We’ve had a big start to the new NBA season with plenty of winners from the first two slates we’ve covered and will be looking to keep it rolling on the weekend. Catch our best spread bets and player props from the huge Saturday slate right here!
NBA Betting Tips: Saturday, 23rd of October
Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics
TD Garden, 10:30am AEDT
The Raptors kicked off their season with a disappointing loss at home to a Wizards team who are sure to struggle this season. They were limited to just 83 points which is the lowest scored by any team through the first three days of action. This is not at all surprising when you look at the lack of firepower on their roster, which means they’ll have to be fantastic on the other side of the ball to stay competitive in games.
The Celtics played their part in an absolute thriller against the Knicks in their first game of the season. It was a game that required double overtime to decide the winner, which was eventually the Knicks by four points. Jayson Tatum will be looking to bounce back from a horrific night shooting the ball, with the superstar connecting on just seven of his 30 shots.
We don’t expect the Celtics to be an elite team this season, but they won’t have to be to take care of the Raptors on Saturday. As long as they play somewhere close to their best, then they’ll be winning this very, very comfortably.
Boston Celtics -6.5
$1.90
Utah Jazz at Sacramento Kings
Golden 1 Center, 1pm AEDT
It was business as usual for the Jazz in their first game of the season, defeating the lowly Thunder by 21 points in a game where they were always in control of. No Jazz player played over 30 minutes in their win on Thursday, which means they’ll be nice and fresh in their first road game of the season.
The Kings were one of few teams able to cause a big upset in their first outing this campaign, when defeating the Trail Blazers on the road by three points. Veteran Harrison Barnes led the way with a game-high 36 points to give the Kings the perfect start to the season.
While the Kings were impressive in their first outing, it’s tough to see them giving the well-oiled machine that is the Jazz any sort of trouble here. Expect Donovan Mitchell to bounce back from a poor shooting night on Thursday to guide the Jazz to a comfortable win.
Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
Staples Center, 1pm AEDT
The Suns got off to a hot start in their first half against the Nuggets, but the game was turned on its head after the main break as they eventually lost by 12 points. Devin Booker struggled shooting the ball and managed to make just three of his 15 shot attempts, while no Sun was able to score more than 16 points.
The Lakers failed to get off to a winning start with their ‘big three’ as they went down to the more determined Warriors by seven points on opening night. LeBron James and Anthony Davis did the best they could by combining for 67 points, but Russell Westbrook couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain as he finished with just eight points to his name.
We suspect there could be more disappointing performances from the Lakers in the early stages of the season as they look to build their chemistry with virtually a whole new supporting cast. As a result, we’re keen to jump on the Suns to get their first win of the season.
Player Props
10am Knicks at Magic – Mo Bamba O11.5 Points ($1.87 TAB)
10am Knicks at Magic – Evan Fournier 15+ Points ($1.80 TAB)
10am Hornets at Cavaliers – LaMelo Ball O30.5 PRA ($1.80 TAB)
10am Pacers at Wizards – Chris Duarte 15+ Points ($1.96 Sportsbet)
10:30am Raptors at Celtics – Fred VanVleet 20+ Points ($2.40 TAB)
10:30am Raptors at Celtics – OG Anunoby 20+ Points ($2.35 TAB)
11am Thunder at Rockets – Josh Giddey 6+ Rebounds ($1.85 TAB)
11am Thunder at Rockets – Jalen Green 15+ Points ($2.25 TAB)
11am Pelicans at Bulls – Lonzo Ball 6+ Rebounds ($2.15 TAB)
11am Pelicans at Bulls – Nickeil Alexander-Walker O16.5 Points ($1.85 TAB)
12pm Spurs at Nuggets – Keldon Johnson O12.5 Points ($1.82 Sportsbet)
12pm Spurs at Nuggets – Dejounte Murray 20+ Points ($3 TAB)
