The start of the 2024-25 NBA season is officially here. Make sure you check out the fantastic work of Jonathan Von Tobel, who writes up his best bets daily. Also, try and listen to A Numbers Game every morning, as Kelley Bydlon often dishes out his favorite NBA picks. But I’ll be giving out NBA best bets and player props here as often as possible, and I’ll also occasionally write up features on big news that shakes up the league. So, make sure you check out my work throughout the season. With that out of the way, let’s get into some NBA best bets and NBA player props for Sunday, November 3rd.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on November 3rd
NBA Best Bets Today – November 3rd
Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets – 3:40 pm ET
I’m not in love with any sides or totals tonight, but I’m going to take a shot on the Pistons to win outright. I know Detroit has looked miserable this season, and Brooklyn has actually played some solid basketball. However, these odds are just very far off from where I would have had them before the season started, and we’re only six games into the year. That said, I think it’s best to look at this game as an opportunity to get plus-money odds on a team that might be better than its opponent.
While the advanced stats say that Brooklyn is better defensively, there’s just no world in which I’d take the Nets over the Pistons on that end of the floor — especially if Ben Simmons ends up missing this one. And while I’m a big Cam Thomas fan, Cade Cunningham will be the best player on the floor here. He has an ability to control the game that nobody else in this game can match. Also, Tobias Harris, who is from New York, knocked down some shots last game. Perhaps he’ll build on that and have a nice game here. He has been a nightmare this season, which is in line with what we saw in Philadelphia last year. But he’s a solid player and should be able to figure it out eventually. This could be the right matchup.
Also, in JB Bickerstaff’s career as a head coach, his teams are 44-32 straight-up when facing teams that allow 116.0 or more points per game. And that includes a 1-0 record this season, so that trend came through in Detroit’s only win of the year.
Bet: Pistons ML (+125)
NBA Player Props Today – November 3rd
Atlanta Hawks at New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 pm ET
Dyson Daniels is listed as questionable for tonight’s game, but I’m going Over on his point total of 9.5. Daniels is averaging 12.8 points per game this season, and he has scored at least 10 points in three of the four games he has played. Daniels has just looked very comfortable with his new team, and his remarkable perimeter defense makes it very difficult for Quin Snyder to take him off the court. So, if Daniels does end up playing tonight, he’s going to get a ton of minutes. And I’d just be surprised if he doesn’t score double digits. The Pelicans are just 20th in the league in adjusted defensive rating (115.3). Combining that mediocre defense with Atlanta’s desire to push the pace should mean opportunities for Daniels to score against the team that gave up on him. That’s right. This is a revenge game!
Bet: Daniels Over 9.5 Points (-135)
Added Plays
TEASER: Hawks +9.5 vs. Pelicans & Mavericks -0.5 vs. Magic (-125 – 1.5 units) – I won’t normally explain my teaser logic. I know people don’t love these. However, I think they can occasionally offer good value. And on a slate with only three games, I figured I’d give you a glimpse into how I’m finding a way to attack the card.
With this one, I flirted with the idea of taking the Hawks on the regular spread, but it was hoping to get +5 or so. That said, getting it at +9.5 makes it much more palatable, and I love the Mavericks to win tonight.
Atlanta gets a shorthanded New Orleans team, and the team will be eager to right the ship after an embarrassing week of basketball. Meanwhile, Dallas’ defense is just really good at taking away the exact types of things Orlando wants to do. Plus, the Magic are without Paolo Banchero indefinitely. This is a team that is already pretty hard to trust offensively, so losing its go-to scorer — and his volume — will be hard to overcome against a sound defensive team. Also, Dallas has the offensive weaponry required to score against a great Orlando defense.
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2024-25 NBA Record: 30-26 (+2.23 units)
