Our analysts' NBA predictions for Sunday include a spread pick for four games: 76ers -9.5 against the Bulls, Pistons -4.5 against the Lakers, Celtics -12.5 against the Bucks, and Pelicans -1.5 against the Clippers.
Below, you'll find each top pick, the reasoning behind it, and where to watch. For more plays on today's slate, head to our full list of NBA picks.
NBA top picks at a glance (Sunday, Nov. 8)
| Matchup & time | Top pick & analyst |
|---|---|
| 76ers vs. Bulls 3:30 p.m. ET |
76ers -9.5 Tom Oldfield |
| Lakers vs. Pistons 6 p.m. ET |
Pistons -4.5 Chris Walder |
| Celtics vs. Bucks 8 p.m. ET |
Celtics -12.5 Zak Hanshew |
| Pelicans vs. Clippers 9 p.m. ET |
Pelicans -1.5 Ed Scimia |
Picks courtesy of Polymarket, one of our best prediction market apps.
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76ers vs Bulls pick: 76ers -9.5
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- TV: NBCS-Philadelphia, CHSN
- Analyst: Tom Oldfield
Top pick: 76ers -9.5
Philadelphia is coming off a disappointing loss in Cleveland and shouldn't play with its food this afternoon at United Center. The 76ers easily covered a double-digit spread against Chicago earlier this month and are 4-1 ATS in their past five games. The Bulls have lost six in a row (2-4 ATS), and if Nic Claxton (questionable) is out again, the hosts are short on bodies to throw at Joel Embiid in the post.
Tom Oldfield also likes Philly's 1.92 assist-to-turnover rate, sixth-best in the league, because taking care of the ball creates the extra possessions needed to cover a spread that feels a little light. The 76ers shot 53% from the field in the teams' previous meeting, and Oldfield would lay up to 10.5 points at 56% in his 76ers vs. Bulls predictions.
Lakers vs Pistons pick: Pistons -4.5
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- TV: Spectrum SportsNet, DAZN-Indiana
- Analyst: Chris Walder
Top pick: Pistons -4.5
Luka Doncic is the backbone of everything the Lakers do. He just became the fourth player in franchise history to score 40+ points in four straight games, and the team's net rating nosedives by 40.1 points (20.7 to -19.4) whenever he sits. The early spread reflects his potential absence, and Sunday's game kicks off a four-game road trip, with the Lakers back at it Monday.
The Pistons will be a challenge regardless. Their defense ranks first overall by a 5.1-point margin (100.5 points allowed per 100 possessions) over the last six games, and that's with Jalen Duren (hamstring) sidelined. Chris Walder says the Lakers are unrecognizable and unreliable without Doncic and can't be trusted to penetrate a robust Pistons defense for 48 minutes. He'd play Detroit up to 60% in his Lakers vs. Pistons predictions.
Celtics vs Bucks pick: Celtics -12.5
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV: NBCS-Boston, Bucks+
- Analyst: Zak Hanshew
Top pick: Celtics -12.5
Milwaukee covered a 12.5-point spread at TD Garden on Wednesday in a seven-point loss, but Jayson Tatum sat that one out. With Tatum back, Zak Hanshew expects Boston to win comfortably and would trade this spread at -12.5 up to 55%. Tatum leads the Celtics in points, rebounds and assists, and their net rating fell 2.8 points without him.
Boston ranks in the top six in both offensive and defensive rating, while the Bucks rank 27th in both. The Celtics are second in net rating at 10.3, and Milwaukee is 27th at -12. Boston has outscored opponents by 6.5 points on the road, and its 7.4 road net rating is seventh-best in the league. Hanshew breaks it down in his Celtics vs. Bucks predictions.
Pelicans vs Clippers pick: Pelicans -1.5
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- TV: GCSEN, ClipperVision
- Analyst: Ed Scimia
Top pick: Pelicans -1.5
The Clippers (1-7) have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this year and are 1-4 ATS in their last five games. They rank 23rd in defensive efficiency (113.0) and 27th in offensive efficiency (104.3), which doesn't bode well against a Pelicans team that recently strung together a four-game winning streak.
New Orleans forces 17.4 turnovers a game, while Los Angeles commits a league-high 20.1 per contest. Ed Scimia says losing that many possessions will keep the depleted Clippers from staying in this game, even at home, and he likes the Pelicans to cover at spreads up to -4.5 in his Pelicans vs. Clippers 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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