Fantasy basketball tips and NBA betting picks for Tuesday

ESPN’s Fantasy Basketball and Basketball Betting Tips Cheat Sheet is your pre-game goal for basketball betting predictions and our best information and data to help you make smart fantasy and betting decisions. NBA game odds for October 25 are provided by Caesars Sportsbook and Fantasy Advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues.

What you need to know for Tuesday’s games

Beginner Vibes: Jaden Ivey has 53 points on 50% shooting with 33 rebounds-plus assists in three career games, a nearly identical stat line to 2022 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes in his first three contests (54 points on 52% shooting with 35 rebounds-plus- assists). Barnes came up with an average PRA of 26.3, a number the books have yet to get close to when pricing Ivey this season. Even better? The Raptors were a bottom-six pace team last season, while the Pistons are more Ivey-aligned and had top-six pace in three games.

Fade the dots: The Pelicans have 120+ points in each of their first three games this season and have been led by a different player in each of those games. So include the over, right? Not correct. They rank outside the top-15 in pace which suggests their goals are being scored at a high level, against a Mavs defense that was in the top 10 last season and is back so this season is hard to hold.

bring wood: The Mavericks wasted exactly zero time getting Christian Wood into a high-usage role, and there’s little reason to think that’s going to change any time soon. This season he has fired 27 shots, made 24 free throws, scored 50 points and knocked down 20 boards in 49 minutes. Coming off the bench and that depresses his DFS price tag and some of his player supports… take advantage, these things won’t last long.

Flat slate: After a busy first week of NBA action, Tuesday features an easy four-game table. These smaller panels can actually be helpful for those looking to gain an edge in weekly fantasy formats, as you can try to maximize the games played via streaming while your opponent might just be sending a lighter lineup. For example, the Clippers ruled out Paul George tonight against the Thunder because of a non-Covid illness. With George not on the court, Norman Powell’s (75% available) offensive portion will bounce. Marcus Morris is also expected to miss the game for personal reasons, putting Robert Covington (87%) in a key role on the apron. For The Thunder, Josh Giddey and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander will miss out due to related injuries, leaving Tre Mann (95%) and Luguentz Dort (69%) as bankable plug-and-play candidates.

– Jim McCormick and Kyle Soppe

game of the night

Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns
10 p.m. ET, Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona

line: Warrior (-1.5)
money line: Suns (-120), Warriors (+100)
In total: 225.5 points
BPI forecast sum: 231.3 points
BPI Profit %: Suns (57.8%)

Excluded: Andre Iguodala (hip), Donte DiVincenzo (hamstring)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are banned but expect questionable players to play

Best bet: Devin Booker under 4.5 assists. Booker had nine assists in the season opener against Dallas, but he’s since taken on more of a shooting role, delegating passing duties to Chris Paul, who has 11,000 career assists. Booker averaged 4.8 APG last season, but in his three games against the Warriors he was missing 4 assists in each of them, for a total of six assists. Perhaps the warriors know how to defend him. – Eric Karabell

Mine the rest of the slate

Detroit Pistons at the Washington Wizards
7 p.m. ET, Capital One Arena, Washington, Washington DC

line: Sorcerer (-5.5)
money line: Sorcerer (-225), Flask (+185)
In total: 221 points
BPI forecast sum: 220.3 points
BPI Profit %: Wizard (76.2%)

Excluded: Alec Burks (foot)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are banned but expect questionable players to play

Fantasy Streamer: Isaiah Stewart (Available in 80.6% of leagues). was a walking double-double in three games. He averages 11.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.0 SPG in 28.7 MPG and comes away with 11 points/16 boards in the second half of a consecutive Saturday. -Snellings

Best bet: Bojan Bogdanovic over 18.5 points. Bogdanovic leads the Pistons with 19.3 PPG, and although he “only” scored 18 points in the last game, that’s because he unusually missed 11 of 16 field goal attempts. Bogdanovic won’t miss that many shots too often. He is shooting 48.8% from the field this season and is among the leaders in 3-point shooting. Washington is certainly not a particularly strong defensive club. – Carabelle

Best bet: Kyle Kuzma over 25.5 total points + rebounds. Kuzma finally suffered a loss in his third game of the season as he struggled against the Cavaliers’ excellent and oversized front line, but don’t let that hide the fact that he’s playing excellent ball early in the season. In his first two games, he had 22 points and 13 rebounds, followed by 26 points and 6 rebounds. On Tuesday, he faces a Pistons roster that doesn’t seem overly keen on playing defense and should be able to return to the numbers he’s produced in the first couple of games. – Snellings

7:30 p.m. ET, Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

line: Outsider (-4.5)
money line: Misfits (-190), Pelicans (+158)
In total: 219 points
BPI forecast sum: 223.7 points
BPI Profit %: Outsiders (58.5%)

Questionable: Herbert Jones (knee), Zion Williamson (hip)
Excluded: Brandon Ingram (concussion)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are banned but expect questionable players to play

Fantasy Streamer: Trey Murphy III hasn’t started a game yet, but that could change soon with Zion Williamson (surprise!) and Brandon Ingram nursing their injuries. Murphy scored 16 points and added nine rebounds in two of the first three games while losing 9 of 15 3-pointers. He deserves more playing time and expects to see plenty of minutes at home against the Mavericks. – Carabelle

Best bet: Mavericks 1H -3. While the Mavs split their first two games, that belies how dominant they have been in both competitions. The Mavs led the Suns by 22 points in the first half of the opening game before suffering a major comeback in the second half. The Mavs also jumped out of the gate at the Grizzlies, considering it a 41-point blowout. It’s unclear how many of the Pelicans’ starters will be seated Tuesday, and I’m waiting for the Mavs to get off to another quick start. – Andre Snellings

LA Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder
8 p.m. ET, Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

line: Hair clipper (-9.5)
money line: Clipper (-480), Thunder (+360)
In total: 214 points
BPI forecast sum: 221.1 points
BPI Profit %: Hair clippers (70.6%)

Excluded: Paul George (illness), Marcus Morris Sr. (personal), Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (hip)
Note: BPI numbers account for players who are banned but expect questionable players to play