With October over and November here, we’ll finally see what these teams are made of as we enter the midseason tournament in a few weeks. Will the Lakers claim the trophy again, or will we be surprised by a young team making a deep push? Either way, there is a ton of basketball until then, and we have some excellent games lined up this Friday night! We’ll have the latest team breakdown and odds for our top 3 games tonight!
The Nuggets have been ailing this year. They’ve started the year 2-2 so far, with their two wins over Brooklyn and Toronto. Even in those games, it came down to the wire. This is certainly not the team we saw dominate in the playoffs two years ago. Losing several key players over the last couple of off-seasons has exposed some glaring holes in the Nuggets roster. The biggest of which is their perimeter scoring. It has been streaky to start the season, and when it’s not hitting, they’ve struggled to keep their ground offensively. However, Jokic has still been an MVP-level contributor, even putting up 29/16/18 against Brooklyn. That heroic effort only managed to help the team secure a 5-point victory over the Nets in OT, though. This team needs to figure something out.
On the other hand, the new-look Timberwolves have been adjusting to their updated roster. They’ve shared the same record with the Nuggets at 2-2, but we’d argue the competition has been much stronger for the Wolves. Playing some of the top teams in the West so far, they have been competitive in every game despite adjusting to life without Karl Anthony Towns. We think they’ll have the edge in this game solely because we trust their offense more. The Nuggets can keep up, but it’ll take an intense night from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, both of which have been hit or miss. With a deeper roster and solid team matchups, we expect the Timberwolves to edge out a close victory tonight.
Prediction: Timberwolves Win
Money Line Odds: -180 Minnesota
Spread: -4 Timberwolves
Total Points 219: Under
The Pacers and the Pelicans will tip off tonight with 2-3 records, as neither team has found its stride yet. In the case of the Pelicans, early injuries have derailed the team, losing Murray and Murphy. Fortunately, Murphy should be on the path to returning to the court soon. Murray, on the other hand, will continue to miss an extended amount of time. However, this Pelicans team was already incomplete even before the injuries. Primarily lacking an experienced starting-level center, they have used rookie Yves Missi and Daniel Theis to patchwork center minutes together. Though, they have opted to play without a traditional center for most of their minutes. This is in glaring contrast to the direction the rest of the league has gone. This Pelicans team is still good, though. With Zion and Ingram leading the team in scoring, they can still win games, but it would be a tall order for them to take this one against the Pacers.
The Pacers also had a rocky start but have held their own against some high-level competition; they even took down the Celtics in their last game. This team is explosive, with young talent like Mathurin showing up big-time. This team looks dangerous, as Pascal Siakam provides the veteran grit and size this team lacked early last year. As a plucky, fast-paced team, we think they could go far again this year. We have them as a lock to win this game tonight.
Prediction: Pacers Win
Money Line Odds: -180 Indiana
Spread: -4.5 Pacers
Total Points 232.5: Over
Now, we don’t expect Portland to shock the world in this matchup; we believe OKC will hand them easily. However, we could see a game where Portland covers the spread here. Portland has been sneaky strong on defense this year, as they have transformed their roster into one of the tallest in the league. They have size at every position, which could bother OKC. Especially if the Thunder continues to struggle shooting the three, they are currently 27th in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 31%. This could play right into the strength of Portland, which has thrived in lower-scoring inside games. This OKC roster lacks size, especially with Isaiah Hartenstein's sideline with a hand injury. Chet is their only big, and he may struggle against Ayton and Clingan, who both have a weight advantage over him. If Portland can control the boards, slow down OKC’s stars, and find consistent scoring inside, this game might stay close.
Predictions: Thunder Win
Money Line: -625 OKC
Spread: +11 Trail Blazers
Total Points 221: Over