Every night of the 2025-26 NBA season gives us a fresh set of games and numbers to pick apart. This daily column digs into the best sides and totals on the board, using in-depth basketball analysis, betting trends, and our VSiN NBA betting splits to spot value. We’ll also be tackling these slates relentlessly on our live VSiN programming, which is why basketball fans should really consider a VSiN Pro subscription. Below you’ll find some NBA picks and predictions for November 18.
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Golden State Warriors at Orlando Magic – 7:30 pm ET
The Warriors are seventh in defensive rating (111.7) this season, while the Magic are 12th (112.9). These are two defensive-minded teams, plus Orlando is starting to look a little sharper on that end of the floor. Over the last five games, the Magic have a defensive rating of 110.8. That’s not far off from where they were the last two years, when they were a top-five defensive team. Also, neither one of these teams plays fast offensively. Golden State is the quicker of the two, ranking 15th in the NBA in pace of play (101.90). However, Orlando is down at 28th in the league (96.59). Well, a slow-paced battle between two defense-first teams should be a good recipe for an Under. The Magic will also be without Paolo Banchero here, meaning their No. 1 source of offense is out.
The Under is also 5-2 in the seven home games Orlando has played this season. On top of that, the Under is 7-3 in the 10 games the Magic have played as underdogs of 6 or fewer points since the start of last season.
There’s just a good chance this game is ugly, even with some talented offensive players out there. I’d feel even better about that if Jalen Suggs ditches the questionable tag and plays tonight. We’ll want him out there to defend Steph Curry.
Bet: Under 223.5 (-110)
Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 pm ET
Last night, the Pistons earned a 15-point win over the Pacers. Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson were questionable for that one, but both of them ended up sitting. That leads me to believe we’ll see both of them this evening. Well, as long as Cunningham is out there, it’s hard to imagine Detroit’s winning streak (10 games) ending here.
The Hawks are 6-2 in their last eight games, which is significant with that being the stretch Trae Young has missed. Atlanta is fourth in the NBA in defensive rating (108.4) and 14th in offensive rating (115.7) in that span, and the team has an impressive net rating of +7.3. However, with Detroit being scorching hot, I’m not sure it matters. The Pistons have a better statistical profile over the last eight games, along with the rest of the regular season. Also, the matchup seems like a nightmare for Atlanta.
This Hawks team might be playing well without Young, but the offense still leaves a little to be desired. So, a Pistons team that is now second in the league in defensive rating (109.5) should be able to make things tough on the home squad. And as long as this game is somewhat close late, I trust Cunningham more than anybody else to get over the finish line. That said, let’s hope for some good injury luck here.
Detroit is also 10-3 straight-up under JB Bickerstaff when facing teams that get outrebounded by 3.0 or more rebounds per game. That has a lot to do with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, who could bully Atlanta around a bit.
Bet: Pistons ML (-110 – 1.5 units)
