Best NBA Betting Picks and Parlay Today - Sunday, October 23, 2022

There's a really intriguing slate of games in the NBA today, so check out our best bets for the day. 

You're just not a basketball fan if you're not sitting down and soaking in some of these games, so why not get some action on them in the process? Not only are we confident in our ability to deliver winning picks, but we also have risk-free sportsbook promos that can get you some free money. Make sure you also check out our NBA Player Prop Bets for Sunday, October 23, 2022.

As always, we've simulated all of the night's NBA games 10,000 times each to determine where the value lies for sports bettors across the United States. It's the first loaded NBA slate of the 2022-23 season and we have three best bets to get things off on the right foot. 

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Best NBA Bets Today

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 3:30PM ET

The Lakers are searching for their first victory of the season and this meeting with the Blazers seems like a great opportunity for them to get in the win column. Portland is 2-0 coming into this game, but a good argument can be made that this squad deserves to be 0-2. The Kings and Suns choked away wins against the Blazers, making Chauncey Billups' team look a lot better than it really is. 

One interesting thing to note when looking at this game is that underdogs in the NBA (in this case, the Blazers) that are coming off of upset wins are 74-124 against the spread when facing opponents that are coming off of home losses (the Lakers) over the last five seasons. Portland also happens to be 15-27 ATS when playing on the road since the start of last season. 

Trends aside, the Blazers are also weakest on the wing, where they might not have the size to prevent LeBron James and Anthony Davis from having big games. We just think Los Angeles should comfortably get the job done in this spot. 

BET: Lakers -3.5 (-107) with BetMGM ➡️ here ⬅️.

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Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 7:00PM ET

The Jazz have shocked the world to start 2-0 this season, but they run into a very dangerous Pelicans team on Sunday. New Orleans is also 2-0 on the season, but the team's wins have just been really impressive to this point. The Pelicans went into Brooklyn and earned a 22-point win over a very talented Nets team, and they followed it up with a 12-point win over the Hornets in Charlotte. 

With Willie Green's team now set to play its home opener, we expect the crowd to really shower the Pelicans with love and help them to completely beat up on the Jazz. There isn't a spot throughout the roster in which Utah has an advantage over New Orleans, and we're particularly concerned about how the Jazz will handle the duo of Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas. That's a lot of muscle for Utah to have to deal with, and it should be a problem for the Jazz all game. 

Brandon Ingram has also been on another level as a scorer since the start of last year's playoffs. He should cook in this meeting with a Jazz team that lacks wing defenders. Look for this to be a lopsided affair. 

BET: Pelicans -8.5 (-107) with BetMGM ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Jazz vs. Pelicans Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Jazz vs. Pelicans

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Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 10:00PM ET

The Suns are coming off a bad loss to the Blazers last game, as they blew a big first-half lead and then also let the game slip away in overtime. Phoenix was up five with just about two minutes to go in OT, but the Suns ended up not scoring the rest of the way. They'll be angry coming into this matchup with the Clippers, who should be a little fatigued after having played in Sacramento last night. 

Los Angeles did hold Kawhi Leonard out of that game, but his minutes are being restricted and the extent to which he is fresh won't matter if he isn't playing that much. As long as Leonard isn't playing a normal amount of minutes, it's hard to see Los Angeles beating some of the league's truly elite teams. And despite all the noise surrounding Phoenix this offseason, the Suns are still one of the best teams in basketball — especially in the starting lineup. 

Look for Chris Paul to be an X-factor in this one, as he has been a little passive early in the year. The Suns have been trying to get Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges some more touches in big situations, as that's the best way for this team to take a step forward when the postseason rolls around. But Paul is going to want to get his offensively against his former team, and we expect him to be aggressive here. This is one to go a little bigger on.

BET: Suns +1.5 (-120 - 2U) with BetMGM ➡️ here ⬅️.

🏀 Suns vs. Clippers Predictions
📈 Betting preview: Suns vs. Clippers

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Your game not here? Find out who we're betting on for every basketball game on Sunday via our NBA Bet Hub, where we deliver you NBA predictions and suggested bets, or check out the NBA Betting News section.

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Best NBA Parlay Today

There are numerous different ways you can wager on NBA games in 2022, such as the moneyline, spread, total, player and team props, and, of course, parlays. While we normally suggest taking our picks on their own, we recognize the need to service a parlay-loving audience! With that said, check out the fat payout you can get by throwing all of our best bets together tonight. 

🔥 Lakers -3.5 (-107)
🔥 Pelicans -8.5 (-107)
🔥 Suns +1.5 (-120)

*All odds and lines correct at time of publishing