The field for the NBA Playoffs continues to narrow while the league has successfully managed to show COVID-19 who’s the boss.  The season continues to work better than everyone had anticipated, and even those once opposed to see mocked-up fans in the stands are coming around.  In two days, the NBA Bubble will get much smaller, which will only further serve to protect players and staff. According to Yahoo, “NBA teams that have been mathematically eliminated on or before Aug. 12 will depart campus immediately after their final game has ended.  Following game, teams will shower in designated rooms at the Coronado Springs Resort, receive meal and take team bus to airport.”  With that being said, there are still plenty of teams in the running for the NBA championship title, so let’s have a look at our picks for Aug 10.

NBA Picks & Parlays Aug 10, 2020

Oklahoma City Meets Phoenix

One of the surprise upsets of the NBA reboot was the victory the Oklahoma City Thunder took over the LA Lakers.  With a final score of 105-86, this was about as upside down as any NBA game could get, and the Thunder now have a renewed sense of superiority as a result.  Since that win, they’ve gone 1-1 against teams that they should have been able to beat, but there is still a lot to be impressed with as the squad continues to show a great amount of strength.

They’ll need every bit of that strength tonight, too.  The Phoenix Suns haven’t dropped a game since the reboot, taking all five of their contests.  Two more wins will keep their playoff dreams alive, and they have shown that they’re going for the money.  Tonight’s game should be especially interesting, with both teams constantly providing awesome shows in the Bubble.

The Thunder might have to play without centers Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel, and point guard Dennis Schroder is out.  The Suns are looking to possibly take the court without center Aaron Baynes or point guard Elie Okobo, and small forward Kelly Oubre is not likely to be in at all.  The Suns are getting the advantage, despite being down Oubre, for a couple of reasons.  One is the five-game winning streak; the other is the fact that the Thunder are on the tail end of a back-to-back, which means they may not be at 100%.

The Suns are getting -220 and shouldn’t have a problem securing the win.  The 224.5 over/under is an easy target so also makes an excellent NBA pick for Aug 10.  The Suns have scored a minimum of 114 points in each of their games in the Bubble, but this is going to be a defensive game that will keep players in check.  The final score might break 200, but shouldn’t be able to reach 224.

The Bucks Stop Here

The Milwaukee Bucks take on the Toronto Raptors in a later game tonight, and the Raptors have been on fire.  They’ve taken eight of their last nine games, averaging 112.6 points across all nine.  Pascal Siakam is picking up an average of 23.1 points for the team, while Kyle Lowry is finding 19.5.  More than anything, they want a little buckshot to put Milwaukee in its place.

The Bucks are on top of the Eastern, and that won’t change.  They have beaten the Raptors twice this season and Toronto knows it needs this win more than anything.  However, Milwaukee has lost six of its eight last games, which has to be taking its toll.  There’s an outside chance (far outside) that they won’t be able to count on their giant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, which could also turn into a problem if he has to miss the game.

The Raptors are the definite underdogs at +195, but they are on fire and have a real shot at taking the victory tonight.  The only downside is that they’re on the second game of a back-to-back, but that won’t give them too much of a problem.  The Over/Under 226.5 (-110) will probably fall short, as Toronto has seen the under hit five times in the bubble.  It also hit when the two teams met during the regular season.  This is going to be a good game, but the Raptors can squeak by with the win.

That’s all for our NBA picks and parlays on Aug 10, think we have some nailed on money with these two. See you tomorrow.