NBA Preview for Aug. 1: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Daily Fantasy Picks, Odds
August 1, 2020
The NBA bubble is bursting with nail-biters, highlight plays and gobs of great basketball.
Judging by the five-game slate on deck, that should continue to be the case on Saturday.
With the first tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and the final contest starting at 8:30 p.m. ET, there should be a day's worth of entertainment—and money-making opportunities for the wagering world. We'll get to all the scheduling particulars, latest odds (from Caesars Palace) and top daily fantasy recommendations below.
Broadcast Schedule, Latest Odds for Aug. 1 NBA Slate
Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Odds: Nuggets -1.0 (O/U 212.0, per Vegas Insider)
Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Odds: Thunder -1.0 (O/U 216.0)
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Odds: Clippers -5.0 (O/U 226.0)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: Locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia or Fox Sports Indiana
Live Stream: League Pass
Odds: 76ers -5.5 (O/U 217.0)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Odds: Lakers -4.0 (O/U 215.5)
Daily Fantasy Recommendations
The Star: Kawhi Leonard, SF, Los Angeles Clippers ($9,500 on FanDuel, $8,900 on DraftKings)
The Clippers have the NBA's fifth-most efficient defense, and their tilt with the Pelicans still features the day's highest over/under by almost 10 points. That says everything you need to know about New Orleans' defense, which ranks just 20th on the season.
Few defenses have a great answer for Leonard, and the Pels' aren't one of them. In the teams' first two meetings, the reigning Finals MVP cooked them, averaging 32.5 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals.
Leonard struggled with his shot in the Clippers' restart opener, going just 7-of-16 from the field, but he was dealing with a fully locked-in LeBron James. The important thing is Leonard logged 33 minutes and still found his way to 28 points, showing how impactful he can be even if he's not razor-sharp with his accuracy.
Given the projected point total here, this might be a game worth stacking, and Leonard looks like the perfect centerpiece to build around.
The Sleeper: T.J. Warren, SF/PF, Indiana Pacers ($6,000 on FD; $5,800 on DK)
With Domantas Sabonis sidelined by a foot injury and Victor Oladipo still scraping off the rust from 2019 knee surgery, the Pacers could be scrambling to find offensive production.
Warren should be a sneaky-good source of just that. The sixth-year forward leads the Pacers in scoring at 18.7 points per game and owns a career-high 52.9 field-goal percentage.
Indy should be looking to push at every opportunity, since Sabonis was the primary creator in the half-court. That's all the better for Warren, who ranks among the 81st percentile of scorers in transition.
He has already faced the Sixers three times this season, averaging 23.7 points on 65.1 percent shooting in those contests. While he may not impact many other categories, his scoring alone could help him outperform his price tag.
The Bargain: Monte Morris, PG, Denver Nuggets ($3,900 on FD; $3,500 on DK)
While not typically a super fantasy-relevant player, Morris has a chance to look the part Saturday after a rash of injuries across Denver's perimeter.
Both Gary Harris (hip) and Will Barton (knee) have already been ruled out, and Jamal Murray (hamstring) is questionable.
Morris doesn't have a ton of sizzle in his game, but he's steady on the ball (career 3.6 assists against 0.7 turnovers in 22.6 minutes) and a reliable shooter from distance (career 39.8 percent). On the rare nights when he's been given a big opportunity, he has typically delivered, averaging 11.3 points, 5.0 assists, 1.4 threes and 1.1 steals during the eight games in which he's logged 30-plus minutes.
The Heat aren't the most favorable matchup, as any defense led by Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Andre Iguodala can be stifling. But Miami has some defensive holes, especially at point guard, as both rookie Kendrick Nunn and veteran Goran Dragic are vulnerable on that end.