Tonight’s slate of NBA action not only includes nine games but also marks the continuation of the Group Stage of the NBA Cup. This stage will run through Nov. 28, and from there, the Knockout round commences on Dec. 9 and 10.
So far, there’s just one team in the Group Stage with a 2-0 record, the Toronto Raptors, and they’re not on the schedule tonight.
Below, I’ll examine the nine NBA Cup games tonight and provide my best bets.
NBA Cup Predictions for Friday, November 14
All basketball odds used for these NBA Cup best bets are current as of Friday, Nov. 14, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
San Antonio Spurs -2.5 (-105) vs. Golden State Warriors
Leading off my NBA Cup predictions are the Spurs.
These teams just played on Wednesday, and the Warriors came away with a 125-120 victory, marking their second road win of the season. In this one, though, I think the Spurs get their comeuppance.
In Wednesday’s contest, the Warriors made it to the foul line 36 times, nearly 10 times more than their season average of 25.8 per game. On the other hand, the Spurs only made it to the line 16 times, a far cry from their typical 27.1 attempts per game.
I think something like free throws could be the difference, and I expect them to average out a bit more on Friday.
Portland Trail Blazers +7.5 (-108) @ Houston Rockets
The Trail Blazers are 6-5 to start the season, which is much better than I would’ve expected given their schedule.
Portland has already played teams like the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and more. Not to mention, the Blazers beat the Thunder and Nuggets outright.
While their 3-point shooting hasn’t been great this season, they’ll have a chance to do some damage from beyond the arc against the Rockets, who are allowing teams to shoot a league-high 41.1% over their last three games.
I’ll take the points with Portland as one of my NBA picks of the day.
Los Angeles Lakers -9.5 (-115) @ New Orleans Pelicans
To close out my picks, I’m taking the Lakers. Los Angeles is a 9.5-point favorite in the NBA Cup betting odds, and while laying that many points is a lot, the Pelicans’ defense has been terrible.
Over its last three games, New Orleans has allowed teams to shoot 67.9% on 2-point shots. That isn’t ideal against a Lakers team that leads the league in 2-point shooting percentage at 61.1%.
I also expect the Pelicans to be missing Jordan Poole and Zion Williamson. A blowout is imminent.
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