The Thanksgiving festivities are behind us, and after a day of rest, basketball is officially back with a full 11-game NBA Cup slate. Prime Video will get us going from 7.30 pm ET with the Milwaukee Bucks vs New York Knicks clash, followed by a Western Conference clash at 10:00 pm ET between the Dallas Mavericks and LA Lakers.
I’ve got you covered with a best bet for every single game taking place on Friday – odds are courtesy of FanDuel. We’ll also have in-depth NBA Picks on our website, but now let’s dive into my predictions!
Magic vs Pistons Best Bet: Magic +4.5 (-110)
The Pistons just had their 13-game win streak snapped; it might take them a while to recover from that. Orlando has had success over the past week or so — winning 4 of 5 games — and they just impressed with a 31-point win over Philadelphia.
Wizards vs Pacers Best Bet: Wizards +6.5 (-110)
As bad as the Wizards have been, they’re still capable of catching opponents off guard. We just saw them drain 19 threes in the 19-point win over Atlanta. Indiana has all but given up on this season, as the Pacers have won just once in 11 games.
76ers vs Nets Best Bet: 76ers -7 (-110)
Philly desperately needs a win after dropping 3 of 4 games. The three-ball just didn’t go in against Orlando. Now facing one of the worst teams in the league, the Sixers should get back on track here.
Bulls vs Hornets Best Bet: Bulls -3.5 (-110)
Chicago has won 9 of 10 meetings and has been an offensive juggernaut of late — scoring in the 120s and 130s on a regular basis. The Hornets just won’t be able to keep up. Their last two games saw them score just 101 and 110 points.
Bucks vs Knicks Best Bet: Bucks +7.5 (-110)
Giannis may return to the line-up here for the Bucks. With him they are an automatic top 3 team in the East. New York should still handle their business at home, but it might be a tight one.
Cavaliers vs Hawks Best Bet: Cavaliers -3.5 (-110)
With Garland back, I’m expecting the Cavs to pick up their form a bit. They’re 6-3 ATS in 9 meetings with the Hawks and have won 9 of 13 games overall coming into this one. Cleveland also won the first meeting 117-109 at the start of November.
Kings vs Jazz Best Bet: Jazz ML (-116)
Playing home makes all the difference for the Jazz here. There’s also the revenge factor at play after they lost the first meeting by 1 point a month ago. Lauri Markkanen had 33 points in that game. I’ll back the Jazz to even the regular-season series here.
Suns vs Thunder Best Bet: Over 227.5 (-110)
The over has cashed in 7 of 10 meetings, with an average of 229.9 points per game scored. These are the 4th and 12th-best ranked offenses in terms of efficiency, which obviously helps when betting high on an NBA total. The Suns will shoot a bunch of threes here. They rank 5th in percentage and 6th in makes from distance.
Spurs vs Nuggets Best Bet: Spurs +10 (-110)
Given the injury situation in Denver, the spread is just too big here. San Antonio has covered in 4 of 5 overall, and the Spurs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings with the Nuggets.
Grizzlies vs Clippers Best Bet: Under 226.5 (-110)
This is probably the least attractive game to watch from an offensive standpoint. These two rank 24th and 25th in points per game, plus they’re in the bottom-10 in terms of efficiency.
Mavericks vs Lakers Best Bet: Over 230.5 (-110)
Dallas plays at a fast pace, and the Lakers can easily match that. Deandre Ayton being out means they’ll increase the tempo and play smaller. Expect a big performance from Luka versus his former team.
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