NBA Betting Picks: 3 Predictions That Will Pay Off 10/23
- Here are our free NBA picks tonight for the first full night of action.
- Expect plenty of points when the Pacers visit Detroit.
- The Hornets’ Brandon Miller will be ready to jack them up in Houston.
- Remember to survey the NBA news for any injury or lineup decisions before making your final selections.
We had a mixed bag of results in our opening night selections, but it took one of the worst shooting performances in one player’s career to sink us. These things will even out, and the big slate of games on Wednesday evening gives us loads of NBA betting to make. Here are the three best wagers we can find.
3 NBA Picks for Wednesday 10/23
1. Indy 500
At this time last year, there were few among us that knew the Indiana Pacers were going to put forth the highest-scoring season in four decades. But that’s what they did, riding Tyrese Haliburton and a high-paced attack to some gaudy numbers.
29 TRIPLES. TIED FOR AN NBA RECORD.
Watch every splash from the @celtics historic night! pic.twitter.com/tLzIhuDkx3
— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2024
The Pacers hit the over 54.1% of the time in 2023-24, the fifth-highest mark in the NBA, and they often did much better when rested. They head to Detroit to begin the season to face a Pistons squad that was remade and looking to rise up under first-year coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
When these teams met last season, Indiana won all four meetings. In doing so, Haliburton’s crew averaged 129.5 points. Detroit averaged 113.5. Simple math puts the combined output at well over 240 points.
There could be some rust in the opener, but we said that about the Celtics and Knicks and it wasn’t the case, at least not with one team. With the over/under for Pacers-Pistons set at 235½, there’s an opportunity for a quick winning bet online.
29 TRIPLES. TIED FOR AN NBA RECORD.
Watch every splash from the @celtics historic night! pic.twitter.com/tLzIhuDkx3
— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2024
Bet on Pacers vs Pistons Over 235 Points (-110)
2. Miller Time
To some, Brandon Miller will forever be the guy taken after Victor Wembanyama. But Miller did more than enough as a rookie to make it clear that he’ll be a star as well, and he is a trendy pick to absolutely explode in his second year.
Miller leads the Charlotte Hornets into Houston for an intriguing opener. He and LaMelo Ball will have the green light to chuck it up all season; the Hornets were second in the NBA this preseason with 16.8 made 3-pointers per game.
Miller impressed from the arc as a rookie, averaging 2.5 per game and hitting at a 37.3% clip. In March, the season’s last full month, he made 3.0 per contest. In the preseason? Try 4.2.
This will be a high-volume guy with almost no restrictions and a wizard looking for him in Ball, who will jack up loads of them as well. Lean into Miller from the arc, even with the knowledge that the Rockets defended the perimeter pretty well last season.
Bet on Brandon Miller to Make at Least Three 3-pointers (-205)
Bet $200 on NBA, Get $450 Bonus on a first-time deposit! Power up your picks!
3. Ride the Raptors
Toronto is still in a rebuild but has plenty of athleticism, and will create some excitement at home this year. The Raptors host Cleveland in their opener, a tough test for the Scottie Barnes-led crew but one we think may yield some good results for the home team.
The Cavaliers, who are without Max Strus to begin the season, are giving away 6½ points on the road, which is a pretty hefty number. They are breaking in a new coach in Kenny Atkinson while Toronto is entering its second year under Darko Rajakovic, who now has his system in place and could be leading a dark horse playoff contender.
Preseason results don’t always mean much but Cleveland was the only team in the East that didn’t win a game. Toronto was 3-2, winning its two home games over Washington and the defending champion from Boston.
The Raptors won one of two meetings with the Cavaliers at home last season and they covered in the one matchup in Cleveland, falling 105-102. Toronto was a team flirting with .500 into January before the bottom fell out and then Barnes was hurt.
Take the home team to ride some first-game energy to a solid showing, leading to a narrow loss or even a win.
Bet on Toronto Raptors +6.5 (-110)
Questions of the Day
Which player in action on Wednesday could be a sneaky pick for a postseason award?
See what you can find on Devin Booker for MVP. After a solid summer with Team USA, he leads the Suns into a second season with their Big Three in place. Booker and KD both averaged 27.1 points and the former is firmly in his prime. He showed comfort as the primary distributor last season while not compromising his own scoring numbers, and could be primed for some big results for a team that should win 50-plus games.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
