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NBA schedule, odds and betting lines Nov. 27: Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray probable to play vs. Raptors

Before the NBA goes dark for U.S. Thanksgiving, fans and bettors are treated to a smorgasbord of games on Wednesday night.

The latest: The NBA’s top squad, the Cleveland Cavaliers, put their 10-0 home record on the line against the underwhelming Atlanta Hawks. Elsewhere, the New Orleans Pelicans get some much-needed help against the Toronto Raptors and Victor Wembanyama looks to stay on fire against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Check out today’s basketball betting lines and our NBA schedule for Nov. 27.

NBA schedule: Nov. 27

Visit all of tonight’s NBA markets. Click on game odds below to bet now.

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets

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Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Indiana Pacers

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Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic

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Houston Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers

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Los Angeles Clippers vs. Washington Wizards

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New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks

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Detroit Pistons vs. Memphis Grizzlies

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Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

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Toronto Raptors vs. New Orleans Pelicans

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Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs

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Brooklyn Nets vs. Phoenix Suns

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Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz

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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors

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Betting insights

Some notable names on the 8:30 a.m. injury report include Trae Young (questionable), Joel Embiid (out), Paul George (out), Norman Powell (questionable), Klay Thompson (questionable), Brandon Ingram (questionable) and Steph Curry (questionable).

Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its past five games, losing each of its past three by 10-plus points. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s margin of victory at home this year is +14.7 points. This one could be ugly.

How does Dejounte Murray fit into the Pelicans’ game plan? We don’t really know, given that he broke his hand on opening night. But after averaging 20-plus points in each of his previous three seasons, Murray should be a focal point for a New Orleans squad that is still depleted.

Keep an eye on the injury report to see whether or not Wembanyama plays tonight on a back-to-back. If he does, he’ll look to build on a remarkable run: 32.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.5 blocks over his past six games.

The most consistent thing about the Nuggets so far has been their trend of hitting the over. This season, overs are 11-5 (68.8%) in Nuggets games, which is the second-highest rate in the NBA. Denver and Utah hit the over when they played back on Nov. 2 (a 129-103 win for Denver).

Lakers vs. Suns same-game parlay predictions Nov. 26: Back Phoenix to win in Durant’s return at +310

Kevin Durant is set to return tonight when the Phoenix Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers.

The pregame narrative: The Suns went 1-6 without KD in the lineup and I expect him to get them back in the win column tonight. A prop bet on Los Angeles’ Dalton Knecht rounds out this +310 SGP.

Check out my Lakers vs. Suns same-game parlay predictions for Nov. 26.

Lakers vs. Suns predictions

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Parlay: Suns moneyline + Durant over 22.5 points + Knecht 1.5 threes (+310)

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Suns moneyline (-137): Durant isn’t anywhere near the MVP conversation but he might as well be considering Phoenix’s splits with and without him in the lineup:

With Durant: 8-1 record, 114.4 points power game
Without Durant: 1-6 record, 109.0 points per game

KD is officially listed as probable as of 10:30 a.m. ET but keep an eye on his status. Needless to say, if he can’t suit up tonight I wouldn’t recommend making this wager.

Bradley Beal is also set to return for the Suns and that shouldn’t be overlooked, either.

He’s averaging 17.8 PPG and Phoenix is 7-2 when he’s in the lineup.

The Lakers have been streaky this season and are coming off consecutive home losses to the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets after winning six straight.

But the teams L.A. beat during that win streak were all bottom-feeders (Sixers, Raptors, Grizzlies, Spurs, Pelicans, Jazz) and I expect it to lose again tonight.

SGP legs

Durant over 22.5 points (-127): If Durant wasn’t coming off an injury this line would be a must-hit.

The future Hall of Famer is averaging 27.6 PPG and has cleared this mark in seven of nine games. That includes a pair of 30-point performances against the Lakers.

Will KD be on a minutes restriction? That’s unclear. But if he is I don’t expect it to be severe, especially considering he played 39.6 minutes a night before going down.

Los Angeles is allowing the fourth-most points per game to power forwards, according to Fantasy Pros.

Knecht over 1.5 threes (-195): Knecht is earning his playing time.

This year’s No. 17 overall pick has been a lightning rod from beyond the arc in November, averaging 2.6 threes on 5.5 attempts per game (48.3%).

He’s cashed this bet in five of his last six games and is playing 33.3 minutes a night in that span.

The Suns allow teams to shoot 37.7% from deep, which is the fourth-highest rate in basketball.

Knecht is in great shape to clear this modest line.

Picks made at 10:37 a.m. on 11/26/24.

NBA schedule, odds and betting lines Nov. 26: Suns host Lakers with Durant, Beal expected to return from injury

NBA Cup action is back with five games set for Tuesday night.

The latest: The Phoenix Suns are hopeful to welcome back a couple of star players as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks look to extend their win streak when they play the Miami Heat.

Check out today’s basketball betting lines and our NBA schedule for Nov. 26.

NBA odds: Nov. 26

Visit all of tonight’s NBA markets. Click on game odds below to bet now.

Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards

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Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat

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Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

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San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz

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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns

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Betting insights

Washington looks to avoid a 12th straight loss as it hosts Chicago. The Wizards own a league-worst -13.3 net rating and are 4-10-1 ATS. The Bulls are seventh in PPG (117.4) with an 11-7-0 overs record.

Jimmy Butler has been on a rampage since returning from injury, scoring 33 and 30 points, respectively, in the last two games with the Heat winning both. Milwaukee looks to extend its win streak to five. The over has hit in eight of the last 10 meetings between these teams.

The Timberwolves have beaten the Rockets in nine out of the last 10 meetings, but have only covered in three of them. Both squads are top 10 in the NBA in net rating, but Minnesota is 10th in field goal percentage while Houston is 27th.

The Spurs look to extend their win streak to four as they take on the struggling Jazz. Utah sits 14th in the West with a 4-12 record. In their last meeting, San Antonio took care of business beating Utah 126-118 on Nov. 21.
Phoenix is hopeful stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal will return from injury to try to avoid a sixth straight loss. L.A. has the NBA’s fourth-best offensive rating (117.1) and is sixth in FG% (48.2). The Suns are 5-11-0 ATS, the third worst in the NBA.

Best NBA prop bets Nov. 26: Bet on Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama on Tuesday

Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards headline Tuesday’s NBA prop bets.

The pregame narrative: Wembanyama is heating up and gets a prime stat-stuffing matchup against the Utah Jazz. In Minnesota, Edwards should clear his 3-point total despite facing a stingy Houston Rockets defence.

Check out the best NBA prop bets on Nov. 26.

NBA prop bets

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Best bet: Wembanyama over 36.5 points and rebounds (-118)

This is a huge number for most NBA players but it’s one Wembanyama has been smashing lately.

Wembanyama is 4-1 against this line in his last five games
While averaging 32.2 points and 11.4 rebounds (43.6 PR)
On 53.6% shooting from the field (44.4% from deep)

It’s worth noting the second-year centre missed three games between his 28-point, 14-rebound performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 15 and his 25-point, seven-rebound performance against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

That was Wemby’s worst shooting night in a while (9-of-21) but I won’t let it dissuade me from backing him this evening.

He still played 34 minutes and took 21 shots, which is encouraging.

And now Wembanyama gets to go up against a Utah Jazz team that is already looking ahead to the draft lottery.

Utah has the fifth-worst defensive rating in basketball and is allowing the second-most points and eighth-most rebounds per game to opposing centres, according to Fantasy Pros.

Key stat: Wembanyama had 24 points and 16 rebounds when he played the Jazz earlier this month.

Quick pick

Edwards over 3.5 threes (-154): Let’s get the ugly out of the way: This is an awful matchup for Edwards.

The Rockets have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA
And the seventh-lowest opponent 3-point percentage (34.3)
Teams attempt the fourth-fewest 3s per game against Houston (34.7)

With that said, Edwards has been letting it fly from beyond the arc with great success.

Minnesota’s superstar guard is making a league-best 4.9 threes per night on 11.1 attempts (43.8%). When targeting a 3-point prop you typically want either volume or accuracy — and he has both.

Edwards has gone over this mark in 13 of 16 games with three 3PM in two of the outliers. I don’t care how good Houston’s defence is, I’ll ride with that hit rate.

Picks made a 10:30 a.m. ET on 11/26/2024.

Rockets vs. Timbewolves same-game parlay predictions Nov. 26: Back Sengun, Edwards in +320 ticket

The Houston Rockets visit the Minnesota Timberwolves for an exciting Tuesday night matchup.

The pregame narrative: Houston is one of the best teams ATS this season so I feel comfortable backing it to cover a teased-up spread. To finish out the ticket, I’m adding player props on Alperen Sengun and Anthony Edwards.

Check out my Rockets vs. Timberwolves same-game parlay predictions for Nov. 26.

Rockets vs. Timberwolves predictions

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Parlay: Rockets +6.5 + Sengun over 18.5 points + Edwards over 3.5 threes (+320)

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Rockets +6.5 (-180): Houston is 12-6 ATS this season. That includes being 3-1 as the underdog which is the situation tonight.

The Rockets are rolling, winning 12 of their first 18 games while Minnesota is falling short of expectations with an 8-8 record.

Part of me believes that Houston will win straight up tonight, but I feel really good about this 6.5-point alternate spread.

The T-Wolves are struggling right now, winning just two of their last seven with losses to the Toronto Raptors and back-to-back losses against the Portland Trailblazers.

Those two wins came by a combined seven points so even if Minnesota pulls out a victory tonight, I can’t see it being a blowout.

Houston is 17-1 against this line.

SGP legs

Sengun over 18.5 points (-139): Firstly, Sengun has cleared this point total in three of his past four games against Minnesota.

At 22 years old, the centre is playing the best basketball of his young career and I think he can take advantage of Rudy Gobert on defence.

Let’s take a look at what a few mobile centres have done against the T-Wolves:

Domantas Sabonis (23 points, 10/15 shooting)
Nikola Vucevic (25 points, 11/15 shooting)
Nikola Jokic (26 points, 8/16 shooting)

Gobert is a great rim-protecting centre, but when the opposing big man can get him moving away from the basket, he has problems.

My biggest concern is that Sengun doesn’t get enough volume — but if he does, I see him stuffing the statsheet.

Edwards over 3.5 threes (-129): There are only a few players in the NBA I would even consider backing at this number and Edwards is one of them.

Ant is a flamethrower from deep:

78 made threes (leads the NBA)

43.8% 3-point percentage

Attempts 11.1 per game

With that volume and efficiency, this is a no-brainer to add to the parlay. Edwards is 13-3 against this line this season.

Picks made at 9:07 a.m. on 11/26/24.

Best NBA prop bets Nov. 26: Bet on Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama on Tuesday

Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards headline Tuesday’s NBA prop bets.

The pregame narrative: Wembanyama is heating up and gets a prime stat-stuffing matchup against the Utah Jazz. In Minnesota, Edwards should clear his 3-point total despite facing a stingy Houston Rockets defence.

Check out the best NBA prop bets on Nov. 26.

NBA prop bets

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Best bet: Wembanyama over 36.5 points and rebounds (-114)

This is a huge number for most NBA players but it’s one Wembanyama has been smashing lately.

Wembanyama is 4-1 against this line in his last five games
While averaging 32.2 points and 11.4 rebounds (43.6 PR)
On 53.6% shooting from the field (44.4% from deep)

It’s worth noting the second-year centre missed three games between his 28-point, 14-rebound performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 15 and his 25-point, seven-rebound performance against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

That was Wemby’s worst shooting night in a while (9-of-21) but I won’t let it dissuade me from backing him this evening.

He still played 34 minutes and took 21 shots, which is encouraging.

And now Wembanyama gets to go up against a Utah Jazz team that is already looking ahead to the draft lottery.

Utah has the fifth-worst defensive rating in basketball and is allowing the second-most points and eighth-most rebounds per game to opposing centres, according to Fantasy Pros.

Key stat: Wembanyama had 24 points and 16 rebounds when he played the Jazz earlier this month.

Quick pick

Edwards over 3.5 threes (-130): Let’s get the ugly out of the way: This is an awful matchup for Edwards.

The Rockets have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA
And the seventh-lowest opponent 3-point percentage (34.3)
Teams attempt the fourth-fewest 3s per game against Houston (34.7)

With that said, Edwards has been letting it fly from beyond the arc with great success.

Minnesota’s superstar guard is making a league-best 4.9 threes per night on 11.1 attempts (43.8%). When targeting a 3-point prop you typically want either volume or accuracy — and he has both.

Edwards has gone over this mark in 13 of 16 games with three 3PM in two of the outliers. I don’t care how good Houston’s defence is, I’ll ride with that hit rate.

Picks made a 9:07 a.m. ET on 11/26/2024.

Knicks vs. Nuggets prop pick Nov. 25: Back Nikola Jokic to score

Tonight’s marquee NBA matchup features the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets.

The pregame narrative: Nikola Jokic is in the midst of his best season ever, which is saying a lot. I’m backing him to clear his point total at home.

Check out my Knicks vs. Nuggets prop picks for Nov. 25.

Knicks vs. Nuggets prop pick

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Best Bet: Jokic over 27.5 points (-130)

Jokic is fresh off his third MVP award in the past four seasons, and somehow, he’s still getting better.

The Serbian superstar is averaging career highs in points (30.3), rebounds (13.9), assists (11.3) and 3-point percentage (56.3%).

Jokic has scored 30+ points in four straight games
In that span, he’s shooting 64.5% from the field and 69.2% from deep
He’s 8-4 against this line on the season with 27 and 26-point performances mixed in

Simply put, the man has been unstoppable. And while you might think the Knicks represent a tough matchup, that hasn’t been the case this year.

New York had the ninth-best defensive rating last season but is 21st through 16 games.

The squad has particularly struggled to defend the short midrange (shots from four to 14 feet), allowing opponents to shoot 45.5% from that area of the court, which ranks 29th in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Jokic takes 35% of his shots from there, which ranks in the 88th percentile of all NBA players.

Key stat: Jokic has cleared this mark in five of his last six games.

Picks made at 1:02 p.m. ET 11/25/2024.

Knicks vs. Nuggets prop picks Nov. 25: Back Nikola Jokic to score, OG Anunoby on defence

Tonight’s marquee NBA matchup features the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets.

The pregame narrative: Nikola Jokic is in the midst of his best season ever, which is saying a lot. I’m backing him to clear his point total at home and also expect OG Anunoby to be a menace on defence.

Check out my Knicks vs. Nuggets prop picks for Nov. 25.

Knicks vs. Nuggets prop picks

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Best Bet: Jokic over 27.5 points (-120)

Jokic is fresh off his third MVP award in the past four seasons, and somehow, he’s still getting better.

The Serbian superstar is averaging career highs in points (30.3), rebounds (13.9), assists (11.3) and 3-point percentage (56.3%).

Jokic has scored 30+ points in four straight games
In that span, he’s shooting 64.5% from the field and 69.2% from deep
He’s 8-4 against this line on the season with 27 and 26-point performances mixed in

Simply put, the man has been unstoppable. And while you might think the Knicks represent a tough matchup, that hasn’t been the case this year.

New York had the ninth-best defensive rating last season but is 21st through 16 games.

The squad has particularily struggled to defend the short midrange (shots from four to 14 feet), allowing opponents to shoot 45.5% from that area of the court, which ranks 29th in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Jokic takes 35% of his shots from there, which ranks in the 88th percentile of all NBA players.

Key stat: Jokic has cleared this mark in five of his last six games.

Quick pick

Anunoby over 2.5 blocks and steals (-112): Anunoby was getting some Defensive Player of the Year love with the Knicks last season before getting injured in late January.

It was well deserved, as the former Toronto Raptor was averaging 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks with the squad over a 14-game sample.

He’s not quite back to that level this year but is still averaging a healthy 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. And he’s coming off a two-block, three-steal night against the Utah Jazz.

Anunoby is always a good bet to get his hands in the way. He’s had a steal in 14 of 16 starts with two-plus steals in nine of those games.

He should get a steal or two tonight and the Nuggets are allowing the second-most blocks per game to small forwards (1.12), according to StatMuse.

Picks made at 1:02 p.m. ET 11/25/2024.

Best NBA prop bets Nov. 25: Fade Towns, back Haliburton and Irving

Three stars are featured in Monday’s top NBA prop picks.

The pregame narrative: I’m riding point guards Tyrese Haliburton and Kyrie Irving and am fading Karl-Anthony Towns later in the night.

Check out the best NBA prop bets on Nov. 25.

NBA prop bets

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Best bet: Haliburton over 27.5 points/assists (-118)

Haliburton comfortably cleared this line against the Washington Wizards yesterday. I expect him to do it again tonight versus another bottom-feeder, the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Indiana Pacers PG has turned in a pair of strong efforts following a dismal, four-point dud last Wednesday.

While his shooting from the field remains a problem, he was strong from deep over those two games and piled up points/assists in both outings.

Nov. 24 vs. WSH: 21 points, 9 assists, 5 threes
Nov. 22 vs. MIL: 18 points, 9 assists, 4 threes

Both of those teams are plus matchups for point guards, which Haliburton took advantage of. While the Pelicans don’t get shredded by PGs the same way, they’ve been terrible defensively.

New Orleans is tied for last in the NBA in defensive rating and sits 28th in opponent effective field goal percentage.

Only two teams allow opponents to shoot better from the perimeter. Haliburton is taking a career-high 8.1 triples per game.

The 24-year-old had an 11/11 double-double when these teams met on Nov. 1, a Pelicans victory. New Orleans has just one win since then.

Key stat: Haliburton averaged more than 30 points/assists in consecutive seasons coming into the year.

Quick picks

Irving over 26.5 points (-112): The Dallas Mavericks are on a back-to-back but I don’t expect that to help the Atlanta Hawks slow down Irving tonight.

Atlanta surrenders 120.5 PPG (28th)
The Hawks are 30th in opponent 3P%
They allow the 5th-most points per game to PGs

Irving should eat and having Luka Doncic on the sidelines doesn’t hurt. Since joining the Mavs, Irving has averaged 28.5 points in 14 games without Doncic (per StatMuse).

He comes in with career-best marks from the field and long range and there should be as many shots available to Irving as he’d like.

Towns under 37.5 points/rebounds (-118): This is a huge number for any player to hit.

Nikola Jokic is second in the NBA in scoring and leads in rebounding and his points/rebounds line is only a point higher for this New York Knicks/Denver Nuggets game.

Towns (questionable, it should be noted) has been excellent, averaging 26.1 PPG and a career-high 12.5 rebounds. Still, he’s 7-8 versus this line.

New York is deep, with four players averaging 15-plus points, so Towns’ production from game to game is likely to be more sporadic than most go-to scoring options.

While he was in a different situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves, this is not a number Towns has had success with in recent matchups against Jokic’s Nuggets.

Over the last three seasons, playoffs included, Towns is 2-13 against this line when facing Jokic.

Only two centres have topped this number versus Jokic in 12 contests this season. None have done it over the last 10 games.

Making matters worse for Towns, the game is at the notoriously challenging Ball Arena in Denver.

Picks made at 1:20 p.m. ET on 11/25/2024.

Raptors vs. Pistons same-game parlay predictions Nov. 25: Bet on Barnes, Poeltl and a Toronto alt spread

After a loss in Cleveland last night, the Toronto Raptors are in Detroit on Monday to face the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.

The pregame narrative: Detroit won’t have Cade Cunningham tonight, which is part of the reason I like Toronto on an alt spread. This +400 SGP also features prop picks on Jaden Ivey, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl.

Check out my Raptors vs. Pistons same-game parlay predictions for Nov. 25.

Raptors vs. Pistons predictions

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Parlay: Raptors +10.5 + Ivey over 18.5 points + Barnes over 16.5 points + Poeltl over 10.5 rebounds (+400)

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Raptors +10.5 (-278): The Raptors are at a rest disadvantage tonight on a back-to-back, but that doesn’t worry me too much.

Toronto is 3-1 ATS on zero rest this season, per Team Rankings, and it’s up against a team that isn’t accustomed to playing the role of a favourite.

Detroit is just 5-10 ATS as a favourite since the start of last season. Last week, the Pistons went 0-3 ATS, which included a pair of straight up losses as favourites.

On Nov. 15, Toronto lost by four points as a home underdog against Detroit. I don’t expect a vastly different result tonight — especially without Cunningham, Detroit’s top scorer and passer.

SGP legs

Ivey over 18.5 points (-177): Cunningham’s absence means someone else will have to step up for Detroit. Ivey’s role is growing in the Motor City anyhow, so I think he has a good chance for an uptick in scoring volume.

In Year 3, Ivey has enjoyed growth in overall scoring (18.1 PPG) and 3-point effectiveness (36.6%). He’s gone over 18.5 points in eight of 17 games, landing on exactly 18 points two other times.

And his numbers with/without Cunningham since the start of last season are notable.

With Cunningham: 15.0 PPG, 12.1 FGA, 19+ points in 18/73 games
Without Cunningham: 18.9 PPG, 16.2 FGA, 19+ points in 10/21 games

Barnes over 16.5 points (-205): Barnes is only two games removed from an 11-game injury absence, but he managed to cash this prop in both games since his return.

He’s now hit this over in five of six games on the year. After averaging 19.9 PPG last season, that shouldn’t really surprise anyone.

Barnes is doing a nice job of getting to the free-throw line, but he’s struggling to score efficiently from the field. To me, that just means there’s potential for him to score at an even greater clip (unless you expect his 22.7% 3-point shooting to hold up).

Last year, Barnes scored 22 points and added nine rebounds when the Raptors played in Detroit.

Poeltl over 10.5 rebounds (-134): This is absolutely playable as a single. Poeltl is a vacuum on the glass.

The eighth-year centre is averaging 12.3 rebounds per game and has cashed this bet in 10 of 17 matchups this season.

Poeltl matched a season-high with 19 rebounds last time out, marking his fifth straight game with 12 or more.

Oh, and he had 18 boards against the Pistons earlier this month.

Detroit and Toronto both rank in the top five in rebounding rate this season, so this isn’t a pushover matchup. But Poeltl has dominated against Detroit once before and I don’t see why it’d be different this time.

Picks made at 11:39 a.m. on 11/25/24.