, but it’s time for preseason games in the Association once again. Some teams made widespread roster changes in the off-season, like the Los Angeles Lakers, while others largely stood pat going into this season, such as the Brooklyn Nets.
Let’s take a look at some exciting matchups for online NBA betting enthusiasts as the preseason gets underway.
NBA News: Preseason Top Value Games
Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors (October 8 and 12)
The Lakers brought in the likes of Carmelo Anthony to keep the offense up and running should LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis miss time again with injuries. Golden State missed the postseason last year for the second straight campaign, as they faced the Lakers in the play-in tournament and came up short. Seeing Stephen Curry and LeBron trade preseason daggers will be entertaining. Klay Thompson may return as well, giving the Warriors more optimism about getting back to the playoffs.
Los Angeles Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks (October 8)
The Clippers have ended the Mavericks’ postseasons in the first round each of the past two seasons. Last year, Dallas went to Los Angeles and won the first two games but could not close things out, losing in seven games. This time around, the Clippers will not have Kawhi Leonard. In the off-season, Dallas signed Luka Doncic to a max extension but did not make many other additions besides bringing in Jason Kidd to coach the team and retooling their front office. It will be interesting to see if finding new ways to engage Kristaps Porzingis will be enough to get Dallas to the second round.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns (October 6 and 10)
Phoenix sent the Lakers home in the first round of last year’s playoffs. The Lakers were missing Anthony Davis, and LeBron James was not at 100%. Now both teams have their full rosters back, and they play twice in the preseason and then again on October 22 in the regular season. JaVale McGee was with the Lakers the last time these teams met, but now he is a Phoenix Sun.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets (October 8)
These two teams met in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year, but the Brooklyn Nets did not have Kyrie Irving or James Harden. Now they have their Big Three back, and P.J. Tucker won’t be around to provide key defensive stops for the Bucks this time. The Nets have all kinds of offense, but it will be interesting to see if they can roll over Milwaukee like they did in Games One and Two of that semifinal series.
Philadelphia at Toronto (October 4)
Drama is running rampant in Philadelphia, as star Ben Simmons has held out of camp and practices, continuing to demand a trade. Joel Embiid lit up his teammate in a press conference, indicating that the team had traded Jimmy Butler to ensure that Simmons got more touches — a move with which Embiid apparently disagreed. The 76ers are having a hard time getting the value they want out of a Simmons trade, which could affect their preparation for Toronto, a team that struggled last year because Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry all had to miss so much time due to COVID-19 quarantines. Also, Toronto had to play their home games in Florida last season. This time around, things are different, and the Raptors could be ready to deliver a surprise in their preseason opener.NBA Betting Odds
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