Two NBA Best Bets For Sunday, Oct. 30
Obviously, Sunday is a football day in America but, if you have a little room in your betting bankroll, there are NBA games worth taking a shot at.
Read further for gambling previews and predictions for the Washington Wizards at the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Denver Nuggets.
Washington Wizards (3-2) at Boston Celtics (3-2)
The Celtics have lost back-to-back (B2B) games to the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers and have lost three straight against the spread (ATS).
Washington are 1-2 straight up (SU) and ATS in the last three games with the most recent being a 127-117 loss at home vs. the Indiana Pacers Friday.
These teams split the season series 2-2 SU and ATS in 2021-22.
Betting Details (DraftKings)
Efficiency metrics say this is a toss-up game
According to Basketball-Reference, the Celtics slightly outrank the Wizards (0.67-0.25) in net rating (nRTG) adjusted for strength of schedule.
Also, Washington has a +1.4 adjusted points per 100 possessions nRTG, per CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG), which removes garbage time from its stat tracking. While Boston has a -1.4 points per 100 possessions nRTG.
Furthermore, the Wizards like to shoot inside the arc and D.C. SG Bradley Beal, in particular, operates in the mid-range.
Washington Wizards Bradley Beal drives to the basket against Boston Celtics wing Jayson Tatum at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Washington averages the 2nd-highest volume of mid-range field goals and Boston has the 3rd-worst defensive field goal percentage in the mid-range, per CTG.
Beal plays well vs. Boston All-Star wing Jayson Tatum and they have an off-court relationship because both are from St. Louis.
There's probably a friendly rivalry that helps get Beal up for his games against Tatum. Beal is outscoring Tatum 29.6-21.3 points per game in their 13 career meetings and outshooting him from everywhere on the floor.
NBA Best Bet #1: Wizards +9 (-110) at DraftKings Sportsbook, down to +7
The Washington Wizards' odds vs. the Boston Celtics at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Sunday, October 30th as of 1:35 p.m. ET.
Denver Nuggets (4-2) at Los Angeles Lakers (0-5)
This Lakers thing is going from bad to worse. LA is the only winless team in the NBA and is 0-5 ATS in all five losses.
The Nuggets won B2B home games (2-0 ATS) entering Sunday vs. the Lakers 110-99 Wednesday and the Utah Jazz 117-101 Friday.
Last season, Denver was 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS vs. LA and the Lakers' only victory over the Nuggets was in a game Denver's MVP big Nikola Jokic missed.
Betting Details (DraftKings)
No one wants to be LA's first victory
The NBA doesn't feel bad for LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers. I doubt anyone is looking ahead to the next game at this point, especially when visiting LA. The Lakers are 13-24 ATS as home underdogs since LeBron's 1st season in LA (2018).
A faster pace favors the better shooters
LA plays at the fastest pace in the NBA and Denver ranks 9th in pace. If Nuggets-Lakers turns into a shootout obviously we'd prefer to have our money on the better shooting team.
Denver is 4th in effective field goal shooting (eFG%) and LA ranks dead last with a bullet. In fact, the next closest team to the Lakers' 46.2% eFG% is the Houston Rockets at 48.8% eFG%.
Denver Nuggets Jamal Murray prances around after hitting a big shot against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Ball Arena in Denver. (Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
Finally, Jokic will find open shooters on the outside because the Lakers will need to pack the paint. Denver averages the 6th-most paint points per game (PPG) and LA is 28th in paint PPG allowed.
NBA Best Bet #2: Nuggets -3.5 (-110) at DraftKings Sportsbook, up to -4.5
The Denver Nuggets' odds vs. the Los Angeles Lakers at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Sunday, October 30th at 12:45 p.m. ET.