The NBA season begins its second full week of play. A long and winding journey is just beginning to get started. Teams often fumble their way through the first three or four weeks of the season before truly knowing what they have on their hands and how they want to arrange their personnel in various rotations and lineup combinations. What NBA betting surprises or revelations will emerge on Tuesday night?
Los Angeles Lakers @ Indiana Pacers
NBA Betting Odds: Indiana -9
This is a game in which the youthfulness of the Lakers on a road trip multiple time zones away is likely to work against them. You might see this Laker team begin to figure out some answers in February or March with its extremely young lineup, but new head coach Luke Walton will need a lot of patience in order to begin to rework this franchise, which drowned the previous few seasons under mismatched head coach Byron Scott. One complication for the Lakers is that Brandon Ingram, the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, suffered an injury which caused him to play just four minutes against the Utah Jazz on October 28. He played 21 minutes Sunday against Oklahoma City, but was just 3 of 10 from the floor. It is hard to imagine him playing well in this specific game. Accordingly, the Lakers’ youthful rotation will be stretched thin. This is a good spot for the Pacers.
Indiana is just 1-2 on the season but their one win came at home while their two losses have come on the road. Most NBA teams are stronger at home, so that’s not a surprise. The Pacers have topped the Dallas Mavericks but lost to the Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls. The loss to the Bulls is acceptable but a loss to the Nets is a big surprise. They need an impressive win to get back on track, so look for them to pummel the Lakers to earn that win. They’re a big favorite in this spot but don’t be surprised if they not only win but also cover the spread.
Pick: Pacers -9
Sacramento Kings @ Miami Heat
NBA Betting Odds: Miami -3.5
This game is a high-end confrontation of centers. DeMarcus Cousins of the Kings will go mano-a-mano versus Hassan Whiteside of the Heat. Many will respond to this reality and wonder who will win. The better question might be this: If the two centers play to a draw, which team is in better position to win? The answer seems to be Sacramento. Miami faces a much bigger adjustment this season without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Miami hasn’t just lost talent; it has lost leadership. It’s true that the Kings are not an NBA betting juggernaut to be trusted at all times, but the Heat are likely to suffer through a terrible season this go-around. The Kings are the better pick as long as Cousins can play Whiteside to a draw.
Pick: Kings +3.5
Utah Jazz @ San Antonio Spurs
NBA Betting Odds: San Antonio -10.5
It’s hard to avoid noticing that the San Antonio Spurs appear to be in fine form right now. They’ve stormed to a 4-0 record. They appear highly motivated to show themselves and the Golden State Warriors that they’re not going to submit to second-class status. The Spurs have a lot to prove and want to deny the Warriors the NBA title everyone thinks they’ll win. Crushing the Warriors in Oakland was a first step.
Is Utah ready to stand in San Antonio’s way? Not likely. The Jazz scored just 75 points against the Los Angeles Clippers over the weekend and have generally stumbled out of the gate. On the season, they are just 1-2 and their lone win came at home to the Los Angeles Lakers. Remember that the Lakers are deemed to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, so beating a team of that caliber isn’t overly impressive. The Jazz other loss this season was on the road at Portland.
A visit to San Antonio generally doesn’t cure what’s wrong with a struggling team. Take the Spurs.
Pick: Spurs -10.5
