The NBA Bubble appears to be surpassing all expectations. Not only have there still not been any positive coronavirus cases, but the games are providing some awesome action, and fans, relegated to watch at home and not in the stands, appear to have grown accustomed to the views. As the season continues to inch toward the NBA Finals, there will be more than a couple of surprises seen. The Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Brooklyn Nets yesterday and the Phoenix Suns just edged out the LA Clippers. Tonight could bring more of the same as the NBA competition becomes tighter, so let’s look at our picks for August 5th.

NBA Picks & Parlays 5th August

The LA Lakers Look To Extend Their Run

The Lakers go up against the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight in what should be an interesting game. The Lakers are 2-1 in the bubble, and the one loss was against the Toronto Raptors. That caught everyone off guard, but it won’t faze Anthony Davis or LeBron James tonight. They came off that loss to beat the Utah Jazz on Monday, and are gearing up to add another number to the win column. The team is averaging 113.8 points while allowing 106.8 points. With Davis, James, Kyle Kuzma – the team’s third double-digit scorer – and Dion Walters running the board, there should be a lot of offensive action tonight.

The Thunder can’t be discounted, though. They’re 13-6 against the spread across the last 19 games against the Lakers and are still definite contenders for a great season finale. Sitting sixth in the West, they’re coming off a loss to the Denver Nuggets and are going to want revenge. The Nuggets, third in the West, had to fight for the win, as the game went into overtime before they were able to create a little scoring distance. If the Thunder can turn up the heat tonight, the Lakers won’t have an easy game.

The Lakers have already clinched the top spot in the Western Conference standings, which will give them a “home-court” advantage for the playoffs. However, they can’t afford to relax yet, as the Thunder could prove to be a dominating force later in the series if they can advance. For tonight’s NBA game on August 5th, the Lakers are getting -250 and a spread of -6, and our pick is for both to hold up.

The Boston Celtics Meet Up With the Brooklyn Nets

When the Nets took down the Bucks this past weekend, no one had expected it. That put the team back on the radar as a possibility for a playoff spot, but there is still a lot of work to be done for that to happen. The Nets are now 2-1, thanks to another win against the Chicago Bulls, and will go into tonight’s game motivated and hungry. Whether they can handle their first late game, though, is one of the questions on basketball fans’ minds.

The Celtics haven’t been looking too hot. They’ve dropped two games, most recently against the Miami Heat. They were edged out by the Bucks as the NBA reboot began and have only been able to beat the ninth-place Portland Trail Blazers. They will also play without Kemba Walker, who is going to have to take a break to nurse a knee injury. This game is a back-to-back for the Celtics, as well as the Nets, and it remains to be seen if they have the strength to deliver.

Chances are, they do and they are our second NBA pick for 5th August. The Celtics are getting -110 and a spread of -8.5 because of the talent and experience on the team. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are expected to put up the numbers, with the young Tatum finally coming into his own. He got off to a slow start in the bubble, going 2 for 18 in the first game. However, he then improved, scoring 34 and 23 in each of the next two games and will be back in form again tonight. The Celtics have to work out a few kinks still, but we pick them to be able to do so against the Nets.

So, that rounds up our NBA picks and parlays for 5th August,