Top 3 NBA Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (10/21)
There's a full slate of NBA games today, as 22 more teams begin the regular season. Below, I highlight why I think the Timberwolves are being undervalued against the Heat, why there won't be much defense when the Jazz play the Grizzlies and why the Kings and Clippers will struggle to score. Here are the best NBA Picks for Wednesday, October 21st.
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
Wednesday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Miami Heat
Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to make his regular-season debut for the Heat, but I'm still backing the Timberwolves to win. Last season, the Timberwolves ranked seventh in scoring offense and 12th in scoring defense. In one game against Antetokounmpo, the Timberwolves allowed him to score 25 points in a 139-106 win.
Even with Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson joining the Heat, I still give the Timberwolves the offensive advantage in this game. Anthony Edwards averaged 28.8 points per game last season, the third-most in the league. Now, point guard LaMelo Ball will join him, and he averaged 20.1 points and 7.1 assists per game last season with the Hornets.
Last season, the Heat finished 26-15 at home, despite finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference. That's impressive, but this is a totally different team, and the Timberwolves, who should be better than they were a year ago, went 23-18 on the road and 18-12 against Eastern Conference foes.
Pick: Timberwolves Moneyline (-102)
Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies
After drafting Cameron Boozer to join Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells, the Grizzlies are loaded with young talent. However, despite going 3-1 in the preseason, I'm not ready to say the Grizzlies can compete with anyone, even a Jazz team that finished 22-60 last season.
However, I believe the Grizzlies will score plenty against last year's worst-scoring defense. Last season, the Jazz allowed 126 points per game, a 49.4% field-goal rate and a 37.2% three-point rate. The young Grizzlies couldn't ask for a better matchup as they get used to playing regular-season basketball together.
That said, the Jazz scored plenty last season, averaging 117.6 points per game. Lauri Markkanen averaged 26.7 points per game, while Keyonte George averaged 23.6 points per game. And for as bad as the Jazz defense was, the Grizzlies weren't much better, allowing 120.7 points per game last season.
Pick: Over 239.5 Points (-102)
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Clippers
The final game on tonight's slate features two teams already dealing with a slew of injuries. Ben Simmons suffered a season-ending Achilles injury this past weekend, and the Kings will also be without Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud. Meanwhile, the Clippers will be without Bradley Beal, Max Strus and Brandon Ingram.
Both teams struggled to score last season, with the Clippers averaging 113.8 points per game and the Kings averaging 111. Defensively, the Clippers allowed just 112.6 points per game, and while the Kings finished with the fourth-worst scoring defense, they were also without Domantas Sabonis for most of the season.
Pick: Under 228.5 Points (-110)
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.