Fantasy basketball tips and NBA betting picks for Wednesday

ESPN's fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips cheat sheet is your pregame destination for basketball betting predictions and our best intel and data to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds for October 19 are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues..

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Get Your Popcorn Ready: Tonight is the season opener for the Grizzlies and over the past two seasons Ja Morant has done nothing but seize the moment. In 2020, he hung 44 points on the Spurs to go along with nine assists and just one turnover (Nikola Jokic was the only other player all season to reach all of those thresholds in a single game.) Last season, he dropped a game-high 37 points (making 16-of-25 two-point shots) on the Cavaliers while leading the Grizzlies with six assists.

Money Mavs: Dallas was 24-17 ATS on the road last season, including four covers that came in losses. In those road covers, they averaged 114.8 PPG and gave up just 104.7 PPG. Combine that with the fact that our BPI puts them over 112 points and their implied total of 106.5 points in Phoenix tonight seems low if you believe they can keep this game tight.

Making up for Melo: The Hornets won't have star guard LaMelo Ball in the lineup against the Spurs this evening due to an ankle injury. Gordon Hayward (32% available) could see more playmaking opportunities, while 3-and-D center P.J. Washington (34%) could take on additional scoring duties. For those who drafted Ball or simply need to bolster backcourt depth, San Antonio's Tre Jones (34%) could provide strong passing production, as his healthy assist prop (7.5) suggests.

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