Monday brings nine NBA games, starting with two 7 p.m. ET matchups and wrapping up with Warriors vs. Nuggets in Denver.
Our NBA predictions highlight the featured picks from Covers analysts across the slate; see more expert betting angles in our free NBA picks for Oct. 26.
NBA top picks at a glance Monday, Oct. 26
| Matchup | Top pick & analyst |
|---|---|
| Wizards vs Hornets | Over 227.5 Tom Oldfield |
| Timberwolves vs Cavaliers | Cavaliers -4.5 Chris Walder |
| Bulls vs Celtics | Over 232.5 Zak Hanshew |
| Mavericks vs Heat | Heat -8.5 Chris Walder |
| Pacers vs Bucks | Bucks +4.5 Geoff Clark |
| Suns vs Thunder | Under 221.5 Ed Scimia |
| Hawks vs Rockets | Under 230.5 JC Blanco |
| Grizzlies vs Jazz | Grizzlies moneyline Shawn Krest |
Picks courtesy of Polymarket, one of our best prediction market apps.
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Wizards vs Hornets pick: Over 227.5
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV: MNMT, WAXN-TV64
- Analyst: Tom Oldfield
Top pick: Over 227.5
The Washington Wizards are built for shootouts. The Over went 47-35 in Washington's games last season, and now you add Trae Young, who boosts their offense while creating defensive concerns.
That's a promising formula for a high-scoring matchup against a deep Charlotte Hornets team tonight, with the Over playable up to 228.5 or 53%.
Find out what else Oldfield is on in his full Wizards vs. Hornets predictions.
Timberwolves vs Cavaliers pick: Cavaliers -4.5
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV: DAZN-MIN, WUAB
- Analyst: Chris Walder
Top pick: Cavaliers -4.5
Much like the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota has looked dominant at both ends of the floor, scoring 119.1 points per 100 possessions while allowing just 96.2.
The combination of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball has delivered the goods thus far, although Monday's tilt in Cleveland should bring them back down to Earth.
Read more of Walder's analysis in his Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers predictions.
Bulls vs Celtics pick: Over 232.5
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: CHSN, NBC Sports Boston
- Analyst: Zak Hanshew
Top pick: Over 233.5
The Boston Celtics have given up 112 points per game and sit outside the top 20 in defensive rating through two contests.
The Chicago Bulls also rank in the bottom third in defensive rating, and they've surrendered the second-most points per game at a whopping 128. The Bulls rank second in pace and have consistently been among the NBA's fastest teams since 2024-25. They like to push the tempo, and they're scoring 114.7 points per game.
Find out Hanshew's top player props for this matchup in his Bulls vs. Celtics predictions.
Mavericks vs Heat pick: Heat -8.5
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: KFAA-TV, MavsTV
- Analyst: Chris Walder
Top pick: Heat -8.5
Miami is 3-1 straight-up in the Mavericks' last four visits and went 26-15 at home last season, despite finishing as the East's No. 10 seed. Meanwhile, Dallas was just 10-30 on the road last year.
I'm comfortable trading the Heat at -8.5 up to 55%. Three losses aren't enough to sound the alarm on Miami's season, and I expect a sharper effort on both ends against a short-handed opponent.
Read Walder's full Mavericks vs. Heat predictions for more plays.
Pacers vs Bucks pick: Bucks +4.5
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV: DAZN-IND, My24 Milwaukee
- Analyst: Geoff Clark
Top pick: Bucks +4.5
Indiana is coming off Sunday's win over Brooklyn with several players banged up, including center Ivica Zubac, who injured his ankle.
Geoff Clark believes Milwaukee's starting unit can keep the home underdogs within 4.5 points.
Read Clark's full Pacers vs. Bucks predictions.
Suns vs Thunder pick: Under 221.5
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV: Suns+, Thunder+
- Analyst: Ed Scimia
Top pick: Under 221.5
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been outstanding defensively, allowing just 96.3 ppg in their 3-0 start. Opponents have an effective field goal percentage of just 47.1% against Oklahoma City so far this season. Combined with a slow pace of play, that's led the Thunder to hit the Under in all three games.
The Phoenix Suns aren't likely to change those trends. They've been mediocre on offense, ranking 18th in offensive efficiency to start the season (106.6), and are averaging only 107.0 ppg themselves.
See what else Scimia cooked up for this matchup in his full Suns vs. Thunder predictions.
Hawks vs Rockets pick: Under 230.5
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ANF/Peachtree Sports Network, SCHN
- Analyst: JC Blanco
Top pick: Under 230.5
Both the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets have been involved in some high-scoring battles early this season, including Saturday's meeting. However, there's a strong case for the Under on Houston's home floor. The Under went 25-18-1 at Toyota Center across the 2025-26 regular season and playoffs, a 58.1% hit rate that ranked seventh in the league for that split.
Read Blanco's full Hawks vs. Rockets predictions.
Grizzlies vs Jazz pick: Grizzlies moneyline
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- TV: KJZZ, Jazz+, DAZN-Memphis
- Analyst: Shawn Krest
Top pick: Grizzlies moneyline
The Jazz are likely favored due to home court, but two of the Grizzlies' three wins have come on the road. Their only home victory was a 20-point demolition of these same Jazz on opening night.
Read the full Grizzlies vs. Jazz predictions.
More NBA picks
Want to build a bigger card? These Covers roundups cover every bet type for today's games:
Check the NBA injury report before finalizing today's picks.
All of today’s matchups are also on the NBA scores and matchups page, and the full pick archive lives in free NBA picks.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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