Ladies and gentlemen, we have made it to a new month. There's lots ahead in the NBA with the in-season tournament approaching, but before we get there let's take a moment to bask in the fact that we are officially a week into this new season. In celebration, we'll get you ready for what's on tap for Wednesday's set of games.
Let's preview a couple of today's games with the best NBA bets and expert picks for Wednesday, November 1.
NBA Best Bets Today
By Joe Dellera
Scottie Barnes has seen an expanded role in his third season with his Usage jumping from 21.4% to a team-high 25.6%. The jump is less surprising than the team-leading aspect of it given Fred VanVleet's departure but Pascal Siakam's role has taken a significant hit.
As a result, Barnes has had the ball in his hands more, and while his Assist% has risen, so have his turnovers. Through four games, he's recorded four, seven, one, and four turnovers and I expect this to continue against Milwaukee despite their lackluster defense.
The Bucks play at the fifth-fastest pace in the league, and even if they don't proactively force Barnes to make the mistakes, he is not a proficient enough facilitator and offensive engine to avoid three turnovers.
Pick: Scottie Barnes over 2.5 Turnovers
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The Portland Trail Blazers have struggled to score and the Detroit Pistons have struggled to defend. Both of these teams are expected to be in the bottom 10 of the league, maybe even bottom five.
The Blazers have broken 100 points just twice in four games, but they've played the 76ers, Magic, Raptors and Clippers — not the Pistons. The Pistons are sitting at about 111 points per game, the low game (102) coming against the Miami Heat — of course — but have otherwise put points on similarly (to Portland) "meh" defenses in Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Chicago.
I don't think either team can defend, both teams have enough scoring — everyone seemingly does — and I'm going over as a result.
