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Andr\u00e9 SnellingsOct 29, 2025, 12:32 PM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Dr. Andr\u00e9 Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. Andr\u00e9 has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.<\/p>\n ESPN’s fantasy basketball daily cheat sheet is your pregame destination before you set your lineups for that night’s games. Here you’ll read our best advice for the night, including a selection of players you can stream as well as game-by-game injury reports.<\/p>\n Jump ahead What you need to know for Wednesday’s games<\/p>\n Wednesday is NBA hoops day! Not only does ESPN televise games on Wednesdays, but it also tends to be one of the busiest days of the week in terms of games played. This week is no exception, with 10 games on tap and 20 teams in action this hump day.<\/p>\n In Detroit, we get a battle between two teams led by recent number one overall picks that were each looked at as potential contenders in the East this season. Paolo Banchero’s Magic enter the game at only 1 – 3, while Cade Cunningham<\/a> could get his MVP push jumps-started with a win at home to get the Pistons over .500.<\/p>\n Play the No. 1 fantasy game for free<\/p>\n Create or join a fantasy basketball league on ESPN. Your championship run starts today!<\/p>\n Sign up today!<\/a><\/p>\n In Chicago, the Bulls continue their surprising quest to become the last undefeated team in the NBA by hosting a Sacramento Kings<\/a> team featuring multiple former Bulls stars in Zach LaVine<\/a> and DeMar DeRozan<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Trail Blazers take their tough young team into Utah to face a Jazz squad that is playing dramatically better than expectation. Can the Jazz remain undefeated at home?<\/p>\n And, while several stars are missing, we still get to see a rematch from last season’s playoffs when the Lakers travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves. Can Austin Reaves<\/a> drop 40 for the third game in a row?<\/p>\n All these storylines and more are on the menu this Wednesday night. Let’s dig further into the action and find some fantasy hoops streamers and betting angles to work with as we enter the middle of the week.<\/p>\n Wednesday’s fantasy stream team<\/p>\n Tre Jones<\/a>, PG, Chicago Bulls<\/a> (rostered in 45.9% of ESPN leagues): Jones was in this space to start the week, and he remains here because he has been metronome consistent while starting in place of the injured Coby White<\/a>. Jones is averaging 13.0 PPG and 8.0 APG, and has been within one of those averages in every game so far. He also has multiple steals in each game and 10 overall through the first three contests.<\/p>\n New ESPN and FOX One Bundle<\/p>\n Bundle ESPN and FOX One and unlock more sports for one unbeatable price. Get the World Series, college football, NBA, NHL and more. Get access<\/a><\/p>\n Jerami Grant<\/a>, PF, Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> (48.3%): Grant somehow remains rostered in less than half of leagues despite averaging 22.5 PPG and 2.8 3PG in his first four contests. Grant is a pure scorer, and even coming off the bench he is getting 28.3 MPG thus far. Unless or until something changes in his deployment, Grant is a consistent fantasy hoops flex start.<\/p>\n P.J. Washington<\/a>, PF, Dallas Mavericks<\/a> (41.3%): Washington is the quiet man for the Mavericks, playing on a squad where Cooper Flagg<\/a>, Anthony Davis<\/a> and even the injured Kyrie Irving<\/a> get the most attention. But Washington has scored at least 15 points with at least five boards and at least one 3-pointer in every game this season while averaging 16.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 1.8 3PG. Those are fantasy hoops flex starter numbers.<\/p>\n Grayson Allen<\/a>, SG\/PG, Phoenix Suns<\/a> (34.1%): Allen is another player in this space for the second time this week. He continues to start in place of Jalen Green<\/a> and he continues to post strong numbers. In four games, Allen is averaging 17.5 PPG, 5.5 APG and 3.8 3PG in 34.8 MPG.<\/p>\n Dre’s bets for Wednesday<\/p>\n Detroit Pistons<\/a> +1.5<\/a> I’m one of the people that thinks that the Magic could be a worthy challenger in the East this season, but through the first week they haven’t shown it yet. They are 1-3 overall, riding a three-game losing streak, the last two of those losses by double figures. The Pistons had trouble with the Cavaliers in their last outing, but won the two before and have overall played at a higher level thus far than the Magic. According to the Basketball Power Index (BPI) predictor, the Pistons should be favored to win this game outright more times than not (53.5%) by a bit more than a point.<\/p>\n Chicago Bulls -4.5<\/a> Editor’s Picks 1 Related<\/p>\n The Bulls are one of only four undefeated teams remaining in the NBA this season. All three of their wins have come against teams projected to be in the playoffs this season in the Pistons, Magic and Hawks. This game is in Chicago, and the 1-3 Kings are on the second half of a road back-to-back after losing a competitive but hard-fought game to the Thunder last night. The Kings bring LaVine and DeRozan back to Chicago, where they were stars for a long time, but this game feels like a comfortable win for the undefeated Bulls.<\/p>\n Nikola Jokic<\/a> to record a triple-double (+115)<\/a> This one is on rinse-and-repeat for as long as it’s returning plus-money. Jokic averaged a triple-double last season, and has triple-doubles in each of his first three games. Plus, in his last game, it appeared that the team was aware of his triple-double status; the coaches left him in the game with the team up by double digits with under two minutes left, allowing him to get that 10th assist, then removed him immediately afterwards. Jokic has a game that naturally lends itself to triple-doubles, particularly if the team wants him to get them.<\/p>\n Lauri Markkanen<\/a> Over 23.5 points (-105)<\/a> This is an intriguing game between two teams that are both playing at a high level right now. Instead of parsing which is likely to play even more above expectation than the other, I’ll instead shift to the player props. I like several players for potential overs in scoring, including Deni Avdija<\/a> and Jerami Grant, but in this space I’ll advocate for Markkanen. Markkanen is coming off a career-best 51 points in his last outing, but he dropped 33 in the game before that. Markkanen appears to be in the midst of a big bounce-back campaign after a relatively down last season. Remember, in his first two seasons in Utah, Markkanen averaged a combined 24.4 PPG.<\/p>\n Austin Reaves<\/a> Over 29.5 points (-115)<\/a> At this time last week, this would have been one of the more shocking picks I could make. But in two games since Luka Doncic<\/a> joined LeBron James<\/a> on the sidelines, Reaves has dropped 51 and 41 points in back-to-back games. The Lakers are running everything through him on offense, and he’s showing he is comfortable being the primary creator on the team with 14 combined assists in addition to the 92 points in those two games. I look for more of the same against a Timberwolves team he dropped 25 points and 11 assists on just last week, on a night when Luka was available and popping for 49 and 8 himself.<\/p>\n 0:14<\/p>\n Austin Reaves nails the triple vs. Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n Austin Reaves drills 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n Projections and Injury Reports<\/p>\n Basketball Power Index<\/a> by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET<\/a> Line: Rockets -5.5 (-110) | Raptors +5.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Rockets: Fred VanVleet<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Dorian Finney-Smith<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle)<\/p>\n Raptors: Jakob Poeltl<\/a>, (GTD – Back)<\/p>\n Line: Cavaliers -3.5 (-115) | Celtics +3.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Cavaliers: None reported<\/p>\n Celtics: Jayson Tatum<\/a>, (OUT – Achilles); Jaylen Brown<\/a>, (GTD – Hamstring)<\/p>\n Line: Magic -1.5 (-115) | Pistons +1.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Magic: Moritz Wagner<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Pistons: Ausar Thompson<\/a>, (GTD – Illness); Caris LeVert<\/a>, (GTD – Hamstring); Marcus Sasser<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Jaden Ivey<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Hawks -8.5 (-110) | Nets +8.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Hawks: Jalen Johnson<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Zaccharie Risacher<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle)<\/p>\n Nets: Ziaire Williams<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Haywood Highsmith<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Kings +4.5 (-110) | Bulls -4.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Kings: Nique Clifford<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Keegan Murray<\/a>, (OUT – Thumb)<\/p>\n Bulls: Coby White<\/a>, (OUT – Calf); Zach Collins<\/a>, (OUT – Wrist)<\/p>\n Line: Pacers +6.5 (-120) | Mavericks -6.5 (EVEN) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton<\/a>, (OFS – Achilles); Taelon Peter<\/a>, (GTD – Groin); Andrew Nembhard<\/a>, (OUT – Shoulder); Johnny Furphy<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Bennedict Mathurin<\/a>, (OUT – Toe); Kam Jones<\/a>, (OUT – Back); T.J. McConnell<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Obi Toppin<\/a>, (OUT – Foot)<\/p>\n Mavericks: Kyrie Irving<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Anthony Davis<\/a>, (GTD – Achilles); Brandon Williams<\/a>, (GTD – Personal); Daniel Gafford<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Dereck Lively II<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Dante Exum<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Pelicans +12.5 (-115) | Nuggets -12.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Pelicans: Dejounte Murray<\/a>, (OUT – Achilles); Zion Williamson<\/a>, (GTD – Foot); Kevon Looney<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Nuggets: Cameron Johnson<\/a>, (GTD – Shoulder)<\/p>\n Line: Blazers -3.5 (-110) | Jazz +3.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Blazers: Damian Lillard<\/a>, (OFS – Achilles); Matisse Thybulle<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Robert Williams III<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Scoot Henderson<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring)<\/p>\n Jazz: Jusuf Nurkic<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Georges Niang<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Isaiah Collier<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring)<\/p>\n Line: Lakers +7.5 (-115) | Timberwolves -7.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Lakers: Jaxson Hayes<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Marcus Smart<\/a>, (GTD – Quadriceps); Adou Thiero<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Luka Doncic<\/a>, (OUT – Finger); Maxi Kleber<\/a>, (OUT – Oblique); Gabe Vincent<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); LeBron James<\/a>, (OUT – Back)<\/p>\n Timberwolves: Jaylen Clark<\/a>, (GTD – Calf); Anthony Edwards<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring)<\/p>\n Line: Grizzlies -1.5 (-120) | Suns +1.5 (EVEN) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Grizzlies: Scotty Pippen Jr.<\/a>, (OUT – Toe); Santi Aldama<\/a>, (GTD – Shoulder); Vince Williams Jr.<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Zach Edey<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Brandon Clarke<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Ty Jerome<\/a>, (OUT – Calf)<\/p>\n Suns: Jalen Green<\/a>, (GTD – Hamstring); Dillon Brooks<\/a>, (OUT – Groin)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andr\u00e9 SnellingsOct 29, 2025, 12:32 PM ET CloseDr. Andr\u00e9 Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":249027,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-249026","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249026\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Top streamers<\/a> | Best bets<\/a> | Odds & Injury report<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/fba-1320x528_01.jpg\")
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<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755837_732_r1566623_1296x1296_1-1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\")
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Houston Rockets<\/a> at Toronto Raptors<\/a>
6:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Rockets -195 | Raptors +165
Total: 232.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 4.3, straight up 63%, 235.0 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755839_482_cle.png\")
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Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> at Boston Celtics<\/a>
7 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Cavaliers -175 | Celtics +150
Total: 233.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 3.9, straight up 61%, 230.1 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755840_541_orl.png\")
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Orlando Magic<\/a> at Detroit Pistons<\/a>
7 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Magic -125 | Pistons +105
Total: 227.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 1, straight up 53%, 225.1 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755841_23_atl.png\")
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Atlanta Hawks<\/a> at Brooklyn Nets<\/a>
7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Hawks -340 | Nets +270
Total: 238.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Hawks by 8.3, straight up 72%, 232.9 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755842_921_sac.png\")
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Sacramento Kings<\/a> at Chicago Bulls<\/a>
8 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Kings +165 | Bulls -195
Total: 238.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Bulls by 3.8, straight up 61%, 235.3 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755843_248_ind.png\")
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Indiana Pacers<\/a> at Dallas Mavericks<\/a>
8:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Pacers +200 | Mavericks -240
Total: 228.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Mavericks by 1.6, straight up 55%, 236.1 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755844_641_no.png\")
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New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> at Denver Nuggets<\/a>
9 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Pelicans +600 | Nuggets -1000
Total: 235.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Nuggets by 13.3, straight up 84%, 242.3 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755845_792_por.png\")
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Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> at Utah Jazz<\/a>
9 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Blazers -150 | Jazz +130
Total: 234.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Blazers by 2.9, straight up 59%, 236.9 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755846_509_lal.png\")
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Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> at Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>
9:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Lakers +230 | Timberwolves -280
Total: 224.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Timberwolves by 8.2, straight up 72%, 223.1 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761755847_562_mem.png\")
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Memphis Grizzlies<\/a> at Phoenix Suns<\/a>
10 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Grizzlies -130 | Suns +110
Total: 241.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Grizzlies by 1.4, straight up 54%, 241.6 total points.<\/p>\n