Garrett Chorpenning is here with your NBA Best Bets for October 19, 2021 action. See our best NBA bet picks today.
NBA basketball is upon us once again. The 2021-22 season will officially begin later tonight, with two star-studded contests headlining the evening slate.
Up first is a matchup between the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets, who had a battle for the ages in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo will take center stage as both teams look to open their respective seasons with a statement win.
Later, the new-look Los Angeles Lakers will host the Golden State Warriors to round out the night. Russell Westbrook will make his debut for his hometown team alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, while Golden State guard Stephen Curry will certainly put on a show as he looks to lead his Warriors to an upset victory on the road.
Let’s take a look at our best bets for tonight’s games.
All NBA gameday odds and lines are current as of 2:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 19.
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NBA Bets of the Day 10/19/21
Brooklyn Nets @ Milwaukee Bucks, 7:40 p.m. ET
Best Bet: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant Over 60.5 Combined Points (-187) at Caesars
The stars shine brightest in primetime, and this one is personal. Before they went on to win the 2021 NBA Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks were inches away from elimination at the hands of Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
With Kyrie Irving away from the team, the weight will fall on the shoulders of Durant and James Harden as the Nets look to upset the Bucks. Durant was good for 26.9 points per game last season, and that number rose when he was playing without one or both of his All-Star sidekicks. He alone should score at least 30 points tonight.
That leaves Giannis Antetokounmpo, the unrivaled No. 1 option in Milwaukee and one of the most dominant players in the NBA. He averaged 28.1 points per game in 2020-21 and scored 30+ in 25 of his 61 appearances.
It may only be a regular-season game, but the stakes are high here. Expect Antetokounmpo and Durant to exchange jabs all night and hit the Over on this prop.
Best Bet: Milwaukee Bucks Moneyline (-125) at Caesars
The fans at Fiserv Forum are going to be raucous on Tuesday night. Not only is this expected to be one of the best matchups of the season, but the Milwaukee Bucks will also be raising their first championship banner in 50 years into the rafters before tip-off.
The deafening crowd likely won’t bother Brooklyn’s veterans, but it will give the Bucks a significant boost as they aim to validate their status as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
This will be a close one, but I expect Milwaukee to pull away in the fourth quarter in an extremely favorable environment.
Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo will look to lead their respective teams to a statement win on Tuesday night. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers, 10:10 p.m. ET
Best Bet: Stephen Curry Total Points + Assists + Rebounds Over 44.5 (-115) at Caesars
Stephen Curry could very well hit the Over on this prop with points alone.
As one of the most dangerous shooters in the NBA, Curry is no stranger to putting up massive numbers. He scored 30 points or more in 38 games last season, 11 of which he dropped at least 40 in.
With Klay Thompson still sidelined, he’ll be calling his own number again and again as the Warriors try to pull off the upset.
However, even if Curry finishes somewhere in the 30-35 range, there’s good reason to believe that his assists and rebounds will put him over the top here. He’s averaged 5.2 rebounds per game since the 2015-16 season and holds a career average of 6.5 assists per contest.
With Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green expected to start alongside Curry, there’s no shortage of options for him to dish the ball to.
Best Bet: Los Angeles Lakers Moneyline (-160) at Caesars
The Los Angeles Lakers made several changes to their roster during the offseason, though none were larger than the decision to bring in Russell Westbrook. The former MVP’s fit with his new team is questionable at best, but he gives the Lakers a remarkable amount of talent that should help them rack up wins throughout the regular season.
Although I’m not sold on this Lakers team being better than last year’s, there’s a pretty stark difference between these two squads as currently constructed. Curry can only be expected to do so much with Thompson out, while the Lakers have three players who are capable of taking over the game in Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.
I expect this to be a rather competitive matchup when both teams are fully healthy, but as far as tonight is concerned, I feel very comfortable picking the Lakers as outright winners and making this my NBA bet of the day.
Thanks for reading our NBA Best Bets Today! For picks on some NBA Futures, check out our 2021-22 NBA Champion Prediction.
