The opening week of the NBA brought with it some expected results, reinforcing our deep appreciation for the league's captivating drama and inherent unpredictability. The Memphis Grizzlies have lost all 3 of their games, Luka Doncic looks like he wants his hands on the MVP title and, in Milwaukee, Damian Lillard put up a franchise record 39 points on his debut against the Sixers, but followed that up with an abysmal 6pt game against the Hawks. Yes, you read that correctly—just 6 points. As usual, we’ll break down the games for this week and offer some bet predictions for our online sports betting community. **Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat** The Bucks' unexpected loss to the Hawks raised eyebrows across the league. Dame Lillard made headlines in this defeat for all the wrong reasons. Up until this point, dating back to 2019, Lillard had been maintaining an impressive average of 35 points per game against the Hawks with a remarkable 68.5% true shooting percentage and 7 assists. So, there were high expectations for a standout performance, especially after his remarkable 39-point debut. However, what transpired was one of the poorest shooting nights of his career. The Hawks seized a 6-point lead after the first quarter, and by halftime, that lead had ballooned to an astonishing 21 points, leaving the crowd in stunned silence. Dame Lillard failed to register a single point in the first half and concluded the game with a meager 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Even more concerning than his shooting performance was his defensive display. [As we noted previously,](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/damian-lillard-s-bucks-trade-and-the-nba-domino-effect/) while Dame Lillard excels as an offensive powerhouse, his defensive capabilities leave much to be desired. The Hawks' guards took turns exploiting this vulnerability in the Bucks' perimeter defense. Trae Young contributed 20 points and 11 assists, Dejounte Murray added 15 points and 5 assists, and Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in with 17 points and 6 assists coming off the bench. In what will be their 3rd home game in a row, we expect better shooting from Dame Lillard and he should put up better numbers. However, the persistent defensive concerns are unlikely to disappear soon. Miami's guard, Tyler Herro, who has been maintaining an impressive average of 22 points per game this season, is poised for a high-scoring night. Miami Heat have had a rocky start to the season themselves and currently have a 1-2 record. Their 16-point loss to the Timberwolves raised some questions as they seem to have carried over their regular season struggles from last season. Just this last playoffs, the Heat stunned the Bucks in the 1st Round of the playoffs as Jimmy Butler dominated the series. Giannis Antetokounmpo battled injuries, but the Heat were sure not to play with their food. While the Heat will come into this game full of confidence, the Bucks have the edge and something to prove, and we expect them to come out with a win. **Betting Tips**:
**Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz** Barring a miracle, the Nuggets are going to win this, and they’ll do so easily. The question is, how many points are they going to score? Though we’re just 3 games into the season, the Utah Jazz have been one of the worst defensive teams in this early stage. They have given up 130 points to the Kings, 118 to the Clippers, and 126 to the Suns. Their opponents are shooting at a 46.6% rate from beyond the three-point line, which currently stands as the worst in the league. Also, they rank in the bottom five in terms of turnover rate. The Nuggets, in contrast, are displaying no signs of a championship hangover. They have a perfect 3-0 record to start the season and are fresh from a commanding 33-point victory over the Thunder in Oklahoma City. In that game, four of the Nuggets' five starters recorded an impressive +20 or higher in their plus-minus ratings, with Nikola Jokic leading the way with a remarkable 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Nuggets currently boast an outstanding 60.5% effective field goal percentage for the season, ranking as the second-highest in the league to start the year. They are shooting 39.8% from beyond the arc, making 67.3% of their attempts at the rim, and showing strong ball security, all of which contribute to their successful performances. Although the Jazz are decent on the offensive front, particularly in the paint where a significant 42.1% of their shots have originated, and they hold the league's second-highest offensive rebounding rate, they lack the firepower to deliver a defeat to the Nuggets on Denver's home court and we have the best odds for this among all betting sites. **Betting Tip:**
**Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks** The Cleveland Cavaliers have encountered a somewhat worrisome start to the season. While they narrowly clinched their first game by edging the Nets 114-113 in Brooklyn, they have suffered two consecutive losses in their home games, first against the Thunder and then against the Pacers on Sunday. As they gear up for a double-header against the Knicks, it's worth noting that the Knicks eliminated them in the playoffs last season, and will have a bit of revenge on their minds. The Cavs are expected to welcome back their star guard, Donovan Mitchell, to the starting lineup after he missed the game against the Pacers due to injury. Mitchell has been averaging an impressive 35 points per game in the first two games of the season, and his absence had a detrimental impact on the Cavs' offensive performance. The Knicks too are 1-2 to start the season, though an argument can be made that they’ve lost to better teams in the Celtics and a Zion Williamson led Pelicans side whom they impressively held to below 100 points. However, their primary concern so far has been their All-Star forward, Julius Randle, who is averaging just 13.7 points per game and has a combined 13-47 shooting performance from the field in the opening 3 games. To put this in perspective, Immanuel Quickley, one of their bench players, is averaging 15 points per game while playing 10 fewer minutes than Randle. In a matchup against the Cavaliers, a team that has no trouble scoring, we believe the Knicks with lose. **Betting Tip:** [Cleveland Cavs to win](https://m.betking.com/sports/events/prematch/basketball/usa/nba)
**Los Angeles Lakers vs. Orlando Magic** The Los Angeles Lakers recently experienced a tough 132-127 overtime loss to the Kings, a game in which four of their starters, including LeBron James, logged over 38 minutes on the court. Now, they face the challenge of playing the second game of a back-to-back night, going up against a youthful and high-energy Orlando Magic team. The Magic may well be aiming to exploit the Lakers' fatigue in this matchup. The unbeaten Magic opened up their season with a commanding 116-86 win over the Rockets on home court before embarking on a 4-game road trip to the Western Conference. So far, they’ve beaten the Trail Blazer and will face both Los Angeles teams before wrapping up their trip with a visit to Utah. The Magic's young talents continue to make a strong impression. Off the bench, Cole Anthony, who scored 20 points in the season opener against the Rockets, contributed 18 points against Portland. Also, Paolo Banchero made his presence felt by tallying 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a couple of steals against the Trail Blazers. Ordinarily, despite how impressive the Magic have looked, the Lakers should win this. However, given that this game is part of a back-to-back, there's a possibility that the Lakers may decide to rest LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis. This scenario might provide the Magic with a slight advantage, increasing the chances of an upset. **Betting Tip:**
**Washington Wizards vs. Boston Celtics** These two teams couldn't have more contrasting ambitions for the season. We expect the Washington Wizards to tank to secure a top draft pick, while the Boston Celtics are fully committed to their pursuit of an NBA championship this season as evident by the significant trades and coaching changes they've made. One of the prominent trades by the Celtics involved acquiring Latvian forward Kristaps Porziņģis from the Wizards. After experiencing several injury-plagued seasons and inconsistent performances, Porziņģis had a standout year with the Wizards last season, achieving career-best statistics in points and steals. Although he has only played two games with the Celtics, Porziņģis has already made a good impression, averaging 23.5 points per game while shooting an impressive 46.7% from three-point range. Against his former team, he should be aiming to put on a show. The Boston Celtics have made a strong start to the season and are widely expected to dominate the Wizards. In the first two games, Jayson Tatum has been on fire, averaging 28.0 points per game along with 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists, while Jaylen Brown is contributing 19 points per game. The critical figures in this matchup, however, are the Celtics' guards – Derrick White and the recently acquired Jrue Holiday. White is impressively averaging 20 points per game in the first two games, and Holiday is contributing 13 points per game. However, it is their defensive capabilities that will be pivotal when these two teams face off. The Wizards' primary scorer this season has been Jordan Poole, and with White and Holiday, the Celtics possess two elite defenders who are well-equipped to effectively contain him for the duration of the game. **Betting Tips:**
[Sign up](https://m.betking.com/account/registration) on the best betting site in Nigeria, **BetKing** , and start betting on [Basketball games](https://m.betking.com/sports/basketball/competitions) including the [NBA](https://m.betking.com/sports/events/prematch/basketball/usa/nba) and the [EuroLeague.](https://m.betking.com/sports/events/prematch/basketball/euroleague/euroleague)