Now that the weekend is here, it’s time to simplify the grind. Instead of splitting sides/totals and player props into separate pieces, my weekend columns will bring everything under one roof — a streamlined look at my favorite bets for the day’s slate. Fewer words, hopefully the same results. Keep reading for my NBA picks and predictions for Sunday, October 25.
RELATED: Check out the Pro Picks page for more selections from our talented VSiN hosts and analysts!
NBA Best Bets Today
PARLAY: Raptors Alt +7.5 vs. Timberwolves & Knicks ML vs. Magic (-112)
Raptors at Timberwolves – 7:00 pm ET
Magic at Knicks – 7:00 pm ET
I haven’t had too much success with my alternate spread parlays early in the season, but I did finally nail one last night. Let’s see if we can do it two days in a row. For this one, I’m grabbing some extra points with the Raptors in what I think will be a fascinating game. Toronto and Minnesota have been two of the best teams in the league to start this season. The Timberwolves have the clear advantage when looking at the backcourt, but the Raptors have it everywhere else. Toronto also happens to have a strong defensive infrastructure, and I expect Darko Rajakovic, one of the league’s best coaches, to have the best defensive game plan in place for the LaMelo Ball-Anthony Edwards backcourt that we’ve seen yet. Then, in the other game, I just can’t imagine the Knicks falling to 0-3 against a Magic team which is missing Paolo Banchero. If Anthony Black returns for Orlando, that’d be a huge boost. But it’d also be a one-for-one swap when looking at strictly contributors, and the Magic rotation is light on those.
Pistons ML (-115 – 1.5 units) vs. 76ers
Pistons at 76ers – 7:30 pm ET
I’ll talk a little about the Pistons when I go live on the Hardwood Handicappers YouTube channel on Monday (at right around 2:00 pm PST), but the “spoiler alert” is that I might have been wrong about Detroit in the betting guide. This team has a net rating of +12.3 right now, and the group earned wins over the Celtics and the Heat. The Boston victory definitely felt a bit lucky, but it’s clear this team plays with a fight and togetherness that matters. Well, I expect it to matter tonight, too. The 76ers have looked awesome to start the year, but the one issue this team could have against other top-tier teams is a lack of continuity. Where should the ball go when the game matters most? Philadelphia has done a good job of answering that early, but it is early. At some point, we should see some hiccups. Perhaps we see them against an elite Detroit defense. This is also the second leg of a back-to-back for the 76ers, so we’re likely not going to see Joel Embiid. Will anyone else be joining him on the inactive list? Realistically, it’d be stunning if Detroit lets this one slip away.
NBA Player Props Today
Walker Kessler Over 26.5 Points + Rebounds (-105) vs. Jazz
Lakers at Jazz – 5:00 pm ET
Kessler is averaging 32.5 combined points and rebounds since the start of the new season, so life has been nice with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves setting him up. Well, in this afternoon’s game, Kessler gets to go up against his former team. That’s always somewhat motivating. Utah also happens to be playing with one of the weakest center rotations in basketball. Kessler should feast on his usual diet of dunk and layups, and I also expect him to dominate the glass.
Egor Demin Over 11.5 Points (-105 – 1.5 units) & Alt Points 15+ (+211 – 0.5 units) vs. Pacers
Pacers at Nets – 6:00 pm ET
Demin is coming off a 22-point performance against the Cavaliers last night, and that was a game in which he went 5 for 10 from three. I’m expecting more nights like that the rest of the season, as Demin is a player I think is ready to take a massive leap. Well, in tonight’s game, Demin will be up against a Pacers team that is in the league’s bottom 10 in raw defensive rating (117.6). Demin should be able to get some quality looks here, so I’m going big on the Over of 11.5. I’m also sprinkling 15+ at +211. Honestly, I think Demin will average more than 15.0 points per game this year.
Jaylen Wells Over 1.5 Made Threes (-130) vs. Kings
Grizzlies at Kings – 9:00 pm ET
Dating back to last season, Wells has knocked down at least two triples in 16 of his last 20 games. The young wing is also coming off a performance against the Warriors in which he knocked down four of them. Wells is a good spot-up shooter, so the Grizzlies will always be looking to get him his looks. Well, I don’t see the looks drying up against this Kings defense. Only four teams have a lower raw defensive rating than Sacramento’s 118.6 this season, and the Kings are allowing 14.0 made triples per game. Only six teams are allowing more than that.
Additional Plays (Late Adds, Teasers, Parlays, Futures)
Nothing yet.
