3 NBA Picks for 11/01: Bet on Sacramento Kings -6½

3 NBA Picks for Friday 11/1

1. King Me! Bet Sacramento ATS and Kevin Huerter’s 3-Pointers

The Atlanta Hawks have a game on Friday night.

Who are they playing?

The Sacramento Kings.

Oh, then we’ll take the Kings.

Of course, it’s not that easy, but based on the NBA spreads trends it seems to be when you’re dealing with the Hawks. They are a league-worst 0-5 against the spread early this season after going a league-worst 29-54 last season. That’s a pretty big sample size of Vegas overrating Atlanta’s prospects.

Trends do shift and perhaps the Hawks will overcome the NBA odds a bit more as this season progresses. We’re going to lay into this trend against the Kings, however, as they are the type of team that can give Atlanta fits.

The Hawks tend to struggle against squads that can match their speed and style. They just lost back-to-back games against the wacky Wizards, who are second in the NBA in pace and fast-break points per game. Before that they fell to Oklahoma City, which ranks fifth in pace and seventh in fast-break points. The two Atlanta wins were versus Brooklyn and Charlotte, both of whom are much further down both of these lists.

Sacramento, which has won two straight, is in the top 10 in fast-break points and just outside it – 11th – in pace. It defeated the Hawks in both meetings last season while averaging 119.5 points. The Kings are giving away 6½ points here, a hefty but very doable number to hit. Take them and one of their players (we like ex-Hawk Kevin Huerter) to take advantage of Atlanta’s woeful perimeter defense, which allows opponents to make a league-high 42.1% from the arc.

Bet on Sacramento Kings -6½ and Kevin Huerter Over 2.5 3-pointers Parlay (+275)

I know Trae’s defense is bad here, but Kyshawn George drives and reads the situation really, really well pic.twitter.com/gjHkwnDcxe

— Sheed on the Hawks (@SheedinATL) October 31, 2024

2. Perfection in Cleveland, Bets Cavaliers ATS

One of two undefeated teams entering Friday is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are 5-0 after a rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. They aim for six straight to start the season when they host a banged-up Orlando squad on Friday.

The Magic have bucked the spreads consistently over the past few seasons but enter this one on a sour note. Star forward Paolo Banchero is out indefinitely with a torn oblique, coming on a play in which he scored (naturally). It’s a massive blow and that even seems like an understatement.

Orlando is a well-coached squad that plays defense. Those elements can help to sustain something like this, to a degree. But just a day after the injury news broke doesn’t give them much time to prepare for a Banchero-less effort. Cleveland, which scratched its way past the Magic in a seven-game first-round series last spring, is clicking early and should cover after analyzing the Magic vs Cavaliers betting trends.

Bet on Cleveland Cavaliers -8½ (-110) 

This is the play Paolo Banchero got banged up on, being the ultimate competitor he is — he finished the game. Banchero had a wrap on the right side of his core underneath his shirt, and on both of his knees during his post-game interview following the loss. Brutal pic.twitter.com/gpe0ZtzsEM

— Fawzan Amer (@FAmer__) November 1, 2024

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3.Bet on Cam Thomas Hitting at Least 26 Points

Cam Thomas has cooled off a little after hitting 7 of 13 3-pointers in his opener, but he’s still averaging 27.4 points and operates with a glowing green light. He ranks sixth in the NBA in made shots from at least 25 feet out (13 in 27 attempts) and is tied for fifth in makes from between 15 and 19 feet (5-for-9).

Those just happen to be two areas in which the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn’s opponent on Friday, tend to give up some points. Nobody has allowed more field goals in that 15 to 19-foot range than the Bulls and only two teams have seen opponents attempt more shots from beyond 25 feet.

Thomas, who had 28 points while hitting 5 of 9 3-pointers in his last game against Chicago in March, can exploit those zones and run things up.

Bet on Cam Thomas Over 25.5 Points (-113)

Questions of the Day

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.