The spooky start to the NBA season can now be stopped with Halloween officially behind us. Each team has played their first four or five games and the early takeaways of the season are beginning to be formed.
Heading into the second Friday of the season, there are nine games on the NBA slate. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to remain undefeated as they face off with the Orlando Magic. In addition, the Indiana Pacers will face off with the New Orleans Pelicans and the Denver Nuggets will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in a Western Conference matchup. The final game of the slate will be taking place in Portland as the Trail Blazers face off with the Thunder.
These are my picks to win every NBA game straight up, tiered by confidence level and ranked within each tier. You can bet on any of these games at DraftKings Sportsbook.
NBA November 1st Confidence Picks
High Confidence
Boston Celtics over Charlotte Hornets
The Boston Celtics have looked just about unstoppable through the first five games. While they did suffer their first loss in an overtime matchup with the Pacers, the Hornets will not be able to replicate this level of effort. Charlotte is more competent than they have been in years but just keeping this a competitive game should be looked at as a win for them. Expect Boston to dominate.
Oklahoma City Thunder over Portland Trail Blazers
The Oklahoma City Thunder have lived up to the preseason hype and are off to a 4-0 start to kick off the season. They will now travel to Portland to face off with the Trail Blazers who are expected to end up as one of the bottom-feeders in the NBA and are 2-3 to start the season. There is too much talent on this OKC roster and they should have no issues blowing this game open early.
Cleveland Cavaliers over Orlando Magic
The Cleveland Cavaliers enter as the only other remaining undefeated team and are off to a 5-0 start this season. While the Magic are a talented young team that has impressed thus far, it is going to take some time for them to adjust to the loss of Paolo Banchero who will miss extended time with a torn oblique. Expect the Cavaliers to remain hot and move to 6-0 in this matchup.
Los Angeles Lakers over Toronto Raptors
The Los Angeles Lakers got off to a 3-0 start but lost the past two games to the Suns and Cavaliers. They now have a great chance to get back in the win column against a 1-4 Raptors squad. While Toronto is a spunky group that cannot be taken for granted, expect the Lakers to look more like they did through the first three games and produce the victory here.
Medium Confidence
New York Knicks over Detroit Pistons
The New York Knicks have not yet played their best basketball and are still adjusting to the offseason roster changes. Karl-Anthony Towns is coming off his best game in a Knicks uniform but is also listed as questionable for this game due to a wrist issue. The Detroit Pistons do not have as much talent as the Knicks, but they have several physical rebounders who could cause issues against a thin New York frontcourt. Expect the Knicks to get the win but keep an eye on the injury report and hope the shots are falling.
Indiana Pacers over New Orleans Pelicans
Both the Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans are fun, intriguing teams to keep an eye on this year. Tyrese Haliburton has had some ups and downs to start the year, but the team looks to be back on track and has gone to overtime in two of the last three games. Luckily, they have been rested since Wednesday and will take on a Pelicans squad that is still recovering from the loss of Dejounte Murray. Now they are missing Herb Jones and C.J. Mccollum for an extended time, as well. I’m giving the edge to the Pacers taking care of business on the road.
Denver Nuggets over Minnesota Timberwolves
The Denver Nuggets enter as four-point underdogs in this game, but I give them the edge for getting the outright victory. Minnesota is still settling into life without Karl-Anthony Towns just as Nikola Jokic is adjusting to a more score-first style of play. Don’t be surprised if he has his way with Rudy Gobert and this is enough to lift Denver to a victory.
Coin-Flip Games
Sacramento Kings over Atlanta Hawks
The Sacramento Kings are set to face off with the Hawks in Atlanta. The Kings are 2-2 on the season, but there are still concerns with their perimeter defense which Atlanta is capable of capitalizing on. If Sacramento’s offense is playing up to their capabilities, they should be able to put Atlanta away. But if this becomes a game in crunch time, don’t be surprised if Trae Young and Jalen Johnson play the villain role.
Chicago Bulls over Brooklyn Nets
The Chicago Bulls are set to face off with the Brooklyn Nets with neither team having the highest season-long aspirations. Chicago has the talent advantage and enters with a 3-2 record. Lean towards them getting the victory, but the Bulls have also played a bit above their heads to start and some regression is due soon. While Brooklyn is not as talented, one Cam Thomas hot shooting game could change things entirely.
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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.
