ESPN’s basketball betting tips and cheat sheet are your pregame destination for betting predictions and the best data. We have all the information you need to make informed fantasy and betting decisions. Caesars Sportsbook provides October 24 NBA odds. Fantasy advice is based upon ESPN 10-team leagues.
What you should know for Monday’s game
Smith’s Spot: The Pacers will not have veteran centers Myles Turner Or Daniel Theis available against Joel Embiid And the 76ers in South Philly tonight, vaulting Jalen Smith (49% available for ESPN leagues) to a greater role. On Saturday, the third-year big dominated the Pistons with 19 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. This was good for almost 47 DraftKings point. Smith’s 26th-place rebounding percentage ranking puts him in a great spot to be a value provider for double-double props in all fantasy formats.
Last Guard Standing Orlando guards Gary Harris, Markelle FultzAnd Jalen Suggs Due to their respective injuries, they have been ruled out of tonight’s matchup against visiting Knicks. This scenario should prove to be Cole Anthony The Magic’s key scorer and playmaker, Anthony (42% available), plays an important role. Anthony’s assist prop (5.5 DraftKings) is appealing as he leads the team in passes with almost 54 and nine potential assists per games through two outings.
Spot Game: Tonight’s game features the Jazz and Rockets, two of five teams projected to win less than 25 games this season. Exciting. A 3-0 team against a 0-3 team may seem exciting to casual bettors, who might question the game as a coin-toss. Don’t be like that. Houston will likely make a lot of money off this spot. Jalen Green His scoring props were crushed (first half last season: One shot every 2.4 minutes; second half: 2.0; through three games this year: 1.7).
Living at the Edge Paolo Banchero This rookie has been the talk at the league as he has scored over 20 points in all three games while averaging 8.7 boards. But does his projected point total seem a little high tonight? The Knicks ranked in the top 10 defense last season, and they’re again this season. Banchero has been a good player but sometimes he looks like a rookie. After being 11-for-18 on the field in the opener, Banchero is now 12-for-37 in the second half, thanks to 13 3PA (0 in his NBA debut). New York will be facing two bigs and Banchero in a physical matchup, which could make this a disappointing spot after an impressive start.
Brooklyn Support: Since last season’s start, there have only been 40 Nets games that had point totals below 225. When they were favored, the Nets were only 9-17 ATS and 8-5-1 as an underdog. Six of the eight covers had under tickets cashed. There’s plenty to think about as the Grizzlies take on their third opponent (in three cities) over four days.
Replacing Scottie: According to Nick Nurse, Coach Scottie Barnes An ankle injury sustained against Miami this weekend would cause Barnes to “miss some time”. Barnes had to be escorted off the court last season. Pascal SiakamThe usage and assist percentages of’s spiked. Due to Barnes’ absence, Siakam will be in this matchup as a building block for DFS formats. He is also a target for passing props as his assist number on DraftKings is 4.5. Toronto’s is a great option for those who are in redraft leagues that are less deep. Gary Trent Jr. He is an excellent player, with 2.2 DraftKings points per 36 compared to Barnes. Trent’s 3-point goal is 2.5. He just hit 12 3-pointers against Miami.
— Jim McCormick, Kyle Soppe
Game of the Night
Orlando Magic At New York Knicks
7:30 p.m ET, Madison Square Garden, New York
LineKnicks (-7.5).
Moneyline: Magic (+240), Knicks (305)
Total: 221.5 points
BPI Projected Total 221.4 points
BPI Win% Knicks (77.7%).
Out: Jonathan Isaac (knee), Jalen Sugs (ankle), Gary Harris(knee), Markelle Fultz(toe), Moritz Wagner (midfoot)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are ruled-out, but assumes that questionable gamers will play
Fantasy streamer: Terrence Ross Available in 97.2% leagues Ross has increased his scoring in the absence of Jalen Sugs (and Markelle Fultz). Ross has scored in double figures in each of his three games. But, Ross’s big outing on Saturday has increased his season averages by 17.7 PPG., 4.0 RPG., 3.0 3PG., 1.3APG and 0.7 SP. Paolo Banchero Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr. Cole Anthony and Ross drawing much of the defensive focus, Ross has been able openly to eat off imbalance defenses and looks at Cole Anthony. — Snellings
Best bet: Paolo Banchero over 17.5 points. Banchero will eventually have a game that is down-scoring, as it was stated in the open. Banchero is still the Magic’s main scoring option, and will probably get a lot of shots in every match. He was projected to average 19.5 points per game, but he has been averaging 23.3 points per game in his three NBA games. His expected points on any given night are high enough that he could have a down-game and still score over 17.5 points. — Snellings
BEst bet: Jalen Brunson Over 5.5 assists Brunson was selected to be the Knicks’ primary creative force. He was projected to average 7.1 points per game this season. In his two first games, he has already dished out nine assists and six assists with zero turnovers. The Magic rank third in the league with 115.5 points per 100 possessions. Brunson and the Knicks will have ample opportunities to score points. — Snellings
The rest of the slate must be broken down
Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers
7:00 ET, Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia
Line: 76ers (-12)
Moneyline: Pacers (+550),76ers (-800).
Total: 230.5 points
BPI Projected Total 230.8 points
BPI Win% 76ers (87.8%)
Out: Myles Turner (ankle), Daniel Theis, (knee).
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are ruled-out, but assumes that questionable gamers will play
Fantasy streamer: Benedict Mathurin, available in 62% leagues Mathurin is not a streaming player. Mathurin is not a streamer. He averaged 24.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG in his three NBA games. Mathurin will remain a fixture of the space until he is rostered for all leagues. — Snellings
The best bet is: Joel Embiid More than 41.5+ points Saturday night, Embiid’s 27th career game was against the Spurs. He had at least 40 points and 10 rebounds. Since his 2016 debut, Embiid has played in 22 such games. James Harden. The 76ers will heavily rely on Embiid’s low defense against a Pacers frontcourt that is undersized to earn their first win of this season. I like Embiid’s chances of winning this season. He has an average of 27.0 points and 13.3 rebounds. — Eric Moody
Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat
7:30 p.m. ET, FTX Arena in Miami
LineHeat (-3.5).
Moneyline: Raptors (+140), Heat (165)
Total: 215 Points
BPI Projected Total 217.7 Points
BPI Win% Heat (62.2%)
Questionable: Scottie Barnes (ankle)
Out: Victor Oladipo (knee), Caleb Martin (suspended), Otto Porter Jr. (hamstring)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are ruled-out, but assumes that questionable gamers will play
Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls
8:00 PM ET, United Center Chicago
Line: Celtics (-6)
Moneyline: Celtics (-240), Bulls (+196)
Total: 225 Points
BPI Projected Total 225.4 Points
BPI Win% Celtics (72.9%)
Out: Robert Williams III (knee), Danilo Gallinari (knee), Lonzo Ball (knee)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are ruled-out, but assumes that questionable gamers will play
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves
8:00 p.m ET, Target Center, Minneapolis
Line: Timberwolves (-8.5)
Moneyline: Spurs (+278) and Timberwolves (-355)
Total: 234.5 points
BPI Projected Total 239.4 Points
BPI Win% Timberwolves (74.5%)
Questionable: Kyle Anderson (back)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are ruled-out, but assumes that questionable gamers will play
Best bet is over 234.5 points It is possible that this matchup could be very high scoring. The Timberwolves and Spurs are among the top 12 offensive rating teams. Both teams rank amongst the top 12 in speed and defensive rating. The Spurs rank 26th. The over is 9-4 in 13 of the 13 meetings between these two sides. Moody
Brooklyn Nets at Memphis Grizzlies
FedExForum Memphis, 8:00 PM ET
LineGrizzlies (-1)
Moneyline: Nets (-105), Grizzlies(-115)
Total: 233.5 points
BPI Projected Total 239.1 Points
BPI Win% Grizzlies (53.7%)
Questionable: Dillon Brooks (thigh)
Out: Seth Curry (ankle), Markieff Morris (personal), Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot), Ziaire Williams (knee)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are ruled-out, but assumes that questionable gamers will play
Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets
8:00 ET, Toyota Center Houston
Line: Jazz (-2)
Moneyline: Jazz (-130), Rockets (+110)
Total: 232 points
BPI Projected Total 238.8 points
BPI Win% Jazz (69.6%)
Questionable: Alperen Sengun (illness)
Out: Jae’Sean Tate (ankle), TyTy Washington Jr. (knee), Udoka Azubuike (ankle)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are ruled-out, but assumes that questionable gamers will play
The best bet is: Jalen Green Over 23.5 points Green, who scored 22 points against the Bucks on 31% shooting, is coming off his second-worst performance in 12 games. One positive was that Green posted a season-high 31.3% usage against Milwaukee. Green has a good chance of winning against the Jazz at home in an exploitable matchup. Moody
The best bet is: Lauri Markkanen over 31.5 points+assists+rebounds. Markkanen’s versatility is on full display so far this season. While it is early, his career highs of 24.0 ppg, 9.7 RPG, and 3.7 apg are still in sight. He should be able replicate his numbers against the Rockets team that ranks last for defensive rating. Moody
Fantasy streamer: Usman Garuba (Rosed in 0.9% ESPN leagues) As the Rockets face off against the Jazz, it is already on the streaming radar. Houston will be without Bruno Fernando And Jae’Sean TateNow, and every day Alperen Sengun An illness has made it questionable. Garuba averaged 8.2 points, 13.9 rebound and 2.8 assists in 40 minutes last season. — Moody
Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers
10:00 PM ET Moda Center Portland
Line: Nuggets
Moneyline: Trailblazers (+175) and Nuggets (+205)
Total: 226 points
BPI Projected Total 227.8 Points
BPI Win% Nuggets (66.5%)
Out: Gary Payton II: out (core).
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are ruled-out, but assumes that questionable gamers will play
Analytics Edge
BPI’s highest-promised totals
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: 123.5
2. Utah Jazz: 122.2 points
3. Philadelphia 76ers: 121.7
BPI’s lowest projection totals
1. Orlando Magic: 106.4 points
2. Toronto Raptors: 107.2 points
3. Indiana Pacers: 109.1 points
BPI Top Probability to Win (straight up).
1. Philadelphia 76ers: 88%
2. New York Knicks: 77%
3. Minnesota Timberwolves: 74.5%