NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions for Paolo Banchero, Jalen Brunson and Nuggets-Jazz on Wednesday)

I don’t think it’s possible to ask for a better start to the season in the NBA from a betting perspective, as we went 4-for-4 on Tuesday night. 

Now, the NBA treats us to 12 games on Wednesday, and there are plenty of teams to watch with players coming back (the Denver Nuggets and Jamal Murray) and players being out (Zach LaVine, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., LaMelo Ball to name a few). 

I’m only going with three plays today, as I want to feel out some of these teams before we dive into betting several games on each slate. That being said, there are two player props that I love on Wednesday’s slate. 

Let’s dive into today’s best bets:

NBA Best Bets Record to Date

• NBA Best Bets Record for 2022-23 Season: 4-0 (+3.8515 units)

NBA Best Bets Today

• Denver Nuggets -7 vs. Utah Jazz (-110)
• Jalen Brunson OVER 27.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-115)
• Paolo Banchero OVER 22.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-105)

Denver Nuggets -7 vs. Utah Jazz (-110)

The Denver Nuggets feel like a new team entering the 2022-23 season, as they have Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back in the lineup to flank Nikola Jokic. 

Denver also added two solid veterans in the offseason in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz did the complete opposite. 

Out are Rudy Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic and Donovan Mitchell, in are Walker Kessler, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen. I just don’t know how the Jazz will look with this interesting combo of veterans and youngsters. 

Denver was able to finish sixth in the West without Murray and Porter Jr. last season. Against a makeshift Jazz team, Denver should roll. I don’t expect the Jazz to have a single answer for Jokic down low. 

Jalen Brunson OVER 27.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-115)

The Jalen Brunson era officially begins in New York on Wednesday night, and the Knicks fared pretty well with Brunson on the floor in the preseason. 

In New York’s final preseason tune up, Brunson played a full complement of minutes (31) and finished with 27 points, four rebounds and five assists, which would allow him to easily clear this prop. 

He finished the preseason averaging 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 26.8 minutes per night. The minutes are going to go up, which gives me confidence Brunson will clear this number. 

If you look at Brunson’s stats last season without Luka Doncic, which is what things may look like in New York, this is a value. Brunson put up 20.4 points, 7.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 17 games without Doncic in the 2021-22 season. 

Paolo Banchero OVER 22.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-105)

A little rookie player prop action? 

Don’t mind if I do. 

Paolo Banchero will make his regular season debut after an impressive finish to the preseason that saw him score 19, 17 and 17 points over his final three games. Banchero played in the mid-20s in minutes in each game, but I’d expect to see him get a little more run now that the games matter. 

In the preseason, Banchero averaged 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, but his last three games were much better, averaging 17.7 points, 6.3 boards and 1.7 assists over that stretch. 

There’s definitely a risk taking a rookie in his first game, but I think Banchero can turn into a 17-7-3 type of player for the Orlando Magic this season. I’m high on him in this game.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.