Tonight's NBA predictions cover a busy slate, with spreads and totals galore to complete your NBA picks on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Our NBA experts are backing the Bulls, Bucks, and Raptors as underdog options against their respective spreads among the night's top picks.
NBA top picks at a glance (Wednesday, Nov. 4)
| Matchup & time | Top pick & analyst |
|---|---|
| 76ers vs. Pistons 7 p.m. |
76ers +2.5 Tom Oldfield |
| Hawks vs. Wizards 7 p.m. |
Wizards +2.5 Quinn Allen |
| Bulls vs. Knicks 7:30 p.m. |
Bulls +11.5 Chris Walder |
| Bucks vs. Celtics 7:30 p.m. |
Bucks +10.5 Geoff Clark |
| Cavaliers vs. Thunder 8 p.m. |
Cavaliers +3.5 Geoff Clark |
| Pacers vs. Grizzlies 8 p.m. |
Grizzlies -6.5 Quinn Allen |
| Timberwolves vs. Rockets 8:30 p.m. |
Over 221.5 Ed Scimia |
| Raptors vs. Nuggets 8:30 p.m. |
Raptors +4.5 Dustin Saracini |
| Mavericks vs. Spurs 9:30 p.m. |
Spurs -11.5 Chris Walder |
| Lakers vs. Kings 10 p.m. |
Over 234.5 Jason Logan |
| Heat vs. Clippers 10:30 p.m. |
Over 233.5 Zak Hanshew |
Picks courtesy of Polymarket, one of our best prediction market apps.
Trade on the NBA at Polymarket!
Sign up now using our exclusive Polymarket promo code 'COVERS' (on your mobile app only) and get a $25 trading bonus after you deposit $10 to trade on any event contracts!
*Eligible locations only
76ers vs Pistons pick: 76ers +2.5
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Analyst: Tom Oldfield
Top pick: 76ers +2.5
The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a flying start, winning their first three road games while getting at least 16 points per game from each of their four leading scorers.
Detroit has been equally impressive, but Jalen Duren's absence leaves the Pistons vulnerable inside against Joel Embiid. Philadelphia is 6-0 with Embiid in the lineup, and his size advantage should create opportunities for the Sixers' perimeter playmakers.
Tom Oldfield is backing Philadelphia to cover and would take the spread up to +3.5 at 55% in his 76ers vs. Pistons predictions.
Hawks vs Wizards pick: Wizards +2.5
- Time: 7 p.m.
- TV: WANF, Peachtree Sports Network
- Analyst: Quinn Allen
Top pick: Wizards +2.5
The Washington Wizards are playing some of their best basketball lately, winning back-to-back games by a combined 25 points. They held the Hornets to just 79 points, while the Magic scored only 94 on Monday.
The Atlanta Hawks are no pushovers, but they could be without Jalen Johnson tonight, who's nursing an ankle sprain. That potential absence gives Washington a real edge.
Quinn Allen will play the 2.5-point spread to 57% in his Hawks vs. Wizards predictions tonight.
Bulls vs Knicks pick: Bulls +11.5
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- TV: CSN, MSGN
- Analyst: Chris Walder
Top pick: Bulls +11.5
The New York Knicks' 1-6 against-the-spread record is tied for the second-worst in the Association. That's enough reason, in and of itself, to believe the Chicago Bulls — who lost by six at +7.5 to the Knicks on Oct. 28 — can keep the score close yet again.
The Knicks' offense has been particularly concerning at home, generating just 106.9 points per 100 possessions — a dramatic drop from last season's league-best mark of 120.8.
Compounding the problem, New York is shooting just 41.9% from the field (27th overall), with five regulars (Jalen Brunson, O.G. Anunoby, Miles McBride, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges) converting below 40%.
The Bulls can capitalize on a vulnerable opponent here. The spread is too large, and the Knicks are too inconsistent, so Chris Walder takes the underdogs in his Bulls vs. Knicks predictions.
Bucks vs Celtics pick: Bucks +10.5
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- TV: WCGV, NBC Sports Boston
- Analyst: Geoff Clark
Top pick: Bucks +10.5
The Boston Celtics opened as 14.5-point favorites, but that line has dropped significantly because Jayson Tatum has been ruled out, while point guard Payton Pritchard remains questionable. Tatum and Pritchard are two of Boston's three best shot creators.
Tatum is getting a scheduled rest night after playing both ends of a Sunday-Monday back-to-back, a precaution that makes sense given his recent Achilles recovery.
Geoff Clark goes deeper with his Bucks vs. Celtics predictions, explaining why he'll take Milwaukee to +9.5.
Cavaliers vs Thunder pick: Cavaliers +3.5
- Time: 8 p.m.
- TV: DAZN-CLE, KSBI-TV
- Analyst: Geoff Clark
Top pick: Cavaliers +3.5
This is a longtime NBA playoff handicapping system where you trade on the team that just lost in the rematch. Well, the Oklahoma City Thunder upset the Cavs 117-112 Monday in Cleveland as 4.5-point road underdogs but the market has overreacted.
With my 1.75-point home-court adjustment, the Thunder should be slight favorites at most. All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined to miss five free throws, despite both being 80+% shooters, while Oklahoma City outscored Cleveland 50-30 in the paint.
That shouldn't repeat against an elite Cavaliers frontcourt featuring C Jarrett Allen and PF Evan Mobley.
Geoff Clark gives more insight in his Cavaliers vs. Thunder predictions, explaining why he'll take Cleveland +3.5.
Pacers vs Grizzlies pick: Grizzlies -6.5
- Time: 8 p.m.
- TV: DAZN
- Analyst: Quinn Allen
Top pick: Grizzlies -6.5
The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the biggest surprises in this young NBA season, sitting third in offensive rating and fifth in defensive rating.
The Grizzlies just lost their first game, dropping them to 6-1. Yet, they still rank first in points per game, 3-point makes, and 3-point percentage.
On the other side, they face an Indiana Pacers team that is 2-6 and without Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana has also lost five in a row, and now it'll visit one of the league's best teams so far.
With a 12.9 net rating compared to the Pacers' -3.4 mark, Quinn Allen's Pacers vs. Grizzlies predictions confidently take Memphis to cover.
Timberwolves vs Rockets pick: Over 221.5
- Time: 8:30 p.m.
- TV: DAZN, SCHN
- Analyst: Ed Scimia
Top pick: Over 221.5
Since Anthony Edwards stopped playing to undergo knee surgery, the Minnesota Timberwolves have hit the Over in three of four games, and are still putting up 116.0 ppg in his absence.
The Houston Rockets are more defensive-minded, but they've also hit the Over in five of eight games this year. While they rank near the bottom of the league in pace metrics, they have been forced into higher-scoring, faster games against teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks.
Minnesota will push the pace, and Houston will have little trouble playing along. Ed Scimia likes the Over at up to 222.5 points with his Timberwolves vs. Rockets predictions.
Raptors vs Nuggets pick: Raptors +4.5
- Time: 9 p.m.
- TV: TSN, ALT
- Analyst: Dustin Saracini
Top pick: Raptors +4.5
The Toronto Raptors enter tonight's matchup with the Denver Nuggets riding high after erupting for a season-high 47 points in Monday's fourth quarter.
And there's one matchup advantage worth highlighting tonight: the battle on the glass. Toronto leads the NBA with 15.3 offensive rebounds per game, while the Nuggets surrender a league-worst 14.5.
Denver has already dropped two of three at home, and with Scottie Barnes playing some of his best basketball, Toronto has the defensive versatility (10th in defensive rating) and second-chance scoring to cover in Dustin Saracini's Raptors vs. Nuggets predictions.
Mavericks vs Spurs pick: Spurs -11.5
- Time: 9:30 p.m.
- TV: ESPN
- Analyst: Chris Walder
Top pick: Spurs -11.5
Tonight's 11.5-point spread is the second-largest of the season, painting Dallas as underdogs. The biggest, conveniently enough, was back on Oct. 24 at +14.5 vs. the San Antonio Spurs in a 16-point beatdown, albeit without both Irving and Cooper Flagg.
The Spurs are holding opponents to 106.8 points per 100 possessions during their ongoing five-game winning streak, 3.6 points less than the third-ranked defense they posted a season ago.
Their average margin of victory during that stretch is 16.2 points, only slightly below the 17.1-point average margin by which San Antonio has annihilated Dallas in their last six meetings.
Even with Kyrie Irving expected to play, Chris Walder's Mavericks vs. Spurs predictions don't give the visitors much hope.
Lakers vs Kings pick: Over 234.5
- Time: 10 p.m.
- TV: Spectrum SportsNet, NBC Sports California
- Analyst: Jason Logan
Top pick: Over 234.5
J.J. Redick retooled the Los Angeles Lakers’ approach this offseason, with the departure of LeBron James allowing him to shift the focus to Luka Doncic.
The Lakers' head coach wanted the star guard playing off the ball more, with an emphasis on quicker decision-making and an uptick in 3-pointers.
That’s what we’ve seen heading into this mid-week matchup with the Sacramento Kings, with L.A. touting the top-rated scoring attack and a 5-3 Over/Under mark.
The Kings don’t provide much pushback while ranked 28th in defensive rating, and their pace of play steers into the skid. Jason Logan likes the Over for any total shorter than 237 points in his Lakers vs. Kings predictions.
Heat vs Clippers pick: Over 233.5
- Time: 10:30 p.m.
- TV: WPLG-IND, ClipperVision
- Analyst: Zak Hanshew
Top pick: Over 233.5
Zak Hanshew expects plenty of scoring in his Heat vs. Clippers predictions tonight.
The teams both rank 20th or worse in defensive rating and among the Top 13 in pace this season. Over the last three games, both offenses have played up-tempo basketball, ranking in the Top 9 in pace.
In that span, Miami owns the top offensive rating, and the Heat have scored 130.3 points per game. Both teams' defensive ratings have fallen to 121 or worse across their last three games, and each team has hit the game total Over in three straight.
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.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
