We went 1-2 on the opening night of the season. Let's bounce back with our first full slate of NBA games.
Here are Wednesday's best bets.
Josh Giddey over 31.5 points + rebounds + assists
Josh Giddey has had eight triple-doubles in just two years in the NBA, the second most by a player under the age of 21.
He averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists last season, which is why the line opened at 30.5. However, the market's reaction forced oddsmakers to move it to 31.5.
Giddey, a Most Improved Player candidate, is expected to be a huge part of the Thunder's future plans. He's a 6-foot-8 guard who has uncanny vision and is a good rebounder for his size.
The Australia native attacks the basket well but has often been a liability as an outside shooter. If he improves his 3-point shot, he'll be a lethal scoring threat. His point total for Wednesday night's game against the Bulls is 17.5, but since he's a stat-filler, the combination bet is ideal.
Odds: -115 (playable to -130)
Pelicans (+1.5) vs. Grizzlies
Let's not overthink this. Play the better team as underdogs.
The Pelicans are the road team and Memphis was 25-18-1 against the spread at home last season, but the Grizzlies are without their best player in Ja Morant. Steven Adams also received season-ending shoulder surgery last week.
Additionally, Marcus Smart has never played a game for Memphis. While Desmond Bane should step into a bigger role in Morant's absence, this Grizzlies team doesn't have the firepower the Pelicans have.
Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and the rest of New Orleans' core are healthy to start the season. Those three have only played 10 games together due to various injuries, but they're a talented and potentially unstoppable offensive trio.
With the Pelicans entering the season healthy, expect them to get out to a fast start, just like they did last year. That begins Wednesday night in Memphis.
Odds: -120
Jayson Tatum over 26.5 points
Jayson Tatum has averaged 28.3 points per game in his last six matchups against the Knicks. He averaged 30 points last season and hasn't recorded below 25 points per contest since the 2019-2020 campaign.
As a result, Tatum's point total in Boston's road opener opened at 24.5 and has climbed with action coming in on the over.
Although Tom Thibodeau teams are usually known for their defense, New York's wasn't all that impressive last season. The Knicks had the NBA's 19th-best defensive rating.
It'll be interesting to see how Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday gel with Tatum and Jaylen Brown early this season. But Tatum is a professional scorer who won't ever have a problem finding his shots with the offense running through him. Expect an explosion from Tatum at Madison Square Garden.
Odds: -130 (playable to -150)
Obi Toppin over 17.5 rebounds + points
Obi Toppin is finally on a team where he'll earn the minutes he's been yearning for since he entered the league. He never played more than 17 minutes per game in his three seasons with the Knicks.
That'll certainly increase this campaign with Toppin expected to start at power forward for Indiana. He's an athletic slasher who can pound on the inside and also knock down threes. If he can improve on defense, which prevented him from earning more minutes with the Knicks, he'll be a key piece for the Pacers this season.
Toppin has averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 15 starts in his career. It's a small sample size, but Toppin made the most of his opportunities last season.
His point total for the opener is at 10.5, but placing a combo bet on his points and rebounds combined is smarter. Toppin will crash the boards for this Pacers squad, especially against a measly Wizards team.
Odds: -115 (playable to -130)
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage
