Myles Turner can keep carrying Pacers, plus more best bets for Wednesday
Good afternoon sports fans, it’s Chris Bengel back with you.
For those of you that don’t bet on hockey, Tuesday may have been a rough night, but fear not as the NBA returns for a massive 13-game slate on Wednesday. We’ve got some NBA picks on tap tonight along with even more MACtion in our lives, which is never a bad thing.
All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook
🔥 The Hot Ticket
Nuggets at Pacers, 7 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV
- Key Trend: Pacers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games
- The Pick: Pacers +5.5 (-110)
The Pacers have severely altered their roster over the last calendar year, which has come with some growing pains. Right now, though, this is a group that is playing extremely well.
Indiana has won four of their last five games, including back-to-back triumphs over the Heat and Pelicans. One of the team’s biggest producers during those wins was center Myles Turner, who recently returned from an ankle injury that caused him to miss the opening four contests of the season. Turner scored a season-high 37 points on 11-of-18 shooting while also securing 12 rebounds and registering three blocks in a 129-122 win over the Pelicans on Monday. The 26-year-old star also connected on four of his seven attempts from three, which marked the second time this season that he drilled at least three shots from beyond the arc.
Indiana has gotten significant production from guard Bennedict Mathurin, who has vaulted into the Rookie of the Year Award conversation. Mathurin is currently averaging 19.4 points-per-game while shooting 40.3 percent from three despite coming off the Pacers’ bench. The Pacers average 117.1 points-per-game, which is good for fifth in the entire NBA. Even if this is a track meet, the Pacers have the fire power to keep up with the Nuggets.
💰 The Picks
Kent State at Bowling Green, 7 p.m. | TV: CBS Sports Network
The Pick: Bowling Green +2.5 (-110): — I think the wrong team is favored here. I’m not going to sit here and say that Bowling Green is the most dynamic offense in the world, but I refuse to trust a Kent State team that has dropped three of its last four teams in MAC play.
Falcons senior quarterback Matt McDonald may not be a guy that slings it up and down the field, but he certainly gets the job done. McDonald is completing 60.4 percent of his passes while tossing 16 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. After getting into several shootouts early on this season, Bowling Green has relied on its defense in recent weeks, including in a 13-9 win over Western Michigan last week. In that contest, the Falcons yielded just 318 yards of total offense and that was a welcome sight for a defensive unit that ranks ninth in the MAC as they surrender 31.8 points-per-game.
Fortunately for Bowling Green, Kent State’s defense isn’t much better as they give up 31.6 points-per-game on the year. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if this ended up being a close contest. If that’s the case, I’m taking the home team in Bowling Green.
Key Trend: Bowling Green is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game
Cavaliers at Kings, 10 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV
The Pick: Kevin Huerter Over 13.5 Points (-111): — The Kings have struggled, but one of the team’s bright spots has been offseason acquisition Kevin Huerter. That’s why I’m continuing to ride Huerter’s hot start and am betting his points prop in this spot.
In five of his nine contest this season, Huerter has scored at least 14 points. Yes, Huerter has struggled a tad over his last two games with just a grand total of 20 points over that stretch. However, prior to that, the former first round pick had scored at least 22 points in each of the previous three games. One of the biggest strengths of Huerter’s game is his ability to shoot from the perimeter. On the season, he’s shooting a staggering team-high 51.5 percent from beyond the arc. If Huerter can splash in a couple of threes, this number is easily reachable even against a Cavaliers team that is holding opponents to a 35.0 percent shooting clip from deep.
Key Trend: Huerter has scored at least 14 points in five of nine games this season
Source: CBSSports.com
