While there may not be four NBA games taking place every day right now, which is certainly disappointing for some basketball fans, there’s still plenty of action.  The problem, though, is that the outcome of the games won’t be too surprising. The good news is that, for the 48-plus minutes of court time (accounting for time-outs, fouls and a potential fight or two), there will still be plenty to look forward to, and this will help make up for all the months that have been lost.  Today’s NBA games on Aug 26 won’t see any major shifts in rankings, but they’ll still be worthwhile so lets have a look at our picks.

NBA Daily Picks Aug 26, 2020

The Bucks Advance In One

Despite the opinion of at least one player that they “shouldn’t even be here,” the Milwaukee Bucks are in Orlando and are still seen as one of the leading contenders to take the NBA championship this year.  Bucks guard George Hill made the comments after the latest round of civil unrest occurred in Wisconsin, a result of another avoidable situation regarding law enforcement.

However, Hill needs to keep his head in the game and help his teammates – those who want to be on a run for the title – make it all the way.  He can start tonight as the Bucks have the chance to send the Orlando Magic out of the NBA Bubble with one more elimination.

The Bucks are up 3-1 in the series, and shouldn’t have any issue sealing the deal today.  Not only has Milwaukee been superior throughout the series, Orlando has several important players MIA because of injury, and would have a difficult time overcoming the Bucks even if the team were completely healthy.  The Magic got lucky when they won the first game of the series, and the Bucks haven’t looked back since.

The Bucks are so far ahead in the NBA odds that taking a moneyline bet is not even something worth discussing.  Taking some action against the spread might be a better choice, as Milwaukee (-14, -110) has covered the last three games.  The Over/Under of 226.5 (-110) is a good target, as well, with the expectation that the Bucks blow it away.  They’re scored at least 121 points in their last two NBA games, and are looking to make a statement today so that’s our first pick for Aug 26.

The Thunder And The Rockets Battle For Position

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets are 2-2 in the series, making today’s game an important turning point for one team or the other.  The Thunder gave fans a thrill and the Rockets a surprise in Game 4, and would like nothing more than to repeat the feat today.  If they play like they did in their last game, they have a real shot at taking control of the series.

The Rockets have been forced to play without Russell Westbrook because of injury, and he’s still going to be out of commission today.  Some would say that his absence has been detrimental to the Rockets’ chances, and they would probably be right.  James Harden has had to pick up the slack, but has been falling behind because of the strain.  The Thunder’s Chris Paul hasn’t been cutting him any slack, either, which is only exacerbating the issue.

The shift in power has been evident.  The Rockets won the first two games of the series, but the Thunder came back to take the next two.  They have been continuing a lot of the same talent and power that saw them come out of nowhere this season to get to where they are now, but the Rockets are still favored.  Oklahoma City is getting +145 and, while the -165 Rockets may be a better choice for some, the Thunder are going to continue their streak today.  With an Over/Under of 225, this game is set to see great action on both sides, and taking some action on the Over is a good target.  The spread of 3.5 in favor of the Rockets might be called into question, but the only real question is how much of a final gap there’ll be.

That’s it for our NBA picks and parlays for tonight’s games on Aug 26, good lucks guys!