Happy Halloween! The dead may rise today, but the NBA never rests with another solid slate of games. As usual, we have the best money line picks of the day to help you find your winning lines. We’ll focus on underdog picks today, with a narrow batch of four games. Three are worth tossing a little cash on today!
Well, if there is one team in the NBA to be worried about, it's the Milwaukee Bucks. Even with Damian Lillard and Giannis playing at a high level, the team is floundering early. They have lost 3 out of their first four games and now take on a punishing Memphis team. The team looks a man short with Khris Middleton still out, and the role players have not been able to pick up the slack. The defense has been noticeably absent for the Bucks as multiple games have spiraled into the 120-opponent-point range. Even with home-court advantage, we don’t have high hopes for this Bucks team against Memphis.
Memphis has had its injury issues early, but they’ll be healthy for this one. Though, Memphis hasn’t been a shining beacon of basketball greatness either. They have dropped 2 of their last three games to the Bulls and Nets. To say those games should have been gimmes for a team that has title aspiration is an understatement. Whether it's a bit of early-season rust or more profound issues, this Memphis team needs to pick it up. We are hopeful they’ll be able to take this one. They match up well against Milwaukee, with the length of JJJ and the speed of Ja Morant making for a challenging duo. Especially as the dog on the money line, the plus money is too tempting to pass up!
The Mavericks have been hot this year, and Luka has been firing on all cylinders and looking downright unguardable. This Mavericks team looks dangerous after making the finals last year. They’re proving that wasn’t a fluke. The additions over the summer have worked out, too, with Klay Thompson looking like a new man; he’s’ been the perfect 3rd option in this offense and has settled in quickly. Overall, the Mavericks have been one of the brightest spots in the NBA this young season. We expect that success to continue in this Texas showdown.
Houston has been a team on the rise. With a jaw-dropping collection of talent, they’re one of the most promising teams in the league. Jalen Green has seemingly found IT this year, as he’s been their leading scorer and touched the competition. His leap from late last season seems to be carried through, as he’s slowly becoming one of the most dominant guards in the league. Sitting at two and two on the season, this home game will be their first real challenge this year! Facing a Mavericks team hell-bent on returning to the finals, Houston might not have the firepower to match. Granted, Houston has several players like Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr who could challenge the Mavericks defensively, but we don’t think it’ll be enough. We say stick with the favorite tonight and jump on the Mavs hype train.
San Antonio has been tricky this year. Though their roster is far from competing at the highest levels of the NBA, they are still a tough match-up. Winning only one of their first four games, they have kept their games competitive. Wemby has been spectacular as usual, as the addition of Chris Paul to this roster has opened up the lob game for him. They are just a hard team to play; they’re long, physical, and now with some vet talent tricky. As a whole, we still expect them to win around 30-odd games this year, but they’re not going to get blown out often. We liked the match-up against the Jazz, who struggled this year.
The Jazz are in limbo this year. They’re not built to compete for the playoffs, but Lauri Markkanen is still playing at an All-Star pace. Pair him with a jump from Collin Sexton, and this team has a lot going for it; they just haven’t won games. They’re still winless after four games, and we don’t expect them to find their first win tonight, either. Markkanen is listed as questionable for this game, and they’re already down Taylor Hendricks and Devin Collier. Even with Markkanen, we like the Spurs more. Currently, they just have more tools to get the job done. Unless the Jazz come out shooting the ball much better than they have, we think the talent of the Spurs will come through today.