NBA Wednesday best bets: Expect plenty of points in Kyrie's debut
We nailed our upset pick of the Grizzlies on Tuesday and would have gone 2-for-2 against the spread if not for a horrific bad beat in the Kings-Lakers game. We're feeling good about the value on the board for Wednesday:
Nets (-8.5, 224) @ Pacers, 7:30 p.m. ET
It's hard to know what to expect from Kyrie Irving or the Nets in general in the star guard's first game this season. But points should be in order.
The seven-time All-Star has posted 27 points per game in two seasons in Brooklyn, and while there will certainly be rust after a long layoff, Irving's iso-heavy approach and stellar off-ball shooting should play well from the jump. Remember, too, that the Nets scored a ridiculous 121.6 points per contest last year with Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden on the floor together.
They also have up 114.9 points per 100 possessions with that trio, and Irving's defensive inefficiencies will be amplified in his return to the court. Expect Brooklyn to control the tempo against this thin Pacers roster, which should mean a high-scoring affair.
Pick: Over 224
Spurs @ Celtics (-7.5, 224), 7:30 p.m.
After a tumultuous run in December that knocked the Celtics out of the eight-team playoff field in the East, they came back in a big way in their last two games - beating the Suns by 15 points before outlasting the Magic in overtime behind Jaylen Brown's 50-piece.
It was the best scoring output of Brown's career, though there are reasons for pessimism about an encore. Sunday's game marked just the fifth time in his career that he's scored 40-plus. Following the previous four, he averaged just 22.5 points with three outright losses - most recently a nine-point showing in the Celtics' 32-point loss to the Raptors in October.
Boston has little room for error against the Spurs, who had covered 10 of their previous 14 contests before Dejounte Murray's 10-game absence. He's expected back Wednesday and should be the jolt San Antonio needs to keep this one close, if not win outright.
Pick: Spurs +7.5
Jazz (-2.5, 223.5) @ Nuggets, 10 p.m.
After a stretch of dominance, the Jazz have come back to earth in a big way, dropping eight of 10 ATS after Monday's narrow cover against a stripped-down Pelicans roster.
Utah's own injury issues could loom large here. Joe Ingles entered the league's health and safety protocols Tuesday - the first Jazz player this season - while Donovan Mitchell (back), Rudy Gobert (shoulder), Jordan Clarkson (back), Bogdan Bogdanovic (finger), Hassan Whiteside (concussion), Royce O'Neale (knee), and Udoka Azubuike (ankle) are all questionable for Wednesday's contest.
Even if they all play, that's a massive weight for this team in the second night of a back-to-back against a Nuggets team desperately looking to stay afloat in the Western Conference playoff race. These are the type of scheduling spots worth targeting, especially with injuries playing a role.
Pick: Nuggets +2.5
C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.