Sports betting on the NBA is one of America’s favorite fall and winter pastimes. The Dallas Mavericks are definitely in the throes of rebuilding, as their 1-6 start shows. The Memphis Grizzlies have been a pleasant surprise so far, roaring out to a 5-1 start, with the Los Angeles Clippers just a half-game back in the beginning of life after Chris Paul. Oklahoma City is just 3-3 in the first six games of the Carmelo era, while the Lakers are just 2-4 after the arrival of Lonzo Ball. In the East, the 76ers are just 2-4 but look light-years better with the return of Joel Embiid at full strength. The Detroit Pistons have started out hot, winning five of their first seven grades. Cleveland is still figuring out life with Dwyane Wade (and without Kyrie Irving), sitting at 3-4. Let’s look at some of the best NBA betting picks for this week.
The New Orleans Pelicans have been spending some time figuring out how to blend in DeMarcus Cousins with Anthony Davis. It looked like they might have figured it out over the weekend, as they went to Sacramento and picked up a big win and then returned home to rout the Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Pelicans can ever figure out how to go on an extended run with those two talented big men, they will be hard for other teams to finish out. I see the Pelicans knocking off a tough, young Minnesota team at home.
NBA Betting Pick: New Orleans Pelicans
Top NBA Betting Matchups of the Week – October 30th
The entire Top 5 of our Week 3 Power Rankings is from the West. The rest ➡️ https://t.co/0n0SpEYjnn pic.twitter.com/ovcveq5rB1
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 30, 2017
Tuesday, October 31
Oklahoma City at Milwaukee (8:00pm ET, NBA TV)
Bringing Carmelo Anthony on board should make the Thunder one of the NBA’s superteams. However, right now they are ranking dead last in defensive rebounding. Last season, they were #1 in rebounding rate. Switching the emphasis from defense to offense can be a good thing, as it means that Russell Westbrook won’t be expected to score half the team’s points each night, but it also means that things can go poorly on the other end of the floor. The rebounding issues are why the Thunder has started 3-3 — that and a couple of buzzer-beaters by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Milwaukee Bucks have come out of the gate at 4-2, with their losses coming at home against Cleveland and Boston. They have already beaten Boston on the road, though, and they also delivered a tough win at Atlanta. Giannis Antetokounmpo already looks elite again this year — against Atlanta, he went 11 for 12 in the paint on a 33-point night. If Giannis can keep clicking at this rate, the Bucks will be the real deal in the East this year, instead of just a curiosity. I see the Bucks delivering at home over the Thunder. NBA Betting Pick: Milwaukee BucksWednesday, November 1
Minnesota at New Orleans (8:00pm ET)
Minnesota lost to Detroit and Indiana last week. However, they figured out how to get things done and finished strong against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as Jimmy Butler returned after missing two contests with an upper respiratory infection. Karl-Anthony Towns had a huge night against OKC, putting up 33 points and 19 boards. The Timberwolves are one of the most exciting young teams — it’s almost too bad they’re in the West, where you are likely to finish at or above .500 and miss the playoffs, because of all the great teams stacked up there.
The New Orleans Pelicans have been spending some time figuring out how to blend in DeMarcus Cousins with Anthony Davis. It looked like they might have figured it out over the weekend, as they went to Sacramento and picked up a big win and then returned home to rout the Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Pelicans can ever figure out how to go on an extended run with those two talented big men, they will be hard for other teams to finish out. I see the Pelicans knocking off a tough, young Minnesota team at home.
NBA Betting Pick: New Orleans Pelicans
