We have an excellent slate of NBA games in front of us tonight, and I've been crunching the numbers to find the best spots on the board. From sides and totals to specific matchup angles, I've locked in my favorite plays for the evening.
Let's get into my NBA predictions for Sunday, November 8.
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NBA Predictions for Sunday, November 8
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76ers vs. Bulls
These two teams are a combined 13-5 to the under this season.
While Philadelphia's defensive strength of schedule ranks near the bottom (28th per DunksAndThrees.com), Chicago’s offense is even worse. The Bulls are loose and unstructured, and that doesn’t help you against the Sixers with their individual talent and athleticism.
The Bulls are the worst spot-up team in the league, and the Sixers have proven good enough at containing pick-and-roll actions, which is a Chicago strength.
I project this total to land in the 220s—which may even lean optimistic given Chicago’s No. 1 pace and Philly’s raw firepower. This season, games with totals of 235.5 or higher have favored the over, hitting 38-22 (63.3% via KillerSports.com).
Finally, while the Sixers should put a big number on the Bulls, they take their time offensively, averaging the seventh-longest time per offensive possession. There’s no reason for a team with these veterans to want to run up and down the floor with Chicago’s kiddos.
Pick: Under 238.5 (-114)
If you want more picks for this game, read our full 76ers vs Bulls betting preview!
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Lakers vs. Pistons
It seems nothing can stop Luka Doncic, but if anyone has a shot, it’s probably the Pistons with three days’ rest.
Doncic is on an otherworldly stretch of games. He’s not only playing with such elite efficiency and scoring punch, but he dominates so much of the offense that the entire Lakers system orbits around him like a massive gravitational force.
The Pistons are uniquely built to counter that kind of galactic body. Detroit is the No. 1 pick-and-roll defensive team this season. They navigate screens better than anyone else.
Doncic went 0-2 vs. Detroit last season, scoring 30 points or more in both games, but also shooting less than 40 percent from the field. The Pistons force Doncic to be his usual one-man band but just slightly out of tune while limiting the rest of the team.
Jalen Duren’s absence matters here with Walker Kessler playing so well, but it will have to be on offensive rebounds and small opportunities, mostly. The Lakers are not particularly dominant on the glass (28th in defensive rebound percentage).
The Lakers are 3-1 SU and ATS on the road, but their wins are against the Jazz, Kings, and Clippers. This is the toughest road game they’ve had so far. Meanwhile, Detroit has wins against the Celtics, Sixers, and Knicks.
I make this Pistons -5.8 even after a substantive upgrade to the Lakers. I think Detroit handles business at home.
Pick: Pistons -4.5 (-114)
If you want more picks for this game, read our full Lakers vs Pistons betting preview!
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Heat vs. Kings
This is accurately priced according to market power ratings (-8.7), but I make it Heat -12.5, which sounds a lot closer to what it should be. The Kings covered +15.5 vs. the Spurs but only in garbage time; they were down 20 late in the 4th.
Miami has two days off coming off a desperation win over the Clippers and a clocking by the Warriors on a back-to-back. They are struggling, to be sure. You know what’s great when you’re struggling? The Kings.
The Kings are the second-worst transition defensive team in the league, and they’re facing the endless onslaught of Giannis Antetokounmpo and a team that only plays downhill.
Miami’s schedule has been brutal, and their two covers this season came against the Hawks and Pacers, who both profile smaller, like the Kings, and closer to Sacramento than say, the Lakers or Wolves. The Heat’s ceiling so far has been abysmally low, but even with a loss to the Hornets, their floor hasn’t been subterranean.
Miami, with two days’ rest for an older team and a lot of motivation to get right, vs. an easy squad, provides the blowout.
Pick: Heat -8.5 (-115)
If you want more picks for this game, read our full Heat vs Kings betting preview!
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Pelicans vs. Clippers
I’m just going to list the reasons to bet this scattered, broken team against another pretty scattered, broken team.
- The market line on this game based on previous spreads should be Clippers -1.9.
- I make this game Clippers -1.2.
- I don’t show a huge edge here, but the Pelicans should essentially never be a road favorite unless they are facing the Kings, Nets, or Hornets.
- The bench unit is a big edge for the Clippers. They have veterans up and down the roster.
- Jeremiah Fears is like younger, smaller Darius Garland.
- Rui Hachimura is a good floor spacer to counter Trey Murphy.
- The Clippers have had the 5th-strongest strength of schedule so far; the Pelicans have had the 19th.
I’m absolutely going to bet on overtime here. I know the Clippers just went to overtime vs. the Heat (and man, should they have won that game — signed, a Clippers ML bettor), but these two teams are very much opposite sides of a coin.
Pick: Clippers Moneyline (-102)
If you want more picks for this game, read our full Pelicans vs Clippers betting preview!
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