After two weeks of the 2022-23 NBA regular season, teams are averaging 115 points per game. If they maintain this pace, that would shatter the record. Defense is not a premium, at least not yet. One game that showed this was Brooklyn’s 125-116 loss to the Indianapolis Pacers on Saturday. According to Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash, “It was a disaster. How else do you say it? I didn’t see the will, didn’t see the desire, or the connectivity necessary to get stops and get rebounds.” The team had a long players-only meeting after the game, so we will see if the Nets figure things out on the defensive end. As we look to Week 3, here are some sports betting picks for you to keep in mind.
NBA News: Top Betting Games for Week 3
→ Monday, October 31
Indiana Pacers (+8.5) at Brooklyn Nets (O/U 235)
(7:30 pm ET, NBA TV)
Brooklyn has covered the spread just once in their last nine games, a streak that extends back into last season. In their last eight games at Barclays Center, they have covered just once, while the Pacers have covered in nine of their last 10 games at Brooklyn. Indiana started 1-4, losing two of those games by double digits, but their last two games have brought wins over Washington and Brooklyn as underdogs. Monday night’s game wraps up a five-game road trip. Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin dominated on Saturday night, dropping 32 points on the Nets, and Tyrese Haliburton handed out eight assists. Center Jalen Smith pulled down 14 rebounds, and Myles Turner should return from rest on Saturday night; on Friday, he put up 27 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in that win over Washington.
The Nets have permitted an opponent to break the 30-point mark in four consecutive games, and they have only won one of their first six games. Three of those losses have come by nine or more points. On Saturday, the Nets also permitted 23 three-pointers, as they are in the basement of the NBA, permitting 43.8% shooting from downtown for the season. The scoring has been a positive, with Kevin Durant averaging 32 points per game. Kyrie Irving has hit the 30-point mark four times. Even so, until the Nets start showing some defensive energy, it’s hard to bet on them. Pacers to cover.
Memphis Grizzlies (+2) at Utah Jazz (O/U 229.5)
(9:00 pm ET)
The Grizzlies and Jazz also finish a two-game set on Monday night. Utah edged out the Grizzlies on Saturday, 124-123, and the Jazz have won eight of the last 10 games against Memphis. Saturday night’s game was a back-and-forth affair, with Memphis leading by six after the first period but trailing by eight at the intermission. They ran off a 15-0 run to go up six late in the third but entered the fourth down four. They took the lead back in the fourth and were up by four with two minutes left, but then the Jazz went on an 8-0 run to cement their hold on the lead. The Grizzlies show extremely well on the night, shooting 56.8% and making 12 of 27 shots from behind the arc, but the 20 turnovers proved fatal.
After dealing away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz were predicted to contend for the lottery. However, they have started the season with a 5-2 mark, just a half-game behind Portland in the Northwest Division going into Sunday. In the Saturday win, Kelly Olynyk and Lauri Markkanen each put up 23 points, and Markkanen also grabbed nine rebounds. Markkanen is the team’s leading scorer so far, with 21.4 points per game, as well as nine rebounds. Jordan Clarkson (17.3), Olynyk (13.7), Collin Sexton (12.1), Mike Conley (11) and Malik Beasley (11) are also all averaging double figures. The Jazz are third in the NBA with three-pointers, making 14.6 per game. But can they hold off a talented Grizzly team back to back? Memphis to win and cover.
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