NBA Picks

The New Orleans Pelicans are the only remaining winless team in the Western Conference. They will attempt to put an end to that against an Oklahoma City Thunder squad who are yet to suffer a loss. The hosts in this one will be without the services of Chet Holmgren, with the big man set to miss his 3rd straight game. Considering they are coming into this game after a 19-point win against the Washington Wizards, they should be well positioned to cope with his absence. The Pelicans could also be missing size inside the paint with center Kevon Looney questionable to play in today’s game. For a team that is 28th in rebounding percentage this season, he could be a huge miss.

The hosts have started the season in terrific defensive form, topping the league in defensive rating. They have held 4 straight teams to under 110 points and should be favored to do the same against a Pelicans team that have failed to score more than 100 points in 2 of their last 3 games. With only 2 teams allowing fewer paint points per game than the Thunder this season, they should be perfectly positioned to slow down Zion Williamson. Outside of their star, the Pelicans have lacked support. Trey Murphy III is off to a slow start this season averaging just over 13 points per game on 30.3% shooting from deep. If he cannot get going tonight, the depth of the Thunder should blow the Pelicans away.

Pelicans vs Thunder prediction: Thunder -12.5 available at time of publishing. Playable to Thunder -13.5.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Pelicans vs Thunder predictions.

Life without Trae Young began with a 128-108 win over the Pacers. The Hawks will be without their best player for the foreseeable future as he recovers from his knee injury. Sunday sees the Hawks travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavs, I bet you didn’t have these two teams having identical records after 6 games played on your preseason predictions. Not having Young is definitely a problem, but the Hawks were able to adjust last season in the 6 games without him going 4-2 SU. Perimeter defense is something the Hawks will likely rely on here – they rank 4th best in opponent three-point percentage this season.

Cleveland is on the opposite spectrum when it comes to defending the three ball, ranking just 25th and allowing 38.1% of shots from distance to go in. As a team Atlanta has not shot the ball all that well so far, however there is no lack of quality shooters on this roster when you look at it. There are so many injury concerns ahead of this game for head coach Kenny Atkinson. Sam Merrill, Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell are all questionable with hip, finger and hamstring injuries. They could join Darius Garland and Max Struss who are already on the sidelines. It’s still early, but the pressure is slowly building on the Cavs as they look nowhere near the team that dominated the regular season las year.

Atlanta is a team that always plays with a chip on its shoulder when facing adversity. No Trae Young and playing on the road will certainly be a unpleasant scenario here. The Hawks have delivered 5 wins in 7 road games, while the Cavs have failed to cover in 6 straight at the Rocket Arena. With question marks on both Allen and Mitchell here, I feel more comfortable backing the road team plus the extra points.

Hawks vs Cavaliers Predictions: Hawks +5.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Hawks vs Cavaliers predictions.

There seems to be some internal turmoil going on inside the Memphis Grizzlies camp. Ja Morant openly criticized the coaching staff after their latest loss to the Los Angeles Lakers which has earned him a one game suspension for the visit to take on the Toronto Raptors. The Grizzlies are just 24th in the league in offensive rating. Losing Morant who is averaging 20.8 points per game will not help matters. It will put the offensive burden on Jaren Jackson Jr. who should have a tough matchup against the length of the Raptors frontcourt. Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles should be able to cause him issues.

The Raptors are coming into this after taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team have been just 25th in defensive rating but showed major improvement in the last outing holding their opponents to 101 points. Against a shorthanded Grizzlies, they should be able to build on that performance. Their offense should be able to create separation considering that they are in the top 10 in the league in true shooting percentage. The hosts also rank in the top 10 of the league this season in fast break points per game. They should have success beating Jaren Jackson down the floor and picking up easy scores. That should help them cover the spread.

Grizzlies vs Raptors prediction: Raptors -5.5 available at time of publishing. Playable to Raptors -7.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Grizzlies vs Raptors predictions.

The Brooklyn Nets are the only winless team to remain in the Eastern Conference as we approach the start of a new week, and on Sunday evening they host the Philadelphia 76ers, who are both 4-1 straight up and against the spread. The early struggles in Brooklyn are blatantly obvious only 5 games into their season, and it’s been their inability to slow down opponents on the defensive end of the court. The Nets have allowed 127.8 points per game to begin the season, rank last in the league in defensive rating, and have allowed each of their 5 opponents to score at least 117 points. The Nets rank 15th in offensive rating, but the abysmal defensive play to begin the year has been too big of a hurdle to overcome.

Meanwhile, things are looking optimistic in Philly as the 76ers have won their first 4 games of the season before a 1-point loss to the Boston Celtics on Halloween. Philadelphia has been without the services of Paul George as he continues to recover from offseason left knee surgery and Joel Embiid has been on a strict minutes restriction to avoid further issues with his left knee. Embiid will not play on Sunday in order to get some additional recovery, but the offense has been just fine running through Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who are averaging a combined 56.4 points per game. The 76ers rank 2nd in offensive rating, but much like the Nets they haven’t been great defensively, ranking 26th in defensive rating. Given the fact that these teams have struggled to play much defense, and the absence of Embiid will allow Philadelphia to play at a much faster pace, I’m expecting a high-scoring affair in Brooklyn. Expect a rapid pace of play and take the over on the point total.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction: Over 233 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ 76ers vs Nets predictions.

The Charlotte Hornets aim to end a three-game losing streak Sunday night when they take on the Utah Jazz. The Hornets are coming off a loss yesterday when they fell short against the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-105. Miles Bridges led the Hornets in scoring with 30 points, and LaMelo Ball added to the scoring with 18 points. The Hornets couldn’t end the losing streak on their home court against Minnesota who was playing without Anthony Edwards. Now they will need to look forward to tonight’s game against Utah to avoid four straight losses. The Jazz are currently on a two game losing streak. They lost Friday night 118-96 against the Phoenix Suns. Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz in scoring with 33 points, but Utah could not get enough team offense working, only shooting 37.5% from the field and committing 21 turnovers. 

The Jazz struggled with shooting percentage and ball security to start their five game road trip. If the offense doesn’t improve, game two against the Hornets could prove to be a tough matchup for the Jazz. Charlotte’s offense has been impressive to start the season, ranking fifth in offensive rating in the NBA. They have been led by 23 points per game by LaMelo Ball and 20 points per game from Miles Bridges. The Hornets traded for Collin Sexton this offseason, bringing him in from Utah. Sexton has averaged 17 points per game this season, and this will be his first opportunity to play his former team. While the Hornets’ offense has found success, their defense is where they need to improve. The Jazz are bottom-10 in both field goal percentage and three-point percentage, so the opportunity is there for the Hornets’ defense to improve tonight. In order to secure the victory, Charlotte will need to focus on securing the boards in this game. With Lauri Markannen, Kyle Filipowski, and Jusuf Nurkic often on the court at the same time, the Jazz are one of the NBA best rebounding teams. The Hornets have shown they can get after rebounds despite being undersized at times. They rank in the top half of the league in offensive and defensive rebounds per game, and they are a top-ten team in rebounding rate. I like the Hornets tonight to be the team to end their losing streak.

Jazz vs Hornets prediction: Hornets -1.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Jazz vs Hornets predictions.

Don’t look now, but the Chicago Bulls are off to a 5-0 start to a season for the first time since the Michael Jordan era. Their latest win came against the Knicks on Friday in the NBA Cup as they beat them 135-125, now they head to MSG for the 2nd night of a home and home between the two teams. Playing against the Knicks has been a pleasant experience for this team, they’ve covered in 5 meetings in a row, including 4 of 5 at the Garden. Prior to that game on Friday I was not a believer in this Bulls side, but they have slowly turned me around. They spread the wealth as good as any team in the league, plus they’ll only get better once their best scorer Coby White returns from injury.

The Knicks are one of the bigger disappointments so far, sitting at just 2-3 SU. The offense just hasn’t clicked under Mike Brown, with ball movement being the biggest issue. New York ranks just 25th in assists per game, averaging just 23.8 a night. Opponents are also shooting the 6th highest mark from the field against them and the 4th highest from three-point land. We all knew there would be a regression on that end of the floor when they got rid of Tom Thibodeau, but who would have predicted it would be this bad? I am convinced there will come a turning point for this team, there’s just too much talent on the roster for that not to happen.

Chicago has shown a lot of grit and team play over the first 5 games. When you have 6 players averaging double figures, chances of all 6 of them having poor shooting nights are slim. I’m not sure if their win streak will continue here, but I like the Bulls to keep this somewhat close. Let’s back the road team and the extra points.

Bulls vs Knicks Predictions: Bulls +7 available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Bulls vs Knicks predictions.

The San Antonio Spurs have had some great teams during their franchise’s history, but no Spurs team has ever started 5-0 until the 2025-26 Spurs. This is now the best start for the Spurs in their franchise’s history, and they will look to keep it rolling when they travel to take on the Phoenix Suns tonight. The Spurs won their last game on Thursday 107-101 against the Miami Heat. Victor Wembanyama led the team with 27 points and 18 rebounds, and Stephon Castle helped out with 21 points and 8 assists. The Suns just snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating the Utah Jazz 118-96 last Friday. Devin Booker led the Suns in scoring with 36 points, and the Suns defense held Utah to 37% shooting. 

The start for the Spurs has been impressive. I know it is the preseason, but the Spurs also went 5-0 in the preseason this year. This team hasn’t felt defeat in any form this season, and I am not going to side with the Phoenix Suns to be the first team to knock off San Antonio. The Suns are still retooling and recalibrating after they pulled the plug on their Big 3 this offseason. Kevin Durant moved on to Houston, and Bradley Beal was waived, leaving Devin Booker to run the show in Phoenix. The Suns will be without Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks tonight, leaving even more responsibility in the back court for Booker. The Spurs play hard on defense, ranking second in the NBA in defensive rating. Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell are two defensive wings that will cause a lot of problems for Booker and the Suns backcourt. If the Suns guards can get past the wings, they still need to deal with Wembanyama at the rim, who leads the NBA with 4.8 blocks per game. The Spurs haven’t played since Thursday, so they should be well rested when they land in Phoenix. I have the Spurs continuing their defensive success and covering against the Suns.

Spurs vs Suns prediction: Spurs -5.5 is available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Spurs vs Suns predictions.

It’s really surprising to see the Miami Heat averaging the 2nd highest amount of points, only the Rockets are better than the 125.4 per game they are putting up right now. They’re doing it while shooting the 6th fewest free throw attempts per game, ranking 2nd and 3rd in field goals and three pointers made per game respectively. That’s quite the turnaround from the style of play Erik Spoelstra has seen his team nurture over the years. Playing an up tempo style is almost mandatory for all teams in the NBA nowadays, the Heat have looked solid while adapting to it, but there is still room to grow with Tyler Herro coming back soon. Sunday sees the Heat take on the Lakers, following a defeat at San Antonio which ended a 3-game win streak.

The story of the season for LA so far are Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The former returned from injury and captivated everyone’s imagination once again with a 44-point outburst in the win over Memphis. Luka became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant to score 40+ points in 3 consecutive games, the Lakers are flourishing with him at the point and are scoring points at will. The last 3 Lakers’ wins were all decided within single digits, we could see Sunday’s affair also go into crunch time if this trend continues. Miami has had the upper hand in head-to-head meetings with 5 wins in 7 games, The Lakers are also an unreliable 0-8 ATS in their last 8 vs Eastern Conference opponents.

Neither team has shown any desire to compete on the defensive end so far. Miami tops the NBA in pace averaging 108.4 possessions per game. With these two teams ranking 2nd and 9th in true shooting percentage, there’s a good chance they surpass the projected total here.

Heat vs Lakers Predictions: Over 236.5 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.  

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can INSTANTLY receive $200 in bonus bets from a $5 wager, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. ⏰ in time to fade or follow our experts’ Heat vs Lakers predictions.