Banger in the West and comeback of Zion Williamson!
After the two opening games in the coming night, the new season in the NBA goes into full swing! Twelve games are on the schedule – including a banger in the West with the game of the Suns against the Mavericks.
The pairing will be a rematch of last year’s Western Conference semi-finals! For all NBA games on 20.10.2022, you can read predictions and odds.
In this context, the most important trades from the off-season or the current form of the franchises from the preseason are examined in more detail.
Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic – 20 October, 01:00 am
In the matchup between the Pistons and Magic, the first picks of the past two drafts will take centre stage. Here, last year’s No. 1 pick will play for the home side in the shape of Cade Cunningham and current first pick Paolo Banchero will make his NBA debut for the visitors.
The home side from the Central Division have also brought in a lot of experience in the form of Bojan Bogdanovic. The 33-year-old small forward comes from Utah and has also played for other NBA franchises such as the Pacers and Nets during his career.
Together with Saddiq Bey, he is expected to provide the necessary spacing, while Cunningham will continue to provide the points via pick-and-roll. The hosts from the motor city also brought in two players from the Knicks, centre Nerlens Noel and guard Alex Burks.
Therefore, bets on a home win in the Pistons’ opening game against Orlando seem to be profitable. In addition, the home advantage and the fact that the visitors will probably still be without Jonathan Isaac speak in favour of the prediction.
The power forward did not play a single game in the preseason and will certainly not play in the opener of the 2022/23 NBA season.
Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards – October 20, 01:00am
The Pacers began their rebuild last season when they brought in Buddy Hield from the Kings of Sacramento. However, rumours continue to persist that he may be shipped on again after all.
At 29, the shooting guard is probably a little too old to be part of a longer-term rebuild process. Currently, however, he is on board in Indiana and this also applies to Tyrese Haliburton, who can already be regarded as a fixed star for a reorientation of the Pacers.
After all, they traded their All-Star centre Domantas Sabonis to California for the former Kings player. His potential is certainly not exhausted yet either, as he is only contesting his third season in the NBA.
In any case, last season he already improved in points and assists compared to his previous rookie year. This was especially true for the 26 games with the Pacers at the end of the season.
In these, he delivered an average of 17.5 points. A number that was more than three points above his career value. A positive development that could be observed in parallel with the assists and, in a weakened form, with the boards.
For the showdown between Indiana and Washington, however, predictions on an away win are the first choice of the betting base. The visitors have the better squad and have Bradley Beal, their best scorer, back on board after injury.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Houston Rockets – Oct 20, 01:30am
Dejounte Murray delivered a great game in the preseason in his first game after moving from San Antonio to Atlanta. In the game against the Bucks in Abu Dhabi he recorded 25 points, eight boards and nine assists.
Together with Trae Young, the offense of the home side is now much stronger and the home side from Georgia still has one of the best rebounders in the NBA with the Swiss Clint Capela.
The visiting Rockets, on the other hand, continue to focus solely on rebuilding, which is why they will once again be among the lightweights this season.
For the clash between the Atlanta Hawks vs. Houston Rockets on 20.10.2022, betting tips on a home win with a ten-point difference are worth a recommendation.
Brooklyn Nets vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 20 October, 01:30 am
For the Nets, Ben Simmons will make his first appearance of the season. However, the Australian is expected to be a little rusty for the start of the new season after a year off.
His last game in the NBA dates back to June last year, when he lost Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals to Atlanta with Philly.
Furthermore, it will take time until the chemistry with the two superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will be right on the court, especially since the game in Brooklyn is clearly different compared to his previous employer in Philadelphia.
Joe Harris is also back after a long injury layoff. The Pels are also set to make a comeback. We are talking about Zion Williamson, of course.
The first pick of 2020 missed all of last season due to injury, but now he is expected to get it right again in the Big Easy. The power forward already looked very strong again in preparation.
Together with CJ McCollum and the MIP of 2020 Brandon Ingram, the visitors’ offence can now be seen in the best light again. For the game of the Brooklyn Nets against the New Orleans Pelicans, the odds on an away win are interesting
Memphis Grizzlies vs. New York Knicks – 20 October, 01:30 hrs
Last season, the Grizzlies were eliminated in the postseason against the eventual champions from San Francisco. However, the story might have been different had Ja Morant not gotten injured in the series.
The reigning MIP would undoubtedly have given the Kerr squad another run for their money. But now the point guard is back, which is why the home side can easily be predicted to make the playoffs again this season.
The guests from the “Big Apple” did not qualify for the playoffs last season.
The upswing from the previous season 2020/21, when Julius Randle could still adorn himself with the title of “Most Improved Player” and the Knicks were represented in the postseason for the first time in seven years, seems to have already faded away.
With Jalen Brunson, however, at least a powerful guard could be signed from Dallas, who has also risen to become the highest earner within coach Tom Thibodeau’s squad.
However, betting tips on a home win with at least a seven-point lead are worth considering for the duel between the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks. The home side also has a very strong squad around MIP Ja Morant this season and has the home bonus on its side.
That they have long since taken the next step in their development was evident last season when the Grizzlies set their franchise record with 56 wins inside the regular season.
Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls – Oct. 20, 01:30 a.m.
Miami delivered the best three-point percentage during the regular season in the NBA last season at 37.9 percent. In the playoffs, the road again led to the finals in the Eastern Conference.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra’s team was narrowly defeated by Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals with a score of 3:4. The squad is also almost unchanged, which is why major teething troubles in the Sunshine State are not to be expected.
The visiting Bulls from the Central Division, for their part, were eliminated in the first round last season by the Bucks from Milwaukee with a clear score of 1:4. The team also underwent significant changes last season when they signed five-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan from San Antonio.
The small forward was also very successful in the “Windy City” and delivered the best scoring output in his already 13-year career in the NBA with 27.9 points per game.
In addition, the contract with franchise player Zach LaVine was extended in the summer and Nikola Vucevic is still on board at the five.
For the game between Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls on 20.10.2022, however, predictions of a home win are recommended. The home side is traditionally very strong at home.
Last season, for example, they delivered a win rate of 70.7 per cent in their 41 home games during the regular season – the best in the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, the Bulls were rather weak away from home.
Only five teams in the East undercut their win rate of 46.3 percent in away games. In addition, Lonzo Ball, an efficient point guard, is out of action due to a serious knee injury and could possibly miss the entire season.
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – 20 October, 01:30 hrs
For the guests, Donovan Mitchell is of course in focus. “Spida” came to Cleveland from Utah in a surprise move this summer, as the Knicks were actually considered the hottest candidate for a trade.
In “Believeland”, however, Mitchell will probably drop off a bit in terms of his scoring output. This has to do with the changed team constellation compared to the Jazz.
With the Cavs, he has another very accurate and ball-focused point guard at his side in Darius Garland, which will reduce his focus on the offensive a little. The home side from Canada, on the other hand, will start the new season with a barely changed squad.
The pillars of the team, such as the sharpshooter from downtown in the person of Fred VanVleet or Pascal Siakam, are still at home in Ontario. Scottie Barnes, the reigning Rookie of the Year, is also still on the Raps’ roster.
However, the 2019 champions currently have nothing more than a team that is slightly above average at best. It is to be expected that, as in the previous year, it will be just enough for a participation in the playoffs, where, however, it will probably be over after the first round.
For the game between the Raps and Cavs on 20.10.2022, the betting is aimed at an away win.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – Oct 20, 02:00
In Minnesota the anticipation for the new season is particularly high. The team around the strong centre Karl-Anthony Towns already came up trumps last season and at least reached the first round of the playoffs.
Now the squad has been given another prominent facelift. With Rudy Gobert, another extremely strong centre from Utah could be signed.
The 30-year-old Frenchman has already been voted “NBA Defensive Player of the Year” three times and an All-Star just as often! For the showdown of the Minnesota Timberwolves with Oklahoma City Thunder, the forecast therefore includes a home victory with more than ten points difference.
While the hosts have a very powerful squad, this is not the case for OKC, with a few exceptions such as point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Rather, it portends another transition year for the second-to-last-place team in the West last regular season.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte Hornets – Oct 20, 02:00
San Antonio will not play a big role this season. After trading DeMar DeRozan to the Bulls before last season and another top player in Dejounte Murray to the Hawks after the last one, the franchise faces a complete fresh start.
The Hornets are much further along in this endeavour. With players like Gordon Hayward at the four or shooting guard Terry Rozier, the squad is much stronger. The list also includes LaMelo Ball, of course, who secured the “Rookie of the Year” award in 2021.
This season he can now also play together with his brother LiAngelo, who was drafted in the summer but will possibly only make appearances in the G-League. Unlike his brother LaMelo in Charlotte and Lonzo in Chicago, he has never played in the NBA.
For the clash on 20/10/2022 from 02:00 between the San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets, value can be discovered in the betting odds on an away win in the eyes of the betting base.
Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets – Oct 20, 03:00
The visitors are eagerly awaiting the return of Jamal Murray. The point guard was not on the court for the whole of last season, but now his time of suffering has come to an end.
However, the long time off will not have left him unscathed, which is why Murray will probably need some time to get back to his maximum performance level.
The hosts, in turn, have given up their top player Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland and the NBA’s multiple best defensive player in the person of Frenchman Rudy Gobert is also no longer on board.
The signs in the Mormon state are unmistakably pointing to a new beginning and this also applies to the coaching position, which was taken over in the summer by Will Hardy as successor to Quin Snyder. For the 34-year-old it is his first job as head coach.
Most recently, he worked as an assistant coach with the Celtics, where he was part of head coach Ime Udoko’s coaching team that took Boston to the NBA Finals. For the Utah Jazz’s game against the Denver Nuggets, betting on an away win with at least a nine-point difference seems promising.
The home side, as described, is at the beginning of a rebuilding process, while Denver, led by the MVP of the past two years Nikola Jokic, can once again be counted among the top teams in the NBA.
Phoenix Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks – Oct 20, 04:00
The Suns were the best postseason team in the NBA with 64 wins and 18 losses last season. Furthermore, they set a new franchise record with a win percentage of 78 percent.
In the end, however, it was once again not enough for a title for coach Monty Williams’ team. Phoenix surprisingly lost to Dallas in the second round of the playoffs.
The squad has remained largely the same, but whether it is still as good as last year seems rather questionable. The reason is that Chris Paul is slowly but surely heading towards the end of his career.
The “Point God” is now 37 years old and his best days are behind him. The visitors, for their part, lost a powerful shooter in Jalen Brunson to New York, but got an excellent centre in Christian Wood from Houston.
In Texas, the 27-year-old delivered a season-long double-double in points (17.9) and rebounds (10.1) last season! For the game between Phoenix and Dallas on 20.10.2022, the prediction includes an away win, including a handicap of + 4.5 points for the visitors.
Sacramento Kings vs Portland Trail Blazers – 20 Oct, 04:00
The Kings are making their next run for the playoffs. They’ve been perennial fence-sitters in the postseason now since 2005! In order to end this exceptionally long drought, a new head coach, Mike Brown, was hired.
The new coach has already celebrated four championships as an assistant coach, most recently with the Warriors under Steve Kerr last season. He has also been in charge of two franchises with the Cavaliers and Lakers.
The 2009 “Coach of the Year” clearly does not lack experience. Instead, the visitors from Portland are happy that Damian Lillard, their best player, is back in the team after surviving abdominal surgery.
“Lillard hasn’t played a game since December 2021, but it was clear from his preparation that he is now fit as a fiddle and full of energy. For the clash between the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers on 20 October 2022, the expert tip includes an away win.
Although the home side won all four of their pre-season games, this was also the case before the start of last season and does little to change the fact that the visitors are the stronger side.
After a disastrous end to the season with only two wins out of the last 23 games for the Trail Blazers last season, they will now be particularly motivated to quickly forget this disgrace.
The chances of this are also good, as with the recovered Damian Lillard, the clear best player on the roster has returned.
