Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – October 30th, 2023

The Portland Trail Blazers are rebuilding and weren’t going to be very good regardless this season, but they might be truly horrible for the next 4-6 weeks while without arguably their best player in guard Anfernee Simons. He has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb suffered in the season opener. Simons averaged 21.1 points and 4.1 assists while shooting 37.7% from 3-point land last season and was expected to be the primary scorer this year with Damian Lillard traded. Here are two intriguing early-week matchups around the NBA and our picks.

Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week (October 30th, 2023)

After one week of play, the Nuggets stay at the top while the Celtics jump to No. 2

Take a look at the full NBA App Power Rankings heading into Week 2!

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— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2023

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers

• When: Monday, October 30th, 2023, 10:00 PM ET
• Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• TV: Bally Sports Indiana, NBC Sports Chicago
• Radio: 670 The Score (Bulls) // 107.5 the Fan (Pacers)
• Live Stream: NBATV
• NHL Betting Odds: Bulls (+3.5) // Pacers (-3.5)

The first 50-point game of this NBA season came courtesy of Chicago’s Zach LaVine as he poured in a career-high 51 points on Saturday but in a 118-102 loss in Detroit. LaVine had been a game-time decision with back spasms. He became the first Bulls player with 50 points and no assists since Michael Jordan did it against the Miami Heat on Nov. 6, 1996.

Fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan had 20 points and has scored at least that many in each of his first three outings. The veteran wing is averaging 24.3 points per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field early on. The emerging Pistons dominated the Bulls on the boards 53-32, had 29 assists to 16 for the Bulls, doubled the Bulls in second-chance points as the Pistons size on the defensive boards kept the Bulls off their offensive boards.

“We’re trying this new thing out to have a complete, cohesive offense with equal opportunity,” said LaVine. “It’s going to take some figuring out. Preseason looked good. But preseason is preseason. We got a lot of our stuff (earlier) in transition. Throughout the first couple of games, me and DeMar (DeRozan) were in the corner a lot. Now we’re trying to figure out how to get involved with more touches. But we all have to figure out how to help each other. It has to work like a well-oiled machine.”

Chicago currently ranks tied for sixth in the NBA in three-point field goal attempts (101) and is on pace to attempt 2,763 shots from distance this season, which would be the highest team total in franchise history (current high – 2,549, 2017-18). Chicago is tied for the NBA lead in total steals (28), rank second in total points off turnovers (61) and are tied for seventh in steals per game (9.3).

LaVine has scored 77 total points in his last two games versus the Pacers, including 42 points in his last outing with Indiana (3/5/23) — his second-highest scoring total in 2022-23. DeRozan has recorded at least 20 points and five rebounds in three of his last four games against Indiana. The Bulls are 6-4 in their last 10 games versus the Pacers, winning two of the last three season series with Indiana. Chicago is 3-2 in its last five road games against Indiana, winning these contests by an average of 8.3 points.

Indiana is 2-0 following a 125-113 win in Cleveland on Saturday. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton has posted double-doubles in both of the first two games this season and has recorded 45 double-doubles in 84 career games in a Pacers uniform.

The Pacers rank first in the NBA in scoring (134 points per game), 3-pointers made (17.5), free throw percentage (.862), assists (37.0), and turnovers (9.5). Indiana ranks second in field goal percentage (.507) and third in 3-point percentage (.432).

Slowing down both DeRozan and LaVine will be a good test for the Pacers’ new starting lineup, especially second-year guard Mathurin. Veteran guard Bruce Brown will likely match up with one of LaVine or DeRozan, while Mathurin will presumably be tasked with guarding the other.

NBA Betting Pick: Pacers

San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns

• When: Wednesday, October 25th, 2023, 9:30 PM ET
• Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
• TV: TNT
• Radio: WOAI 1200 AM (Spurs) // Arizona Sports 98.7 (Suns)
• Live Stream: NBATV
• NHL Betting Odds: TBA

The Phoenix Suns have yet to have their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker in a game yet. Beal is dealing with a back injury and hasn’t played a game yet. Booker played in the season opener last Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors after he was listed as questionable due to soreness in his left big toe. He was then on the injury report again for Thursday’s game in Los Angeles versus the Lakers, but this time for left foot soreness and was down as doubtful before not playing. The foot kept him out Saturday.

Even without those two, the Suns routed the Utah Jazz, 126-104, in their home opener. Durant only took 11 shots but still managed 26 points. He was 8-of-11 from the field and 9-of-9 from the foul line. Durant didn’t miss a shot inside the 3-point line on Saturday, shooting 7-of-7 from two and 9-of-9 from the foul line.

Also stepping up offensively were spot starters Eric Gordon (21/2/4/1 with three 3-pointers) and Grayson Allen (17/4/3/2 with three 3-pointers). It was a complete team effort, registering 31 assists on 45 made field goals, as six Suns scored in double-figures. It wasn’t a lucky shooting night either — they only went 10 for 37 from 3-point range. The Suns have been turnover-plagued through the first two games with a measly 39-39 assist-to-turnover ratio, but they were able to flip the script in the win over Utah.

“Perfect balance,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said of how Durant played. “First of all, every post double team that he gets, we should shoot wide-open 3s or get dunks on the back side, and we did a much better job with that. He did a phenomenal job early in the game facilitating for his teammates. And then everybody else gets involved, makes a couple shots and then they’re a little charged up more on the defensive end and he doesn’t have to do so much.“

It’s the first meeting of the season between these teams. The Suns have won nine straight over San Antonio, including three straight in Phoenix. Three of the last six meetings with San Antonio were decided by five or less points, while the Suns’ win on May 15, 2021 to begin their current seven-game road winning streak over the Spurs was a 37-point, 140-103 win.

NBA Betting Pick: Suns

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READ MORE: Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – November 6th, 2023