The LA Lakers appear to be hitting their stride after an inconsistent start of the season and they can chalk up a fourth straight victory in the early hours of Wednesday morning against the Memphis Grizzlies.
There is always a degree of pressure on the reigning champions heading into a new campaign and early questions were being asked of Frank Vogel’s men, who had a 2-2 record after the first four matches.
LA have really started to pick up in the last week though, recording back-to-back victories over the San Antonio Spurs before running out a 108-94 winner against the Grizzlies at FedExForum.
Memphis will again host the Lakers and the visitors, who have racked up 819 points from seven games, will be confident of making it four wins on the spin.
Los Angeles have won four of their last five meetings with the Grizzlies, who are 2-4 this season, and it may be worth backing the Lakers to cover a -10 handicap at 1/1.
Portland to Edge Past Chicago
Another game taking place in the early hours of Wednesday is the clash between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Chicago Bulls at the Moda Center, a venue the visitors haven’t won at since November 2016.
Both teams have made an inconsistent start to the season, Portland are 3-3 in the Western Conference while Chicago are 3-4 over in the East, languishing down in 11th position.
How the Bulls would dearly love their trophy-laden spell in the 1990s to repeat itself, when they had the legendary Michael Jordan leading the way, but that unfortunately looks like a long time from happening again.
The six-time NBA champions lost their last game on the road, a 126-96 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks, and their lack of consistency makes it hard to back them with any confidence.
Portland have won the last seven meetings against Chicago and the home side could be worth backing in the handicap market, with the Trail Blazers 25/27 to cover a -10 spread.
76ers Enjoying Fast Start
The Philadelphia 76ers have been waiting a long time for a fourth NBA Championship, having last lifted the trophy in 1983 when beating the Lakers 4-0 in the finals, but their start to the season has brought about fresh optimism.
A fine Australian dish with a Cameroonian finish.
@statefarm pic.twitter.com/wdHYBy3jAY
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 5, 2021
Doc Rivers’ side are on a four-game winning streak and boast an impressive 6-1 record, suggesting they can put in a strong challenge for glory after injury scuppered their hopes last term, leading to Philly going out in the first round of the playoffs.
The 76ers are 16/1 for NBA Championship glory this year and will be looking to make it five wins on the spin when they welcome the Washington Wizards, who lost to Philadelphia 113-107 in their opener, to the Wells Fargo Center in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Joel Embiid has been a top performer for the 76ers this term, averaging 23.3 points-per-game, and another solid performance from him should be enough to keep Philadelphia on this golden run.
*All odds correct at time of writing
