The second Saturday of the NBA season has arrived, bringing 10 action-packed games our way.
Most notably, the Boston Celtics will kick off the day with their second consecutive game against the Charlotte Hornets; the Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to remain undefeated as they match up with the Milwaukee Bucks; and the final game will take place between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers.
These are my picks to win every NBA game straight up on the November 2nd slate, tiered by confidence level and ranked within each tier. You can bet on any of these games at DraftKings Sportsbook.
NBA November 2nd Confidence Picks
High Confidence
Boston Celtics over Charlotte Hornets
This will mark the second consecutive matchup between the Celtics and the Hornets. Boston took care of business yesterday producing a 124-109 victory, so they enter as 10.5-point favorites in this game. While Jaylen Brown is set to miss this contest, there is too much talent on the roster for this to cause a change in the overall outlook. Expect Jayson Tatum to lead the charge and for the Celtics to continue looking like a well-oiled machine. Count on the Celtics to produce another comfortable victory in this matchup.
Phoenix Suns over Portland Trail Blazers
The Phoenix Suns have impressed through the opening few games of the season. They are off to a 4-1 start and are playing more team-oriented basketball than was the case last year. The Portland Trail Blazers are still rebuilding, so Phoenix enters as 12.5-point favorites in the game. While Portland has more talent on their roster than their outlook would make you believe, they have been unable to put the pieces together yet and this should not be expected to change tonight. Count on the Suns to take care of business and continue building on their strong start to the season while Kevin Durant and Devin Booker shine as the clear-cut best players on the floor.
Cleveland Cavaliers over Milwaukee Bucks
The Cavaliers will be looking to remain undefeated as they face off with the Milwaukee Bucks. Cleveland has been the hottest team in the NBA to start the season but is on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Magic last night. Surprisingly, the Milwaukee Bucks are 2.5-point favorites in this game, likely due to rest and home-court advantages. Regardless, I like the Cavaliers to produce the upset on the road against the 1-4 Bucks. I am buying into how they have looked to start and Milwaukee is still struggling to get on the same page as a team.
Denver Nuggets over Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are the lone winless team in the NBA and are not in a great spot to change this. While there is fair concern over the workload being put on Nikola Jokic’s plate and the lack of production for the supporting cast around him, this is not a matchup where this will be an issue. Denver sits at 2-3 so far this year and needs to begin ripping off some wins to get back on track. This will not be an opportunity that they take for granted and Jokic should have no problem elevating the team to a win.
Oklahoma City Thunder over Los Angeles Clippers
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the other undefeated team aside from Cleveland and have lived up to the preseason hype. They will travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers, which may be their biggest test so far this year. Los Angeles has been a pleasant surprise to start the year with the team showcasing some of the best perimeter defense in the league while James Harden still shows some life left in his legs. Regardless, the Thunder are too deep and should have no issue taking care of business in this matchup.
Medium Confidence
Sacramento Kings over Toronto Raptors
The Sacramento Kings are off to a 3-2 start to the season and will be facing off with the Toronto Raptors in this game. Both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, with the Raptors losing to the Lakers last night and the Kings coming off a victory over the Hawks. While Sacramento is still settling into who they are as a team, there is far more top-end talent on the roster and the Raptors are still working to overcome Scottie Barnes’ absence. The Kings enter as 8.5-point favorites for good reason and should not have trouble picking up the victory in this game.
Houston Rockets over Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors continue to play without Steph Curry following an ankle injury. The loss of the 10-time All-Star has exposed the lack of offensive creators on this Warriors team. In contrast, the Houston Rockets are loaded with young talent and are figuring out how it all fits together. The Rockets enter as 4.5-point favorites and will overwhelm the Warriors with their depth.
Miami Heat over Washington Wizards
It has not been the most convincing start to the season for the Miami Heat, but they sit at 2-2 after the first four games. There is no doubt they are the more talented team, but Washington is the type of young, athletic squad that can give Miami issues if they do not put forth a focused effort. Whatever version of Jimmy Butler shows up will likely dictate the outlook for Miami, but this is still a game they should be able to put in the win column. While I remain concerned regarding Miami’s outlook in the season-long view, don’t expect them to trip up tonight.
Coin-Flip Games
Minnesota Timberwolves over San Antonio Spurs
The Timberwolves are on the second night of a back-to-back after a tough 119-116 victory over the Denver Nuggets. They will now travel down to San Antonio to face the Spurs, who have not played since Thursday. San Antonio is still putting it all together, but Victor Wembanyama is rapidly climbing the short list of the top talents in the NBA. Minnesota enters as four-point favorites but will need a rapid recovery and a focused effort from the opening tip to get the win.
Memphis Grizzlies over Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers continue to struggle without Joel Embiid and Paul George, sitting at just 1-3 through the first four games. They will face a Memphis Grizzlies team that also has some injury issues, but not nearly to the extent they dealt with last year. While an impressive Tyrese Maxey performance could be enough to carry the Sixers to a win, Ja Morant and company should be able to pick up their fourth victory.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and cannot access any non-public information.
